Message from Program Director
Thank you for your interest in our fellowship programs. The mission of both the ACGME Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine (RAAPM) and Non-ACGME Perioperative Regional Anesthesiology (PRA) Fellowships is to nurture the compassion, scholarship, citizenship, and inquisitiveness of trainees committed to alleviating pain in perioperative and peri-trauma patients. Our goal is to provide an education that enables physicians to reach their full potential as expert consultants in advanced regional anesthesia and acute pain management.
A core part of our training is understanding the social determinants of pain, caring for a wide range of patients, exhibiting professionalism, advocating for patients and communities, and cultivating a deep curiosity that drives lifelong learning. Faculty actively teach at the bedside and during didactics, emphasizing advanced regional techniques and catheters; the care of complex acute pain patients—including those with coexisting substance use disorders and chronic pain; and the evolving roles of regional anesthesiologists in and beyond the operating room. We believe a well-balanced educational experience and healthy work-life balance are essential to our fellows’ growth and wellness.
We currently offer two tracks:
Non-ACGME Perioperative Regional Anesthesiology (PRA) Fellowship
Trainees split their time roughly 50/50 between regional anesthesiology fellowship activities and independent attending anesthesiology practice, with commensurate salary. Voluntary OR call is available to supplement income. Eligibility for a New York State license is required. One position is offered through the SF Match.
ACGME-Accredited Regional Anesthesiology & Acute Pain Medicine (RAAPM) Fellowship
Fellows rotate through regional anesthesiology, acute pain, chronic/interventional pain, quality improvement, and related experiences for a balanced education. There is no required weekend or after-hours call; moonlighting is permitted. To foster a culture of inquiry, ACGME fellows receive at least 20 percent dedicated non-clinical time for self-directed education and scholarship.
One position is offered through the SF Match.
We are honored to welcome fellows into our community and to support them in all their endeavors.
Ammar Siddiqui MD, MS
Program Director, Regional Anesthesiology Fellowship
Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY
[email protected]
ACGME RAAPM Program Overview
The ACGME-accredited RAAPM Fellowship at Westchester Medical Center trains fellows for independent practice in regional anesthesia and acute pain management. Fellows develop both basic and advanced regional skills and become expert consultants in acute pain.
Program Curriculum
Non-ACGME PRA Program Overview
The PRA Fellowship develops independent practice in regional anesthesia while allowing fellows to maintain and advance general OR anesthesiology skills in a supportive environment.
Program Curriculum
How to Apply
Non-ACGME PRA Fellowship
- Completion of an ACGME-accredited Anesthesiology Residency and eligibility for a New York State medical license are required.
- Position filled via the San Francisco Match (SF Match).
ACGME RAAPM Fellowship
- Completion of an ACGME-accredited Anesthesiology Residency (or equivalent).
- NY State license eligibility is not required for the ACGME track.
Application Materials (SF Match Common Application +):
- Photo ID
- Three Letters of Recommendation (one from Residency PD or current PD)
- Dean’s Letter (MSPE)
- Medical School Transcript & Diploma
- USMLE or COMLEX Score Transcript
- ITE/AKT Score Report (if applicable)
- ECFMG Certification (if applicable)
Visa Sponsorship
- Westchester Medical Center accepts individuals on J-1 visas sponsored by ECFMG/Intealth. Please contact the program for additional information.
Submission
Please submit the application and all supporting documents electronically to:
Dorian Dubois
Fellowship Coordinator
[email protected]
Current Fellows
- Zhihao Wang, MD – North Sichuan Medical College
Program Alumni
- Hamza Abou Alchamat, MD – University of Damascus Faculty of Medicine; Residency: American University of Beirut Medical Center
- Kenneth Jezierski, MD – University of Kansas School of Medicine; Residency: St. Joseph’s University Medical Center Program
- Jaimin Pandya, MD, MBBS – Government Medical College Bhavnagar
- Ismat Mrad, MD – American University of Beirut
- Fang Yu, MD – Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
- Muhammad Shabsigh, MD – Residency: Ohio State University (Surgery – General); Westchester Medical Center (Anesthesiology)
- Ailan Zhang, MD, PhD – Sun Yat-Sen University
- Jashen Patheja, DO – Internship: Kennedy University Hospital, Rowan University; Residency: Hahnemann University Hospital, Drexel University
- Alla Spivak, DO – Internship: Long Beach Medical Center; Residency: Temple University Hospital; Fellowship: Critical Care, SUNY Downstate
- Victor Tseng, MD – Residency: Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Bernd Dotzauer, MD – Residency: University of Connecticut; Fellowship: Critical Care, Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Our Clinical Locations
Westchester Medical Center
Westchester Medical Center shares its leafy campus with New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY, approximately 20 miles north of New York City. It is a Level 1 Trauma and Burn Center and a major hub for specialized care referrals. Here, we take care of patients from a very large catchment area stretching from the northern border of New York City to the Catskill Mountains.
WMC has a pediatric hospital (Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital) with eight dedicated pediatric operating rooms as well as many other non-operating room anesthetizing sites, including MRI, radiation and nuclear medicine, and endoscopy. The Ambulatory Care Pavilion, which opened in July 2019, added many anesthetizing locations, both OR and Non-OR.
Construction is underway on the 128-bed state-of-the-art WMC Critical Care Tower, a $220 million project that when completed will span 162,000 square feet over five floors. Our caseload includes a full profile of cardiac, interventional pulmonary and thoracic, complex orthopedic, neurosurgical and solid organ transplant interventions, to name the busiest services. We have a large heart failure and ECMO referral program. Trauma orthopedics and surgery provide our residents a great variety of “open” cases. Residents participate in minimally invasive and robotic interventions in gynecologic-oncology, urology, colorectal, endocrine and thoracic surgery, as well as complex cardiac and neurological endovascular interventions, both pediatric and adult. The Acute and Chronic Pain Management care rotations cover both the pediatric and adult inpatients and outpatients, including complex consultations for patients in the Burn ICU.