Message from Program Director
Welcome! Thank you for your interest in our Burn Surgery Fellowship Program.
At the heart of our program is a commitment to developing exceptional burn surgeons who are prepared to lead with clinical excellence, compassion, innovation, and dedication to lifelong learning. Our fellowship provides comprehensive and rigorous training experience designed to equip fellows with the advanced knowledge, technical expertise, and multidisciplinary skills necessary to care for patients with complex burn injuries and related conditions.
As a fellow, you will work alongside a highly skilled team of surgeons, intensivists, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, and researchers who share a common goal: delivering outstanding patient care while advancing the field of burn surgery. Through extensive operative experience, critical care training, scholarly activities, and mentorship, fellows are challenged and supported as they grow into confident and independent surgeons.
We believe that excellence in burn care extends beyond the operating room. Our program fosters professional development, teamwork, leadership, and wellness while encouraging intellectual curiosity and academic achievement. We take great pride in creating an environment where fellows are valued members of the healthcare team and are empowered to make meaningful contributions to patient care, education, and research.
Whether your future goals include academic surgery, clinical practice, research, or leadership, our faculty are committed to helping you achieve your full potential. We invite you to explore our website to learn more about our program, faculty, curriculum, and the unique opportunities available within our institution.
Thank you for considering our Burn Surgery Fellowship Program. We look forward to welcoming the next generation of burn surgery leaders.
Warm regards,
Program Director, Burn Surgery Fellowship Program
Program Overview
The Division of Burns at the Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College offers a non-ACCME approved one- or two-year Burn Surgery Fellowship position. As a Level 1 Trauma Center and the only Burn Center between New York City and the Canadian border in Eastern New York, Westchester Medical Center admits over 400 adult and pediatric patients per year and has been verified as an adult and pediatric burn center by the American College of Surgeons/American Burn Association. The 10-bed adult critical care burn unit is a fully equipped burn treatment center capable of treating all adult burns from admission to rehabilitation.
In addition, the Burn Center is comprised of separate Pediatric Burn critical care and step-down units housed in the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. Our program is structured to provide fellows with comprehensive experience in the management of adult and pediatric burn patients, exfoliative skin disease, and surgical critical care in the setting of a university teaching hospital. Fellows also have an opportunity for basic science and clinical research. Candidates interested in sitting for the American Board of Surgery Examination in Surgical Critical Care are encouraged to do an additional fellowship year of Surgical Critical Care at WMC.
Program Structure/Curriculum
The Burn Surgery Fellowship provides comprehensive, competency-based training across the full continuum of burn care, from acute injury management to long-term recovery and reconstruction. Fellows develop expertise in burn physiology, resuscitation, inhalation injury, infection management, nutrition, organ support, and the treatment of burn-related complications. The curriculum includes extensive operative experience in tangential excision, complex debridement, escharotomy and fasciotomy, split-thickness skin grafting, use of allografts and dermal substitutes, and staged reconstructive procedures. Training also emphasizes outpatient wound care, scar management, contracture release, rehabilitation, psychosocial recovery, and return-to-function planning. Educational activities include weekly didactic sessions and case conferences, plus monthly journal clubs and morbidity and mortality reviews. Fellows actively participate in teaching medical students, surgical trainees, EMS personnel, firefighters, and community members. Scholarly development is supported through completion of at least one quality improvement initiative, participation in two research projects, and presentation of a national meeting abstract or submission of a peer-reviewed manuscript.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should submit their CVs to the attention of Dr. Rachelle Lodescar, Program Director, Burn Fellowship, at [email protected]
Current Residents and Past Residents
Our Burn Surgery Fellowship is enriched by a diverse community of fellows, alumni, and faculty who are dedicated to advancing excellence in burn care. Our current fellow is an integral member of the multidisciplinary burn team, actively participating in the full spectrum of clinical care, research, quality improvement, and educational activities. Past fellows have successfully pursued careers in academic medicine, specialized burn and trauma centers, and leadership roles across the country, reflecting the breadth and strength of the training experience.
Faculty
Our faculty are experienced burn surgeons, critical care specialists, and educators who are deeply committed to mentorship and fellow development. Through personalized guidance, hands-on operative training, scholarly collaboration, and career mentorship, faculty support fellows in achieving their individual professional goals while fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and compassionate patient care. Together, our fellows and faculty create a collaborative learning environment dedicated to improving outcomes for burn patients and advancing the field of burn surgery.