Vascular Surgery Integrated Program
Maimonides Health Integrated Vascular Residency Program is located in the heart of Brooklyn with training focused at the only major tertiary care center in the region. The training in vascular is broad with extensive experiences in complex open and endovascular therapies. This is a 5-year program designed to prepare vascular surgeons to provide personalized, comprehensive, and high-quality vascular care. The residents receive robust training in aortic arch and proximal aortic surgical repair with cardiac surgery faculty at our Aortic Center. There is also a dedicated Vein Center with a broad range of venous and cosmetic cases. Residents are expected to participate and complete peer reviewed clinical studies during the training. Vascular program at MH is active in participating and leading national clinical device trials. A rotation in complex endovascular aortic treatment with Dr. Stephan Haulon in Paris is also offered during the final year of training. Through graded and progressive responsibility, the resident will build upon their general surgery education, followed by intense vascular specific training to develop proficiency in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the arterial, venous, and lymphatic systems.
Residency Overview
The Maimonides Medical Center Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency Program is a 5-year program designed to prepare vascular surgeons to provide personalized, comprehensive, high quality vascular care. Through graded and progressive responsibility, the resident will build upon 2 years of general surgery residency education, followed by 3 years of vascular specific training to develop proficiency in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the arterial, venous, and lymphatic systems. In addition, the resident will develop proficiency in multidisciplinary communication, professionalism, and learn to function effectively within the broader healthcare system.
Following completion of vascular surgery training, the graduate is expected to have achieved a broad base of knowledge and skills concerning the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative care of the general vascular surgery patient. They will demonstrate proficiency and knowledge in the indications and technical skills necessary to perform procedures requiring traditional open, and catheter-based, technology. The program’s graduates are expected to demonstrate the ability to critique personal practice outcomes and to apply self-directed life-long learning in the practice of vascular surgery.
Program Leadership
Robert Young Rhee, MD
Chief, Vascular and Endovascular
Surgery & Program Director Vascular
Surgery Integrated Residency
Benjamin Youdelman, MD
Director Aortic Center & Attending
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Mahmoud Walid Almadani, MD
Associate Program Director Vascular
Surgery Integrated Residency & Attending
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Michael Bezuevsky, DO
Attending Vascular and
Endovascular Surgery
Alexander Shiferson, DO
Director of the Vein Center
Louisa DiGerolamo, NP
Vascular Clinical Coordinator
Qinghua Pu, MD
Attending Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Lynette Bilella
Vascular Surgery Integrated
Residency Coordinator
Curriculum Overview
Following the successful completion of the PGY-1 and PGY-2 years, the “Integrated Track” includes 3 years of intensive vascular surgery training.
During the PGY-3 year the vascular resident will serve as a “junior resident” on the vascular services. They are expected to become familiar with the workup of most vascular patients, become competent in evaluating vascular complaints, performing physical examination of the vascular system, prescribing and interpreting appropriate diagnostic tests, and recommending management as indicated. They should become very well versed in the pre and postoperative management of patients with vascular disease as well as the principles of both open and endovascular treatment. They should become competent in the use of diagnostic angiography, simple interventional procedures as well as the interpretation of all vascular imaging studies. In addition, the vascular resident during that year should become familiar with open procedures, their proper indications and competent in the performance of simple vascular reconstructions. The year is structed with 2 months spent on the cardiac surgery service, 2 months dedicated vascular lab rotation, 2 months dedicated vein center rotation, 1 dedicated clinical research month, and 5 months on clinical vascular service.
The PGY-4 and PGY-5 years are designed to provide a more independent and “senior” experience on vascular services. The PGY 4 resident during this year should become competent in the management of everyday vascular problems as well as the performance of a vast array of simple uncomplicated vascular procedures, both open and endovascular. The final year (PGY-5) is designed to provide experience at the senior level in the more complex type of vascular problems, both elective and emergency.
At the end of the intensive training the graduate is expected to have the skills necessary to diagnose and define abnormalities of the vascular system, formulate a treatment plan based on available medical and surgical therapeutic options and perform all various surgical and endovascular reconstructive procedures necessary. The graduating vascular surgeon will also have an in-depth understanding of the pathophysiology of vascular disease, especially in areas of hemodynamics, predisposing factors for atherosclerotic disease and knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of drugs used in the treatment of vascular pathology.
Our Research
- Jared Carleton , Jason Chang, Qinghua (Richard) Pu and Robert Rhee | Internal jugular to internal jugular vein bypass of symptomatic central vein obstruction
- Mahmoud Almadani, MD, Alexander Shiferson, DO, Bruce Swearingen, MD, Michael Shih, MD, Theresa Jacob, PhD, MPH, and Robert Rhee, MD | Compartment syndrome secondary to viral myositis as initial presentation in COVID-19 patient
- Michael Shih, Bruce Swearingen, and Robert Rhee | Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Treated with Endovascular Repair in a Patient with Active COVID-19 Infection during the Pandemic
- Shinichiro Ikeda, MD Michael Shih MD, Robert Y. Rhee MD and Benjamin A. Youdelman MD | Acute complicated type B aortic dissection during the New York City COVID-19 surge
- Robert Rhee, MD,a Gustavo Oderich, MD,b Adriene Hertault, MD,c Emmanuel Tenorio, MD,b Michael Shih, MD,a Sara Honari, MD,a Theresa Jacob, PhD, MPH,a and Stephan Haulon, MD | Multicenter experience in translumbar type II endoleak treatment in the hybrid room with needle trajectory planning and fusion guidance
- Shinichiro Ikeda, MD, Michael Shih MD, Robert Y. Rhee, MD, and Benjamin A. Youdelman, MD | Amplatzer Vascular Plug for Complicated Residual DeBakey Type 1 Aortic Dissection in the Aortic Arch
- Melissa K. Meghpara, Yi Tong, Albertina Sebastian, Mahmoud Almadani, Theresa Jacob, Ezekiel Sanchez, Qinghua Pu, Alexander Shiferson, and Robert Y. Rhee | Effect of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin on Patency in High-Risk Bypass Patients
Robert Rhee, MD,a Gustavo Oderich, MD,b Sukgu Han, MD,c Chandler Long, MD,d Patrick Muck, MD,e Erin Moore, MD,f and Jon Matsumura, MD, | One-year results of the GORE EXCLUDER Conformable AAA Endoprosthesis system in the United States regulatory trial
Mudathir Ibrahim, MD, Michael Silver, MS, Theresa Jacob, MPH, PhD, Melissa Meghpara, DO, Mahmoud Almadani, MD, Alexander Shiferson, DO, Robert Rhee, MD, and Qinghua Pu, MD | Open conversion after failed endovascular aneurysm repair is increasing and its 30-day mortality is higher than that after primary open repair
Jenna Kroeker, MD, Shane Ashmeade, MD, Robert Rhee, MD, and Qinghua Pu, MD | Soleal venous aneurysm in a patient with a history of pulmonary embolism
Albertina Sebastian, MD, Melissa K. Meghpara, DO, MS, Mahmoud Almadani, MD, Jennifer K. Henaghan, DO, Yiwu J. Huang, MD,c and Robert Y. Rhee, MD | Contained abdominal aortic rupture secondary to follicular lymphoma invasion
Melissa K. Meghpara, DO, MS, Albertina Sebastian, MD, Yi Tong, MD, Alexander Shiferson, MD, Robert Y. Rhee, MD, and Qinghua Pu, MD | Iliac vein aneurysms associated with May-Thurner anatomy
Yi Tong, MD, Asha Khachane, MD, Mudathir Ibrahim, MD, Theresa Jacob, PhD, MPH, Alexander Shiferson, DO, Mahmoud Almadani, MD, Robert Y. Rhee, MD, and Qinghua Pu, MD | Open abdominal aortic repair in the current era has more complications for occlusive disease than for aneurysm repair
Learn More About Our Program
How To Apply
Applications can be submitted this fall through ERAS at www.aamc.org/eras. Complete details and timelines for individual programs are available on the ERAS website. As all applications are accepted through ERAS, paper applications are not accepted. We do not offer pre-matches.
A minimum of two letters of recommendations are required. We review a dean’s letter, transcript, USMLE/COMLEX scores etc. Both J1 visas and a limited number of H1 visas are accepted. No visa type is guaranteed.
As part of our program requirements, we look for USMLE scores of 200+ COMLEX scores of 400+ and number of attempts. We do not require US clinical experience, but it is favorable. We prefer recent graduates, however, we will consider three years from date of graduation with clinical experience. In all, we review the application in its entirety.
Maimonides Medical Center complies with federal and city laws and orders prohibiting discrimination in employment. Such discrimination includes race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, handicap, marital status or sexual orientation.
For more information, email Lynette Bilella, Residency Coordinator, at [email protected].
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