Bassett Healthcare

Montefore

North Shore University Hospital

Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers

New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases

GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY:

This program was developed in 2005 by Surgical Physician Assistants in multiple subspecialties to train PA¹s in surgery to have a well-rounded background in general and specialty areas of surgery. The program is run by Physician Assistants and attending physicians at Bassett Healthcare including a regional network of four hospitals and 21 community health centers serving an eight county region in central New York. Residents spend most of their time in Cooperstown, New York at The Mary Immogene Bassett hospital, a 180-bed acute care, and inpatient teaching facility. Bassett is formally affiliated with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and has Physician residencies in General Surgery, Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Osteopathy, transitional year and Pharmacy.

Currently 16 Physician Assistants practice within the Department of Surgery including all of the subspecialties. The residency is 12 months duration with didactic and clinical portions ongoing throughout the year. Residents will participate in grand rounds, Surgical Case presentation, surgical subspecialty conference, Surgeon in Chief rounds Morbidity and Mortality conference, General Surgery Journal Club, Trauma conference and complete selected readings and/or attend conferences specific to each subspecialty rotation. The resident will be encouraged to be a self-motivated, lifelong learner. PA residents rotate through general surgery, emergency medicine, ICU/Cardiac surgery, Orthopaedic surgery, Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Urology, Gynecology, Otolaryngology, and Rural Surgery. They will have the opportunity to select one or two electives to complete during the last 8 weeks of the program. Residents should plan to work 50 hours a week plus one night of call a week. They will have 3 weeks vacation and 5 days CME with an allowance to attend the AAPA conference in May.

Cooperstown is the home of the beautiful Glimmerglass Lake and State Park and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The surrounding countryside offers unlimited opportunity for biking hiking and backpacking, picnics, boating, fishing, swimming, golf and much more. The community¹s Clark Sports Center has state-of the art recreational and fitness facilities.

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW:

The resident will complete 12 months of clinical rotations with didactic activities included in each surgical specialty experience. The first rotation will include a one-week orientation period followed by 6 weeks of General Surgery and 4 weeks of Emergency Medicine. The resident will then rotate through surgical subspecialties for 4 weeks at a time including ICU/Cardiothoracic, Orthopaedics, Plastic and reconstructive, Urology, Neurosurgery, Gynecology, Otolaryngology, and Rural surgery. The resident will have a total of 8 weeks elective time at the end of the year to spend in one or two areas of interest.

The didactic portion of the program will consist of the core surgical conferences in conjuction with Bassett¹s Surgical residency program. This includes Surgical Grand Rounds and M&M, Surgical Case presentation, Tumor Board, Surgical subspecialty conference and Surgeon in Chief Rounds. While on a subspecialty rotation the resident will attend conferences specific to that subspecialty as well. At least 4 hours a week will be spent on conferences or other academic activity. In addition recommended readings from journals and texts will be compiled and given to the resident prior to the start of each rotation.

During the residency year the PA resident will select a preceptor to work with on a formal project i.e. research, poster presentation, journal article or conference presentation.
In May the resident will attend the AAPA conference with CME funds provided.

The resident will keep a notebook with clinical checklists of each rotation and a log of all OR cases. This will be reviewed on a biweekly basis with the medical director and program director in an effort to chart progress and discuss any deficiencies. The resident will be evaluated at the end of each rotation and will meet with their preceptor to go over the evaluation. This will allow for continued work on weaknesses during the subsequent rotations. All preceptors and staff PA's will meet with the residents quarterly for lecture and an informal professional meeting.

ADMISSIONS PROCESS AND TIMETABLE:

Two residents are selected each year. Our goal is to accept individuals with specific surgical career goals.

Applications: must be submitted by April 1st for September start date and September 1st for Janaury start date. Interviews are conducted in April and September. Acceptance to the program will be in May for a September start date and October for a Janaury start date.
Program Start Date: Early September and early January
Entry requirements: Applicants must be graduates of a CAHHEP approved program, NCCPA Board certified, Eligible for NYS license or current license Completed application to include 3 reference forms , CV, personal statement, Official transcripts from college and PA school, Copies of BLS and ACLS or other certification.

CREDENTIALS AWARDED:

Certificate of completion.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Salary: $35,000
Benefits: 3 weeks paid vacation, Medical, Dental, Life insurance, Accidental Death/dismemberment Insurance, long term disability insurance, Pharmacy, Eye Care, Personal Spending account available through Bassett Beneflex program-a flexible benefits plan.
CME: 5 days and $1500.00 for AAPA conference
Housing: assistance available in finding local housing
Expenses: no specific expenses, you made need to purchase some texts for your personal use

CONTACTS:

Medical Director: Eric Mooney, MD
Program Director: Shari Johnson-Ploutz, M.Ed., ATC, RPA-C
Administrative Manager: Kelly Stone
Phone: (607) 547-3202 Department of Surgery
Bassett Healthcare
One Atwell Road
Cooperstown, New York 13326
shari.johnson-ploutz@bassett.org or kelly.stone@bassett.org

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY:

In 1971 Montefiore became the first hospital to utilize PA's as house officers on an inpatient surgery service. PA's quickly became an integral part not only of the surgical team, but also of the medical center at large, significantly predating the current wide utilization of PA's in the hospital setting. The current residency program grew out of the early use of PA's in surgery and was the first and therefore, the oldest postgraduate training program for PA's in surgery. 267 PA's have completed the residency program.

CURRICULUM:

Didactic: During the two-month didactic phase, the PA attends lectures and conferences covering surgical and medical topics designed to deepen knowledge and prepare him/her for the clinical rotations. Included are ACLS training, surgical skills, radiology, orientation to the operating room and surgical instruments and techniques and preparation for clinical rotations.

Clinical: The clinical portions consists of eleven four-week rotations and one month of vacation. The PA receives four to five months of general surgery, one month each of emergency room at a level I trauma center, cardiothoracic surgery, peripheral vascular surgery, and three months at surgical specialties. On rotation, the PA works side-by-side with physician house staff and assumes full PGY-1 level responsibility, which includes assignment to the operating room. Education on the clinical rotations comes from bedside clinical teaching by house staff and attendings as well as formal conferences. The call schedule is every third night.

UNIVERSITY AND INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

Montefiore Medical Center has been a distinguished leader in health care since 1884.

Today, as the university hospital for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, it is a 1276-bed, full-service medical center, world-renowned for excellence in patient care, teaching and social services.

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, founded in 1955, has more than 1,000 full-time faculty, over 800 medical and graduate students and 2,600 resident trainees. Albert Einstein has the largest postgraduate training program in the country and is recognized as one of the foremost centers for medical education, research, and clinical patient care in the United States.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

For entry into the clinical residency, applicants must be a graduate of a CAAHEP approved program, which has been approved by the New York State Department of Education for registration in New York, and must be NCCPA board eligible. Applicants are sought who have satisfactory academic records with good references and who have demonstrated appropriate character and motivation to pursue their education in the setting of a rigorous postgraduate surgical training program. Personal interview is required.

After completion of the fourteen months, the resident receives a certificate of completion signed by the program officials, Chairman of Surgery, the President of Montefiore, and the Dean of Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The residency is approved for the maximum CME credit (50 hours) in Category I by the AAPA.

FINANCES:

Salary is $42,000 per year for the twelve clinical months and is additionally paid at the same rate during the didactic period. Included is health insurance (after thirty days of employment), malpractice insurance and four weeks paid vacation. The residency is approved for veterans benefits.

HOUSING:

Housing is available for physician assistant residents.

APPLICATION FEE: None

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY:

North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) is a 731 bed university affiliated teaching hospital, located in Manhasset, New York. The cardiac surgery program annually performs approximately 1300 adult open heart procedures, as well as 9000 diagnostic and 3500 interventional cardiac catheterizations.Physician Assistants have worked in cardiothoracic surgery at NSUH for over 20 years.

With the increasing emphasis on education and credentialing that exists today, the days of informal on the job training, for highly specialized fields are waning. With the combined experience of decades of clinical practice, the PA and attending staff at NSUH wished to develop a curriculum, which would give a formal structure to the training and education of PAs in cardiothoracic surgery. With the arrival of Dr. Margarita Camacho, in 2003 this desire took on life. With Dr. Camacho's past experience in PA education developing this framework was able to be completed and instituted.

Today, the staff faculty including PAs, attending surgeons, and intensivists, serves to educate those who have chosen to focus their careers in cardiothoracic surgery and critical care medicine. The basic training of the PA is greatly expanded. The PA is prepared to assess, diagnosis and manage conditions which are encountered with the cardiothoracic surgery patients both in the ICU and OR.

CURRICULUM:

Didactic: Instruction is centered around a series of formal lectures, covering a variety of subjects, from cardiac anatomy and physiology, care of the ischemic heart, cardiopulmonary bypass, and cardiac surgical critical care etc. There are lab sessions, with a focus on basic surgical technique, suturing, and endoscopic vein harvesting. Monthly grand rounds lectures include visiting speakers, from around the country and the world, presenting a variety of cardiac surgical data. PAs are required to participate and present cases for the monthly department mortality and morbidity conferences. There is an extensive library of current texts that are readily available for reference, as well as interactive cd-roms and audio-visual materials to use and learn from.

Clinical: Clinical rotations will be broken up in to two main areas of focus. The operating room and the Intensive care unit / step-down unit. While rotating through each area the resident PA will be paired with a senior PA who is fully credentialed in that arena. They will be supervised in every aspect of patient care and given hands on direction in all invasive procedures and surgical techniques.

While in the ICU focus will be on acute, critical care patient management as well as chronic and long term supportive care. Central line, arterial line, chest tube, swan-ganz catheter placement etc all will be included. The attending surgeons as well as the intensivist staff will also in the supervise and contribute via formal daily rounds and presentations.

Proper sterile surgical technique will be taught during the OR rotation. Each resident will be trained in the "art" of first and second asiisting. Saphenous vein harvest will be emphasized via both the endoscopic and open approach. There will also be experiences in other technologies, such as minimally invasive heart surgery, "off-pump" techniques, as well as robotic assisted procedures.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: OPEN

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• Must have graduated from a CAAHEP accredited Primary Care Physician Assistant Program.
• Must be NCCPA eligible or certified. New graduates accepted into the program are required to pass the NCCPA certification examination in either April or October of the year in which they are admitted to the program, prior to admission.
• Must be eligible for, or licensed by, the State of New York as a physician assistant.
• Must hold current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification.

APPLICATION COMPONENTS:

Personal Statement - 1 page in length, expressing career goals and source of interest in cardiothoracic surgery.
• Curriculum Vitae
• 3 Letters of Recommendation: For Recent Graduates, 1 must be from PA Program Director. (If not a recent graduate, 1 letter must be from current or recent employer.)

SELECTION CRITERIA:

• Work and Life Experience (Surgical experience is not required, but some prior exposure to cardiothoracic surgery is considered important.)
• Education
• Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statement
• Communication / Interpersonal Skills
• Submission of all Application Components
• Personal Interview (Applicants will be screened for a limited number of interview slots based on materials submitted.)

CREDENTIAL AWARDED:

Certificate of Completion signed by program directors, medical advisor, and department chairman.

ESTIMATED EXPENSES:

• Tuition and fees - None.
• Salary - $ 63,000 annually.
• Paid vacation, sick, and personal leave.
• Medical, dental, life, disability and malpractice insurance are provided.
• Lab coats, scrubs, and parking privileges.

UNIVERSITY AND INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

The North Shore University Hospital Cardiothoracic PA post-graduate training program, is affiliated with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health system. The health system is the largest in the Tri-state region, including 18 hospitals. There are several established medical residency programs at the varying institutions, as well as medical school affiliations at North Shore Hospital, with NYU School of Medicine and Albert Einstein School of Medicine.

INFORMATION:

For further information, contact the Program as previously indicated.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES:

The information provided is subject to change based on program needs. Please confirm information by contacting the program.

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Sister's of Charity Medical Center
St. Vincents Campus
Staten Island Region
Department of Surgery
Physician Assistant Residency Program
355 Bard Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310
Program Director: Paulette Wolny, PA-C Medical Director: Salvatore Tedesco, Sr., MD Phone: (718) 818-2420 extension 1234
Fax: 718-818-1252

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Length of Program	1 year
Class Size	Varies each year
Starting Date:	July 1
Ending Date:	June 30

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY:

The Physician Assistant Residency Training Program at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers ­ Staten Island Region is a one-year intensive training program for registered physician assistants to provide postgraduate training in the care of the surgical patient. The number of positions varies from year to year. When students finish the program, they have found great opportunities because of their excellent training.

CURRICULUM:

The curriculum consists of both didactic and clinical teaching periods. The lecture series is conducted by both Senior Physician Assistants and Surgeons of the Department of Surgery. Additionally, the curriculum consists of intensive clinical training in both the Intensive Care Unit and the surgical floors. There is a significant amount of operative experience in the operating room under the direction of Surgeons.

DIDACTIC TRAINING:

A regular lecture series extending over the year rotation is provided to the surgical physician assistant residents to give instruction in basic surgical physiology and surgical theory and practice, as well as orientation to hospital medicine. The physician assistant residents are also given further instruction at the various didactic conferences and seminars provided by the Department of Surgery which consists of weekly Morbidity and Mortality Conferences and Grand Rounds, and monthly trauma and ICU conferences.

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:

Clinical experience includes an average of eight hour days in clinical rotations in the surgical floors, in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and in the Operating Room, with an average of every third night on call. Clinical training includes direct patient care under the supervision of university trained Residents in general surgery and under the direct supervision of a full-time surgical staff within the Department of Surgery. In addition, the physician assistant trainees rotate in the separate surgical subspecialties including ENT/Hand, Neurosurgery, Othopedics, Plastics/Urology, Trauma, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Peds/Thoracic/Vascular. The operative experience is intensive and the physician assistant residents spend a good part of each day as surgical assistants directly participating in the operating room.

UNIVERSITY AND INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

The surgical physician assistant resident training program is directly affiliated with and integrated into the training of surgical house staff. The surgical house staff rotating through the Staten Island Region are from the surgical training program at Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Center- St. Vincent¹s Manhattan.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

The only entry requirement specified is graduation from an accredited Physician Assistant Program in the United States. Proof (i.e. certificate or diploma) must be furnished.

SELECTION FACTORS AND NUMBER OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS IN EACH CLASS:

The number of residents varies each year. A letter of interest along with 2 letters of recommendation (one preferably from PA school Program Director) and school transcript must be sent to Department in order to be considered for an interview. The Chairman will select top candidates for interviews.

CREDENTIALS AWARDED:

A certificate will be awarded at the end of the one-year training period.

FINANCES AND BENEFITS:

The salary is $50,000 per year by contract agreement. Benefits include: Medical Coverage, Life Insurance, Dental and eye plans, Pharmacy plan, Four weeks paid vacation.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR INTERVIEW:

Interviews are held from December ­ March. If you wish to be contacted for interview, please send your information in between December and January to:

Salvatore A. Tedesco, Sr., M.D., F.A.C.S.
Chairman, Department of Surgery
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers
Staten Island Region
355 Bard Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10310

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Regina Arminas, Surgical Coordinator
718 818-2420
Email: RARMANIS@SCHSI.org

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Physician Assistant Orthopaedic Surgery Residency
New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
301 East 17th Street
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 598-6497
Fax: (212) 598-6581

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Length of Program	12 months
Class Size	2
Starting Date:	July 1

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY:

The Hospital for Joint Diseases has utilized the services of Physician Assistants since 1982. PA¹s are an integral part of the patient care team. They perform pre-surgical physical examinations, assist in the operating rooms, and follow patients post surgically until discharge. The PA¹s work in conjunction with the orthopaedic surgery house staff under the supervision of attending physicians.

The Hospital for Joint Diseases has a long history of training physician assistants. The department currently offers clinical rotations in orthopaedic surgery to several Physician Assistant Programs. The institution will now look to expand physician assistant training by offering a one-year intensive training program in orthopaedic surgery to individuals who have completed their physician assistant training.

CURRICULUM:

The goal of the program is to give physician assistants who have completed their training advanced knowledge and skills in orthopaedic surgery. The educational agenda is designed to promote scholarship, thoughtful clinical judgment, technical skill, compassionate and ethical care of patients, interdisciplinary cooperation, self-reliance and leadership.

DIDACTIC:

The goal of the didactic conferences is to present current topics in orthopaedic surgery and in basic sciences in order to develop the physician assistant¹s knowledge in all areas of orthopaedic surgery. Didactic training is presented during the weekly educational conference, a three-hour session held every Wednesday morning. This is a comprehensive conference schedule supervised by attending physicians. The didactic program includes anatomy, basic science, biomechanics and biomaterials, adult reconstruction, pediatrics, foot and ankle, shoulder and elbow, hand, spine and pathology. In addition, each service has a weekly conference the PA resident will be required to attend while on that rotation. The PA residents know the topics in advance and are expected to have studied and be prepared to discuss the topic and answer questions. The PA residents will be evaluated on their performance in the didactic conferences.

CLINICAL:

The goal of the clinical training is to give the physician assistant hands-on training and experience in the practice of orthopaedic surgery. The clinical training is done during rotations through the sub specialty services in the department. There are nine required one-month rotations: adult orthopaedics, pediatric orthopaedics, fracture service, spine service, sports medicine, hand service, foot and ankle service, shoulder and orthopaedic oncology. In addition, the PA resident will have two months of electives to concentrate in one or two areas of special interest, plus one month of vacation. In each rotation, the physician assistants in the residency program will work with staff physician assistants and medical and surgical physicians, including house staff and attending physicians. Their responsibilities will be similar to a PGY I level, including on-call assignments. The PA training includes patient care in the operating room, ambulatory care, and on the patient units. The PA residents will be evaluated on their performance in each rotation by the responsible attending physician and physician assistants.

UNIVERSITY AND INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

The Hospital for Joint Diseases has a distinguished tradition of patient care, research and education. Founded in 1905, the Hospital has been in the forefront of innovation in all of these areas of orthopaedics, evolving into the Orthopaedic Institute. Today, the Hospital for Joint Diseases is a modern, 220-bed facility, specializing in treatment of the musculoskeletal system.

The Hospital for Joint Diseases has been a major affiliate and teaching hospital of NYU Medical Center since 1994. The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of these institutions has been integrated since 1997. This affords the training program the resources of hospital for Joint Diseases, NYU Hospitals Center, Bellevue Hospital Center and New York University School of Medicine. Hospital for Joint Diseases provides clinical rotations in orthopaedic surgery for several physician assistant programs.

ADMISSIONS PROCESS AND TIMETABLE:

A letter of interest in the Physician Assistant Residency Program should be sent to the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases Department of Orthopaedic Surgery January through March. A current curriculum vitae and two letters of recommendation, along with a transcript showing a good academic record must be sent to the school. Personal interviews are required. The program start date is July 1.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must be a graduate of a CAAHEP approved program and must take and pass the NCCPA certification examination. Applicants must be registered or eligible as a physician assistant in New York State. Applicants must demonstrate a strong desire to work in orthopaedic surgery.

CREDENTIALS AWARDED:

Certificate of completion of the Physician Assistant Residency Program in Orthopaedic Surgery will be awarded upon successful completion of the twelve month program.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Salary: Stipend is provided. Benefits: Malpractice coverage; medical insurance after thirty days; dental insurance after 180 days; four weeks vacation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

For further information, contact Vanessa C. Gorelkin, Administrator, at (212) 598-2339 or by e-mail at Vanessa.Gorelkin@nyumc.org.

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