Message from Program Director
On behalf of the Faculty and Staff, it is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to you and introduce you to our Program.
Our neurology residency turns 63 years old this year! We have a proud history of neurology education. Since its inception in 1962, the neurological training program at Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College has remained continually accredited and prides itself on uncompromising clinical excellence. Firmly anchored in the tradition of classic Neurology which focused on precise anatomical localization, our Program has evolved over the ensuing six decades to reflect the dynamic multi-dimensional neuroscience of today. Neuroscience is burgeoning and our specialty is fast changing; it is an exciting time to be in Neurology!
Our program has a strong academic focus and prepares residents to become outstanding clinicians. The didactic teaching curriculum is well balanced with exposure to a wealth of clinical experience. Upon completion of residency training, our residents are well prepared for fellowships in competitive academic programs or to enter private practice. We accomplish these goals in a supportive, educationally innovative, and friendly atmosphere which fosters teamwork and collegiate collaboration.
Our four-year Categorical program accepts three residents per year. The structure of the Program is based on the tenets of ACGME core competencies, facilitating progression of resident training along established milestones guidelines. Our highly qualified subspecialty trained Faculty are totally committed to patient care and education, and accessible to Residents at all times.
New York Medical College, our academic partner was founded in 1860. After many decades of historic association with New York City institutions – notably the Flower and Fifth Avenue and Metropolitan Hospitals – the College moved in 1977 to its present sprawling campus in Valhalla at Westchester County, NY, and affiliated with Westchester Medical Center (WMC), which is now our primary teaching Hospital and ACGME Sponsoring Institution. We have a history of welcoming all to training.
WMC is a 652-bed academic hospital and the flagship of WMCHealth in Valhalla, located in Westchester County. As a tertiary and quaternary care hospital, Westchester Medical Center serves as a referral base for a population of more than 2.4 million people. Its location in New York’s Hudson Valley affords both population density and diversity that assures a rich clinical environment for Resident education.
Westchester is just less than an hour away by car or train from New York City. Our residents enjoy both the bustling vibrancy of NYC and the scenic serenity of Hudson Valley. Surrounded by outstanding academic and cultural institutions of the area, Westchester is quintessentially an ideal place to live, work and raise a family.
I began in 2021 as Chair of Neurology at New York Medical College and Program Director of the Neurology Residency and Department of Neurology at Westchester Medical Center. We are continuing to grow with the infusion of new programs and subspecialized faculty. We have a sense of optimism and great expectations for the near future. We are proud of our program and look forward to meeting you and exploring ways to shape your future through our program.
Tracey Milligan, MD, MS, FAAN
Program Director
Chair of the Department of Neurology
Program Mission and Aims
The mission of our Neurology Residency Program is to train residents to be competent, autonomous attendings capable of providing collaborative, integrated specialty care to diverse patient populations of the Hudson Valley Region and to mitigate health care inequities related to provision of that care. In addition, the mission of this residency program is to create an environment of inquiry that promotes lifelong learning and scholarly activity.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Westchester Medical Center Neurology Residency Program is committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion with respect to trainee recruitment, selection and retention. Our selection process is undertaken without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual identity. It has been successful in recruiting and retaining a highly diverse group of trainees. The Neurology Residency Program follows the Westchester Medical Center (WMC) commitment to foster diverse and inclusive environments that support personal and professional growth. WMC provides faculty development opportunities including Diversity and Inclusion topics. At the department level we hold lectures and grand rounds on diverse populations some of which included reducing stroke disparities and promoting longevity in Hawaii, gender differences in stroke treatment, race and racism and brain health: How Disparities, Discrimination and Debunked Views of Race Impact Neurologic Disease". Our residents & faculty are also encouraged to attend Grand Rounds with other departments and this year we had our residents view a medicine grand rounds on "An Evidence-Based Approach to Understanding Transgender Medicine."
Program Overview and Curriculum
The goal of the program is to provide high quality comprehensive training in Clinical Neurology with a strong foundation in basic Neurosciences. The four-year program is structured to provide progressive education in Clinical Neurosciences with increasing levels of patient care responsibilities. Six months of the first year are spent in Internal Medicine to obtain broad clinical experience in general internal medicine. The second year resident will spend the majority of time on Neurology adult inpatient services. A required one-month rotation in Psychiatry, as well as one month of Ambulatory experience, is also offered in the second year. The third year provides subspecialty training in neurocritical care, clinical neurophysiology (EEG-EMG), radiology, and child neurology. At the fourth-year level the Resident is well prepared to provide inpatient neurology consultations to other departments. Residents are offered a three-month elective during their training during their Third and Fourth year.
PGY-1
- 6 months IM
- 1 month IM/ subspecialties
- 1 month Vacation
- 4 months Neurology
PGY-2
- 5 months Inpatient/Stroke service
- 3 months Epilepsy/General Neurology service
- 1 month Child Neurology
- 1 month Neuro Critical Care
- 1 Month Outpatient
- 1 month Vacation
PGY-3
- 2 months Inpatient/Stroke service
- 1 month Epilepsy service
- 2 months Child Neurology
- 1 month EMG
- 1 month Elective
- 1 month Consult Service
- 1 month Neuro Critical Care
- 2 months Outpatient
- 1 month vacation
PGY-4
- 1 month Child Neurology
- 1 month Elective
- 1 Month Psychology
- 7 months Consults
- 1 month Neuro Critical Care
- 1 month Vacation
Duty Hours
Our neurology training program at Westchester Medical Center strictly adheres to all work hour policies per NYS and ACGME requirements.
A night-float system minimizes 24-hour calls, and the residents are provided an on-call room in the main hospital close to the Neuroscience Floor.
Academic Conferences
Our residents enjoy a vigorous academic curriculum to prepare them for the in-service exam, the Neurology boards and their professional careers. Most of the teaching sessions are held in the hospital conference center, which is fully equipped with audio-visual and computer LCD projection systems. Grand Rounds and combined multidisciplinary conferences with Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology are held in similarly equipped conference halls. An advanced clinical skills center is used for simulations in neurologic care and procedures.
- Weekly Basic Neuroscience and Neuroanatomy lectures
- Weekly Chair Rounds
- Weekly Neuroradiology Conference
- Monthly Department of Neurology Grand Rounds
- Monthly Morbidity and Mortality Rounds
- Monthly Quality Conference
- Monthly Stroke Quality Conference
- Monthly Stroke Case Review Conference
- Monthly Journal Club
- Monthly Research Conference
- Monthly Combined Neurology/Neurosurgery Cerebrovascular Conference
- Biweekly Board Review
- Quarterly Combined Conference with Neurosurgery
- Quarterly Residency Retreats
- Annual Resident Retreat
A Day in the Life of a Neurology Resident
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Mon
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7 a.m. Resident Rounds
7:30 a.m. - 8 a.m. Morning Report
9 a.m. Patient Rounds with family
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lecture (1st of month Neurology Report, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, General)
NI/NI Neuroimmunology, 4th of month
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Tues
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7 a.m. Resident Rounds
7:30 a.m. - 8 a.m. Morning Report
9 a.m. Patient Rounds with family
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Chair Rounds
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Wed
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7 a.m. Resident Rounds
7:30 a.m. - 8 a.m. Morning Report
9 a.m. Patient Rounds with family
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Resident Lecture (1st of month Resident and Faculty Research updates, 2nd of month, QI and M&M, 4th of month EEG Conference)
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Grand Rounds
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Thurs
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7:30 a.m. Morning Report
9 a.m. Patient Rounds with family
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Resident Lecture (1st and 2nd of month General, 3rd Neuropath, 4th Continuum/Board Review)
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Neuroradiology
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Fri
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7:30 a.m. Morning Report
9 a.m. Patient Rounds with family
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Resident Lecture (1st of month Wellness, 2nd of month Headache Series, 3rd of month General, 4th of month Journal Club)
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Resident Mentorship and Wellness
A multi-faceted mentorship program underscores Westchester Medical Center Neurology Residency Program's commitment to individualized career development. We recognize that mentorship is needed during training and beyond, which is why we have established a formal mentorship program for all residents. This is a unique support program that aims to assist each resident in developing their own skills, strategies, and capabilities as a physician through the guidance of a mentor. The mentor will enable their mentee to tackle the next hurdle more effectively with or without the mentor’s presence and to support the following:
The goal of the mentorship program is to empower the resident, help them foster effective time management skills, while helping them demonstrate responsibility and commitment and professionalism.
Westchester Medical Center, as an institution, and Neurology, as a department, considers resident wellness a top priority. Residency can be stressful and we believe that a healthy mind and healthy body are paramount to having a healthy resident. Hence our residents participate in quarterly retreats and social events at outside venues.
Guidelines
- Residents meet with Faculty mentors at least once on a quarterly basis (September, December, March and June) and more often as needed.
- Suggested topics for discussion during Faculty-Resident meetings
- Work and patient care related issues
- Professionalism
- Ethical dilemmas in practice
- Research and scholarly activities
- RITE and Board Examination
- Career (Fellowships) counseling
- Stress management, Health and Well-being
- Other
These meetings will be friendly, informal and confidential. They are meant to support and guide the Resident. Faculty members are not required to report to the Program Director or the Chairman the content or details of the meeting.
Educational Memberships & Subscriptions available to our residents PGY1-4
AANEM
Board Vitals
Continuum
ENLS
NYSS
Life in Westchester
New York is an epicenter for health, cutting-edge technology and medical research. With over 20,000 acres of parkland, miles of Hudson River and Long Island Sound shoreline, many historic sites representing 300 years of American history, Westchester is the perfect blend of outdoor beauty, rural character, and urban/suburban lifestyles dictated by its proximity to New York City. In the spring and summer, you can enjoy festivals, outdoor concerts and cultural gatherings.
Current/Past Residents
Current Residents: 2023 - 2024
PGY-4
Serena Wong, MD
St. George’s University School of Medicine
Serena was born and raised in Hong Kong until she moved to Southern California with her family in 2003. She graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a BA degree in Psychology. She was an undergraduate psychology research scholar at her college, and presented a poster concerning heritage language proficiency on children behavioral problems in Chinese immigrant families. She was one of the authors of a published research titled “Prevalence of Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) in Neurosurgical ICU Patients – The Overdiagnosis of UTI.” She hopes to focus on Vascular Neurology or Neurocritical care in the future. In her spare time, Serena enjoys traveling, salsa dancing, playing table tennis, watching animation and exploring new restaurants.
Yarden Bornovski, MD
St. George's University School of Medicine
PGY-3
Martin Kafina, MD
St. George's University School of Medicine
Martin grew up in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. He completed a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience & behavior at Wesleyan University and was captain of the varsity swim team where he swam butterfly and freestyle. After college he obtained a masters degree in neuroscience at Brandeis University where his passion in neurophysiology and neurobiology continued to grow. He recalls presenting journal articles and studying drosophila models of neurobehavior. Martin went on to work in a hematology lab at Harvard Medical school affiliated with Brigham and Women’s hospital. He published studies in journals including Science and Blood on treatments for iron deficiency anemia and novel mechanisms of porphyria as well as first author review articles on hematopoiesis. He utilized genetic engineering of zebrafish and cellular experiments to achieve the publications. He then went on to study medicine at St. George’s University School of Medicine with basic sciences in Grenada and clinical clerkships at Brooklyn Hospital and graduated cum laude. Martin has a broad interest in the field of neurology including neuroimmunology, neuroanatomy, critical care, and improving patient care through quality improvement projects. In his free time he plays tennis, swims laps, participates in triathlons, skis in VT/NH, and hikes throughout Westchester and the surrounding trails.
Adithya Nagaraja, DO
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
Adithya was born in North Carolina and originally spent most of his childhood moving around and has lived in Nebraska, Michigan, and New Jersey before eventually settling in Southeastern Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia where he has been since 2003. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania. While there, he did research in sleep medicine at the lab of Richard J Schwab exploring the use of digital morphometrics to quantify intra-oral risk factors for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. His current interests in neurology include epilepsy and headache. In his free time, Adithya enjoys playing and watching cricket when possible. Other interests include chess, binge watching Netflix (mostly British or Scandinavian detective/mystery series), geopolitics/international relations, astronomy, going down Youtube/Wikipedia rabbit holes (mostly relating to various STEM fields), and browsing memes on the internet.
Brittany Russo, MD
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo
Brittany is from Long Island, New York. Her interest in neurology began prior to college when working on research at the Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation at Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital on a sensory substitution device for blind patients. Brittany went on to complete her bachelor of science degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After college, she received her Master of Science degree in Biomedical Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She worked on her thesis research in the department of developmental and regenerative biology to reprogram fibroblasts into dermal papilla cells. Brittany completed her medical degree at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. During residency, Brittany has been involved with medical student education as the lead resident educator as well as with resident mentorship. Her research and publications as well as her clinical interests have been focused in vascular neurology. In her spare time, she enjoys barre exercise, spending time at the beach, animal fostering, and playing blackjack.
PGY-2
Ahya Ali, MD
C.M.H. Lahore Medical College
Gular Mammadli, MD
Ankara Universitesi Tip Fakultesi
Gular was born in Baku, Azerbaijan. After receiving a Turkish Government Scholarship, she moved to Turkey to study medical school in Ankara. During her education, she joined multiple clinical externships in different countries. She continued her academic career as a postdoc fellow at Columbia University under the supervision of Eliza C. Miller, MD. Her main research interest was cerebrovascular disease in patients with high-risk pregnancies and congenital heart diseases. She joined multiple national and international conferences to present their research studies. She enjoys spending her free time playing piano and traveling to different parts of the world. Gular is actually interested in different fields in Neurology, but currently, her dream is to pursue a career in cerebrovascular neurology.
Terry Park, MD
New York Medical College
Zhimin Xu, MD
Shandong Medical University
Zhimin grew up in a city close to the hometown of Confucius and graduated from Shandong First Medical University. She received her Ph.D. degree in Neurology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. During her Ph.D. research, she participated in an exchange program at University at Buffalo. Her research and publications focused on increasing the efficiency of directly converting human fibroblasts to induced dopaminergic or serotonergic neurons, which enables the generation of patient-specific neurons for Parkinson’s disease research and therapy. Zhimin is committed to providing quality care and forming lasting relationships with her patients and their families. She is interested in movement and neurodegenerative disorders and seeks to support her patients through every step of their treatment journey. During her personal time, she enjoys hiking, accompanying her children's after-school activities and traveling with the family.
PGY-1
Subhan Khan, MD
Medical School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Amr Salem, MBBCh
University of Alexandria Faculty of Medicine
Fang Yu, MD
Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine
Fang’s journey started in Shanghai, China. She began her medical training in the French program at Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine in China. Her path led her to complete the anesthesia residency in University of Grenoble in France and Shanghai Renji Hospital in China. Following that, she pursued research training in the United States, diving deep into acute brain injury and pain medicine. She took it further with a fellowship training in regional anesthesia and acute pain management in the United States. Fang, with her background in anesthesia and specific interest in brain injury and pain medicine, joined the neurology program at WMC with the aim of expanding her knowledge about neurological disease and gaining insights into different aspects of patient populations, particularly in relation to pain management. Outside of her work, Fang enjoys spending her free time with family, hiking, travelling and crafting bubble tea.
Alumni/Program Graduates
Syed Faizan Ali, MD
St. George’s University of Medicine
Daniela Galluzzo, MD
Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia
Osher Rechester, MD
New York Medical College
Jessica Bloomfield, MD – Chief Resident
Frank H. Netter, MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
Michelle Bravo, MD – Chief Resident
Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine
Christopher Bondoc, MD
Lewis Katz SOM at Temple University
Hussein Alshammari, MD
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Kristina Maselli, MD
St. George’s University School of Medicine
Sydney Moseley, MD
St. George’s University School of Medicine
Vaibhav Goswami, MD
Manipal University
Fellowship: Vascular Neurology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai – 2019
Kavneet Kaur, MD
MGM Medical College India
Rafia Shafqat, MD PGYIIV
St. Georges University
Sania Atta, MD
Ayub Medical College (AMC)
Scott Wolf, DO
Western University COMP-NW
Ervis Xhihani, MD
New York Medical College
Graduation Year Fellowship/Private Practice
2023 NeuroOncology Yale, New Haven, CT
2023 Neurocritical Care Yale, New Haven, CT
2022 Epilepsy School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
2022 Headache Brigham and Women’s Mass General Harvard, Boston, MA
2022 Headache University of Miami, Miami, FL
2021 Sleep Medicine Einstein Montefiore, Bronx, NY
2021 Neuo Critical Care Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
2021 Neuro Critical Care Duke University Durham, NC
2020 Clinical Neurophysiology (EMG) Colombia University, New York, NY
2020 Clinical Neurophysiology (EEG) Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
2018 Vascular Neurology Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
2018 Neurologist Memorial Hospital of Sweet Water Country, Rock Springs, WY
2018 Neurohospitalist Hudson Valley Hospital – New York Presbyterian, Cortlandt, NY
2017 EEG/Epilepsy North well (LIJMC), Manhasset, NY
2017 Neurocritical Care, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
2017 Neurocritical Care, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
2016 Vascular Neurology Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA
2016 Vascular Neurology USC, Los Angeles, CA
2016 Neuro Hospitalist Vidant Medical Center, Greenville, NC
2015 Sports Medicine Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Center, Los Angeles, CA
2015 Vascular Neurology Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
2015 Private Practice Queens, New York
2014 Neuro Critical Care Wayne State Medical Center, Detroit, MI
2014 Neuro-Rehabilitation Burke Rehabilitation, White Plains, NY
2014 Vascular Neurology Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY
2013 Vascular Neurology UMASS, Worcester, MA
2013 Clinical Neurophysiology SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
2013 Neurocritical Care - Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
2012 Clinical Neurophysiology - NYU/Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY
2012 Clinical Neurophysiology - Mt. Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
2012 Clinical Neurophysiology - Georgetown University Hospital, DC
2011 Headache University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
2011 Vascular Neurology Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY
2011 Vascular Neurology Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY
2010 Private Practice
2010 Private Practice
2010 Movement Disorders and Sleep Medicine Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA
2009 Clinical Neurophysiology - University of Texas, Austin, TX
2009 Private Practice
2009 Pain Management New York University Hospital, New York, NY
2008 EEG/Epilepsy Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Queens, NY
2008 Sleep Medicine University of Missouri at Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
2008 Clinical Neurophysiology - Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA
2007 Headache Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
2007 Vascular Neurology UMDMJ, Newark, NJ
2007 NeuroOncology Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York, NY
2006 Vascular Neurology Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
2006 Neurocritical Care UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
2006 Clinical Neurophysiology Jacobs Neurological Institute SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, NY; Sleep Medicine Winthrop University Medical Center, Mineola, NY
2005 Clinical Neurophysiology Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Queens, NY
2005 Clinical Neurophysiology Jacobs Neurological Institute SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
2005 Clinical Neurophysiology Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH