Health Sciences Bulletin

School of Medicine

  • Anatomical Sciences

    Department of Anatomical Sciences

    The department offers graduate studies leading to the Ph.D. degree through the Ph.D. program in Anatomical Sciences and, for some faculty members, also through participation in the interdisciplinary programs (e.g. the Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences). It also provides instruction in the anatomical sciences for students in the Schools of Medicine, Health Professions and Dental Medicine.

  • Anesthesiology

    Department of Anesthesiology

    The Department of Anesthesiology provides instruction in the clinical science of the specialty, and the physiology, pharmacology, and biochemistry on which it is founded.  Emphasis is placed upon the integration of basic and clinical sciences, and upon an interdisciplinary approach to attain optimal care of patients.  Instruction is provided to medical students during their clinical training years.  All students rotate through anesthesiology during a two-week Miniclerkship experience.  Those students interested in more advanced training are encouraged to apply a phase 3 anesthesiology sub internship rotation, during which they will be exposed to all aspects of clinical anesthesia management of surgical, obstetrical, and chronic pain patients.

    In its graduate program, the department provides a four-year training program for residents specializing in anesthesiology.  They administer anesthesia with supervision, participate in pre- and post-operative care, intensive care, cardiac, pediatric, neurosurgical, and obstetric anesthesia, and therapy of acute and chronic pain.

    The Department of Anesthesiology also provides comprehensive instruction to dental, emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, pedi dental, plastic surgery, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, and periodontal residents.

  • Biochemistry & Cell Biology

    Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology

    The Biochemistry and Cell Biology Department offers fundamental courses in biochemistry and cell biology to students in the health professions, as well as to undergraduates and graduates in biochemistry and biology. Its graduate studies (both Ph.D. and MS) are centered on an interdisciplinary program in molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry and structural biology. For more information on BCB graduate programs, see https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/biochem/education/graduate/index.php

  • Biomedical Engineering

    Department of Biomedical Engineering

    Biomedical Engineering is at the forefront of medicine’s technologic revolution; its many successes have raised expectations for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Faculty at Stony Brook University have been active contributors to the cutting-edge of this technology, and our University is building on internationally acclaimed strengths in bioimaging, biomechanics, biomaterials, biotechnology, tissue engineering, and bioinstrumentation. Our Program in Biomedical Engineering (PIBE) trains individuals with baccalaureate degrees in engineering (BE), applied mathematics and the sciences to provide them with the synthesis, design and analysis skills necessary to contribute effectively to the advancement of science and technology in health and medical care.

    Graduate degree programs are offered at the master’s and doctoral levels. Our graduate programs provide two distinct avenues of graduate study in biomedical engineering: the doctoral level is directed toward the student interested in a research or academic career, and the master’s level for those primarily interested in the application of biomedical engineering concepts to the development of advanced technology in biomedical products and processes in industry or government. The program's goal of actively promoting the development of a creative, versatile biomedical engineer is accomplished by exposing the individual to the biology, engineering, and business concepts critical to succeeding in the biomedical research and development environment, in three career oriented specializations.

    To provide the permanent foundation on which to build a career in biomedical engineering, an integrated core of biomedical engineering courses have been implemented. These provide our biomedical engineering students with the underlying engineering principles required to understand how biological organisms are formed and how they respond to their environment. Students will attain a credible level of sophistication in their understanding of cell, tissue, and organ physiology.

    Our Graduate Program relies on the core courses to provide biomedical engineering students with an overview of the biophysical principles involved in cell, tissue and organ biology. The progression of the PIBE core courses requires two resident terms to complete. In addition to these the core courses, a seminar series providing exposure to the breadth of bioengineering research and development activities both within the University, as well as throughout the scientific/industrial community, is required of all PIBE students. Finally, each course has a component of independent study to nurture the student’s abilities to pursue a topic specialized interest.

    Graduate Biomedical Engineering Program Curriculum Requirements

    Master’s Degree Curriculum: The Masters of Science Degree in BME is achieved by completing the core courses and a specialization through technical elective requirements. A minimum of 33 graduate credits is required to earn the Master of Science in BME (project option) or 39 credits for the Master of Science in BME (thesis option). The program of study can be customized in consultation with your faculty advisor/mentor to accommodate almost any BME area of interest. Please refer to the graduate bulletin for the most current BME graduate degree requirements.

    Doctoral Degree Curriculum: There are no course requirements per se, for the completion of the doctoral degree, once the MS degree (or an equivalent degree) is awarded, though certain courses may be required to fill any gaps in the student’s knowledge. Following completion of a qualifying exam, an independent basic research program will be undertaken. One year of teaching practicum must be satisfactorily performed. A proposal defense must be undertaken at least two full academic semesters prior to the final defense, where the overall goals and research direction are approved by a faculty committee. Completion of this research program will culminate in the submission and oral defense of a dissertation. The University requires at least two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate studies. All requirements for the PhD must be completed within seven years after the completion of 24 credits of graduate study. Please refer to the graduate bulletin for the most current BME graduate degree requirements.

    Advanced Graduate Certificate in Life Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The Advanced Graduate Certificate in Life Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a collaboration between Stony Brook University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Business and Center for Biotechnology, will enhance student’s understanding of how biological sciences translate into new therapeutics, diagnostics and/or medical devices. In parallel, students will be provided an introduction to the fundamental aspects of business, finance, regulatory affairs, market need, and research due-diligence critical in leveraging technology platforms into biological sciences oriented start-up companies.

    Graduates of this 16 credit Advanced Certificate in Life Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship will exit the program with the ability to interpret the vernacular of life sciences industry and summarize discipline specific foundational knowledge to be successful in bio-specific business ventures. Graduates will be able to evaluate the range of career opportunities (including intellectual property law, investment and financial analysis, business development, regulatory and entrepreneurial activities) available to biological sciences graduate students. Additionally, graduates will be able to develop and apply business strategies around innovations emerging from within their own laboratories, incubators and/or the broader university community.

    Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Program Curriculum Requirements

    The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers the major in biomedical engineering, leading to Bachelor of Engineering degree. In a rigorous, cross-disciplinary training and research environment, the major program provides an engineering education along with a strong background in the biological and physical sciences. It is designed to enhance the development of creativity and collaboration through study of a specialization within the field of biomedical engineering. Teamwork, communication skills, and hands-on laboratory and research experience are emphasized. The curriculum provides students with the underlying engineering principles required to understand how biological organisms are formed and how they respond to their environment. Please refer to the undergraduate bulletin for the most current BME undergraduate degree requirements.

    Honors Program in Biomedical Engineering

    The purpose of the honors program in Biomedical Engineering is to give high achieving students an opportunity to receive validation for a meaningful research experience and for a distinguished academic career.  A student interested in becoming a candidate for the honors program in Biomedical Engineering may apply to the program at the end of the sophomore year.  To be admitted to the honors program, students need a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 and a B or better in all major required courses (including math and physics).  Transfer students who enter Stony Brook University in the junior year need a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 and a B or better in all required major courses (including math and physics) in their first semester at Stony Brook University.  

    Graduation with departmental honors in Biomedical Engineering requires the following:

    1. A cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher and a B or better in all major required courses (including math and physics) upon graduation.
    2. Completion of BME 494, a 1 credit seminar on research techniques, with a B or better.
    3. Completion of BME 495, a 3-credit honors research project, with a B or better.
    4. Presentation of an honors thesis (written in the format of an engineering technical paper) under the supervision of a BME faculty member.  The thesis must be presented to and approved by a committee. 

    For students who qualify, this honor is indicated on their diploma and on their permanent academic record.

    BE/MS Degree: BME undergraduate students may be eligible to enroll in the BE/MS degree starting in their senior year and pursue a Bachelor’s Degree along with a MS in Biomedical Engineering. Important features of this accelerated degree program are that students must apply to the program through the BME Graduate Program Director during their junior year.

  • Dermatology

    Department of Dermatology

    The Department of Dermatology is committed to providing quality education in cutaneous biology, cutaneous oncology and skin disease to medical students, residents and fellows. Emphasis is placed on the integration of principles of basic pathophysiology with clinical manifestations and preventive medicine, and on the development of problem solving and diagnostic skills.

    In the early phase of medical school, dermatology is introduced within three general courses:  "Pathogens and Host Defense," "Mechanisms of Disease," and "Integrated Pathophysiology." These dermatology sessions/lectures occur in Phase 1 of the new LEARN curriculum during the first year and a half of medical school. Clinical rotations begin halfway through the second year of medical school.

    A one-month clinical elective is offered during either the third or fourth year, which provides exposure to the diagnosis and management of cutaneous disorders in both the ambulatory and inpatient settings at Stony Brook Road, and Stony Brook University Hospital, and the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, respectively.

    Dermatology research is provided through the Scholarly Concentration Program.  A shorter (1-2 month) research elective may be available through individual dermatology faculty members. 

    A three-year dermatology residency training program provides structured education in basic cutaneous biology and pathophysiology, and extensive exposure to patients with skin disorders. The training experience comprises all aspects of ambulatory and inpatient dermatology, including dermatologic surgery, cutaneous oncology, dermatopathology and phototherapy. Opportunity is provided for involvement in basic science and/or clinical skin research.

    The Department of Dermatology is actively involved in continuing medical education for staff, community practitioners and healthcare professionals, through CME accredited Grand Rounds, conferences, seminars and through participation in local dermatologic societies.

  • Emergency Medicine

    Department of Emergency Medicine

    The Department of Emergency Medicine offers exposure to a wide range of clinical problems and to an evolving regional emergency medical services system. The academic department provides a home for dedicated faculty and students to learn, teach, and pursue basic science, clinical, and health policy research. Stony Brook offers ample opportunity for collaboration and exchange with faculty and students from many other disciplines.

    The department is actively involved in medical students education. For third year students, the department offers a two-week clerkship in Emergency Medicine. The course includes 84 hours of clinical time in the Emergency Department, labs and simulation exercises. Throughout the fourth year, the department offers a “sub-internship” in Emergency Medicine. During this rotation the students take on the roles/responsibilities of a PGY-1 in Emergency Medicine and are exposed to all facets of Emergency Medicine. In addition to their clinical work the students participate in weekly simulation and procedural training sessions. The department’s goal is to offer students a path to develop the clinical competence, academic excellence and administrative acumen to assume leadership roles in the field of Emergency Medicine.

    The department sponsors an accredited three-year residency training program in emergency medicine. Stony Brook University Hospital is the primary clinical site of resident education. The comprehensive emergency medicine experience is augmented by community rotations at Good Samaritan Hospital (PGY2s), NYC Bellevue for toxicology (PGY2s), and Shock Trauma Center in Maryland for trauma ICU (PGY3s). The goal of the residency program is to train emergency physicians who are capable of providing thorough, competent, evidence- based patient care, and who are dedicated to improving and leading the field of emergency medicine into the future.

  • Family, Population & Preventive Medicine

    Department of family, population & Preventive medicine

    The Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine officially launched on August 1, 2015 with the merger of the former Department of Family Medicine and Department of Preventive Medicine, both of which were established when the medical school first opened in 1971.  With the recognition of numerous synergies between them, along with the growing focus on prevention, population health, and transformation of the delivery of primary care, the time was opportune for the creation of a department with Population as part of its name and identity.  Indeed, the new department is well poised to build on the concepts espoused in the Institute of Medicine’s 2012 report Primary Care and Public Health: Exploring Integration to Improve Population Health

    Mission

    The Department’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of patients, families, providers, and communities through clinical, educational and research programs that incorporate primary care, public health, nutrition and preventive medicine.

    Vision

    In general terms, we fulfill our mission by:

    • Providing comprehensive family medicine based primary care utilizing a biopsychosocial focus and the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) delivery model
    • Providing specialized services in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Travel Medicine & Adult Vaccinations and Lifestyle & Integrative Medicine
    • Conducting extensive educational activities for a diverse group of learners and trainees
    • Conducting a broad range of interdisciplinary research
    • Participating in partnerships with communities and institutions to improve the healthcare and health status of populations

    Divisions

    The Department is organized into the following 8 Divisions. Click on the links to view descriptions of each division’s focus, activities, and programs. 

    In addition to teaching in the two Residency Programs, (Family Medicine Residency Program and General Preventive Medicine & Public Health), our faculty are actively involved in various educational programs throughout Stony Brook Medicine and the University.  This includes teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, fellows and junior faculty from other departments, graduate students in the School of Health Professions, School of Nursing, Program in Public Health, and the Graduate Program in Biomedical Informatics.  

    The Department’s Nutrition Division offers an online MS Degree in Nutrition and a Dietetic Internship.

    The Medicine in Society Division offers a MA Degree in Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics. 

  • Medicine

    Department of Medicine

    The Department of Medicine encompasses nine divisions: Cardiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, General Internal Medicine, Hospitalist and Geriatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology and Hypertension, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Stony Brook, as well as at its clinical affiliates. In addition to providing superb clinical care for patients across Long Island who require Internal Medicine primary care and subspecialty services in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, the combined faculty of these institutions are charged with the responsibility for the following:

    Undergraduate Medical Education

    • Teaching Introduction to Clinical Medicine for first and second year medical students
    • Oversight and teaching of the Integrated Pathophysiology course for first and second year medical students
    • Directing the Primary Care Clerkship
    • Directing the Internal Medicine Clerkship and Sub-Internship in Medicine
    • Developing curriculum and supervising electives for senior medical students in the medical subspecialties
    • Developing and directing the Translational Pillar Courses to third year students which highlight cutting edge scientific advances in medicine

    Graduate Medical Education

    • Clinical training for 100 internal medicine residents and 86 subspecialty fellows
    • Longitudinal curriculum encompassing Teaching and Medical Education, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, Social Justice and Health Equity, Professional Identity Formation, Point-of-Care Ultrasound, Communication, Scholarship and Inquiry, and Women’s Health.

    Continuing Medical Education

    • Faculty development, mentorship, and career advancement

    The Department of Medicine education program is designed to provide medical students, residents, and fellows with a strong foundation in general internal medicine and its subspecialties, including quality patient care and research. During preclinical training of medical students Internal Medicine faculty provide an educational foundation in pathophysiology and clinical reasoning in the Integrated Pathophysiology courses.  During the Medicine and Primary Care Clerkships in inpatient and outpatient direct patient care settings, our medical students continue to develop their diagnostic and patient care skills under the direct guidance of faculty physicians.  Additionally, a series of educational activities including lectures, interactive small group discussions, and simulation exercises teach and reinforce the Internal Medicine curriculum. Under the tutelage of full-time faculty and community preceptors, students learn the art, skill, and mode of reasoning in diagnostic decision making diagnoses and clinical management. These educational activities are supplemented by conferences, a comprehensive lecture series of topics identified as a target “Core Curriculum,” the Chairman’s lecture series, small group sessions with the Program Director, and multi-departmental clinical pathology conferences. The study of the patient as the keystone to learning medicine is emphasized throughout the inpatient and ambulatory experiences. A fourth-year intensive inpatient sub-internship is offered for those students pursuing Internal Medicine as a career and as a foundation for many students pursuing other disciplines. Additionally, many fourth-year students elect to participate in a variety of subspecialty electives that provide in-depth, focused learning experiences in the internal medicine disciplines.

    The Graduate Medical Education Program is committed to providing outstanding clinical and educational experiences where residents and fellows attain the knowledge to deliver the highest quality medical care, skills for life-long learning, and the sensibility to be compassionate and observant physicians. In a supportive environment, the Stony Brook Medicine-trained physician will provide care that is compassionate, patient-centered, and is of high quality and value; practice self-reflection and life-long learning with an attitude of inquiry and discovery; aspire to be a leader and role model in the medical community; practice self-care in order to maintain and foster wellbeing; and embrace diversity and honor the diverse needs of patients, families, staff, colleagues, and learners.

    The core residency training program consists of 99 residents in two tracks including categorical Internal Medicine and Primary Care Medicine. A separate Medicine-Pediatrics training program is also offered. In addition, the core program supports fellowships in 13 fellowship training programs including Cardiology (including Electrophysiology, Interventional), Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Palliative Medicine, Pulmonology/Critical Care Medicine, Rheumatology, and Sleep Medicine.

    In keeping with the goals of our education program, continuing education is provided at our hospitals through regularly scheduled rounds and professional development conferences. These activities, aimed at members of the medical staff and all healthcare professionals, emphasize the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to issues in healthcare, whether at the bedside, in the clinic, in the classroom, or in the laboratory. 

  • Microbiology and Immunology

    Department of Microbiology and immunology

    The Department of Microbiology and Immunology provides a focus for research activities ranging from analysis of the molecular biology and pathogenic mechanisms of microorganisms to the host immune response to infection. Key discoveries in the fields of microbiology, immunology, cancer biology, and molecular genetics have been made in this department and world-renowned scientists have flourished in this environment.

    As a basic science department of the Renaissance School of Medicine, the department offers a diversified course of study leading to the PhD degree in Microbiology and Immunology. The major areas of study are molecular mechanisms of viral, bacterial and fungal pathogenesis, and the host immune response as it relates to infection, the microbiota, and other diseases. The pre-doctoral training program offers its students the opportunity to study topics in virology, bacteriology, fungal biology, immunology, biochemistry, and cell biology utilizing the experimental approaches of the microbiologist, molecular biologist, geneticist and immunologist. Instruction and course planning involve faculty members from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and selected members from the Departments of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Pathology, and Pharmacological Sciences, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The department also offers research opportunities to undergraduate students.

    The department has an active seminar program of outside speakers who present topics relevant to medical microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics. In addition, there is a yearly retreat in which ongoing research in the department and recent progress in the field are presented and discussed. 

    Our training opportunities lead the way in interdisciplinary research with clinical and basic research cooperation in the fields of infectious disease, and immunology.

  • Neurological Surgery

    Department of Neurological Surgery

    The Department of Neurological Surgery is a principal component of the neurosciences program at Stony Brook Medicine. The main objective of the department is to provide quality patient care using the latest technology while integrating a commitment to teaching and research in the neurosciences. Our goal is to provide our students with an education that fosters the intellectual and technical skills and professional attitudes necessary to succeed in clinical care, research, education, and to provide a deep understanding of clinical practice and scientific inquiry. The clinical faculty members provide surgical care to both adult and pediatric patients who require surgical treatment for diseases and disorders of the spine and brain. The faculty holds leadership roles in many of the Centers of the Neurosciences Institute, including the Cerebrovascular and Stroke Center, the Movement Disorders Center, the Epilepsy Center and the Spine Center to name a few. The department includes faculty with training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation who provide non-surgical treatment of spine disorders, varying from prescription of physical therapy programs to performance of fluoroscopically guided injections and a Neurocritical Care Unit, under the direction of two neurointensivists. 

    The Neurosurgery Residency Program is a seven-year program under the direction of the Department of Neurosurgery. The program provides a broad neurosurgical education in general neurosurgery and subspecialty neurosurgery, as well as an opportunity for residents to participate in both clinical and basic science research.

    Our program's strong emphasis on clinical neurosurgical education and on research education takes place in collaboration with faculty neuroscientists in the Department of Neurosurgery at Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, which is one of the leading research institutions in the world.

    Our goal is to provide our residents with an education that fosters the intellectual and technical skills and professional attitudes necessary to succeed in clinical care, research, education, and provide a deep understanding of clinical practice and scientific inquiry. By educating our residents to be skilled and ethical attending neurosurgeons, they will be well equipped to contribute to the highest quality patient care and to the acquisition and dissemination of the scientific understanding and the treatment of neurosurgical disorders.

    Weekly protected didactic time is a strong component of our program. Residents are engaged in various educational seminars on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Our didactics include weekly resident-led journal clubs, monthly spine focused journal clubs, cadaver-based spine labs and an annual hands-on cadaver based peripheral nerve lab. Neurosurgery collaborates with other departments such as orthopedics and plastic surgery to provide a full-day didactic and dissection course for residents and medical students. 

    We are proud to be part of the Neurosciences Institute which is a collaborative effort among multiple clinical and basic science departments here at Stony Brook University, and includes multiple specialty centers, including:

    • JCAHO Comprehensive Stroke Center
    • Inpatient Stepdown Unit
    • Neuro-critical Care Unit
    • Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
    • Inpatient Video Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
    • Comprehensive Spine Center
    • Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Center
    • Neuromuscular Disease and ALS Center
    • The Stony Brook University Neuromuscular Disease and Christopher Pendergast ALS Center of Excellence - An ALS Association Certified Center
    • Neuro-Oncology Center
    • Skull Base Surgery Center
    • Sleep Disorders Center
    • Huntington's Disease Center of Excellence
  • Neurology

    Department of Neurology

    The mission of the Department of Neurology is to provide excellence in clinical care, medical education, research, and community service. Our faculty care for both adults and children in subspecialty areas such as Stroke, Neurocritical Care, Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology, Epilepsy, Neuromuscular Diseases, Neuro-Oncology, Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, and Sleep Disorders. Our specialty centers include the Comprehensive Stroke Center, Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Adult MS Comprehensive Care Center, Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center, Pediatric MS Care Center, Christopher Pendergast ALS Center of Excellence, Huntington's Disease Center of Excellence, TAA Center of Excellence for Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders, among others. As part of our community outreach efforts, departmental faculty also participate in local symposia, deliver informational lectures, and lead patient support groups.

    Our faculty are dedicated to training the next generation of neurologists. The Department sponsors ACGME-accredited residency programs in Adult and Child Neurology and fellowships in Clinical Neurophysiology, Epilepsy, Vascular Neurology, and Neuroimmunology/ Multiple Sclerosis. Faculty also teach medical students in their basic neuroscience course and later during their clinical clerkships in inpatient (consultative services and wards) and outpatient settings. Skills gained include obtaining a neurological history, conducting the neurological examination, and using these data to localize, diagnose, and formulate a care plan.

    Our faculty also participate in basic, translational, and clinical research. These programs complement the clinical and academic functions of the Department. Lastly, faculty and staff are engaged in a range of therapeutic trials for diseases, including multiple sclerosis, stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and brain tumors.

  • Neurobiology & Behavior

    Department of Neurobiology and Behavior

    The Department of Neurobiology and Behavior offers fundamental courses in neurobiology for students of all university levels, including undergraduates in biology and graduate students in the Program in Neuroscience.

    The Graduate program in Neuroscience is a university-wide program concluding in either an MS or PhD degree. Both tracks of study are designed to provide broad training opportunities for students interested in research careers in the field of neuroscience. 

  • Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Medicine

    Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine

    The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine is organized into the following divisions: Gynecology and General Obstetrics, Gynecologic Oncology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Urogynecology, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and Midwifery.

    The Department’s mission is a commitment to a multidisciplinary team approach to women’s healthcare, clinical education and research. Our mission is to add value to our hospital, its medical school and our community for the benefit of our patients. We strive to deliver compassionate patient care, educational excellence and to create and expand knowledge of women’s health through basic and clinical research.

    In order to foster educational excellence, the department is responsible for instruction of medical students in all three phases of their curricular development during the four years in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook. During the Phase 1 curriculum, the Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) course allows students to be taught basic clinical skills that will be used for the rest of their careers. This course also introduces them to the nuances and importance of communication and collaboration with their patients. Phase 1 students also have an intensive three-week Reproductive Endocrinology System Pathophysiology course. Building on and expanding the students’ knowledge of the basic sciences obtained in their first year, this course reviews aspects of sexual development, human reproduction and diseases that affect these areas.

    During Phase 2, the Clinical Clerkship in Obstetrics and Gynecology, a 6-week core curriculum rotation, expands the student’s understanding of the issues patients face in the office and in hospital care settings with regards to pregnancy and diseases that affect the reproductive tract and the endocrine system that regulates it. Educational objectives are attained through nationally recognized learning objectives reviewed in lectures, labs, simulations, case based learning, and clinical experiences in the inpatient and outpatient setting. Students gain experience by developing a rapport with patients, performing history and physical exam skills, assessing different diagnoses and their accompanying appropriate treatment planning.  Students are exposed to the preventive medicine aspects of the discipline, such as family planning, adolescent development, annual cancer screenings, and routine prenatal health. Treatment modalities can then range from evidence based medical management to cutting edge surgical interventions.  

    In Phase 3, for those students who desire greater immersion into the field of obstetrics and gynecology than permitted by the core curriculum, Sub I’s and Electives are offered in Maternal-Fetal Medicine (high-risk pregnancy), Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Gynecologic Oncology, Urogynecology, Gynecology and Sonography.  Those students interested in pursuing research in the field, can join in our numerous and diverse faculty research projects as well as develop independent student research projects in basic science, clinical or educational areas. 

    The department offers an accredited four-year residency, which includes training in all aspects of obstetrics and gynecology. The program provides a structured educational experience that is planned in continuity with undergraduate and continuing medical education. Participants are afforded structured, sequentially developed exposures using a continuity of care model in the ambulatory and inpatient setting. This includes primary medical management and a variety of surgical experiences appropriate to the level of training.

    The Department offers a three-year ACGME accredited Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship training program. The program objective is to train specialists in Maternal-Fetal Medicine who, in addition to having expertise in clinic practice, research, and public health, will have the skills needed to excel in the ever-more challenging environment of academic medicine. Each graduate of the Fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine will have the knowledge and skills to act as a consultant to general obstetricians as well as to participate in regionalization of perinatal services active in improving the delivery of healthcare to designated populations. The educational program of this Fellowship is also designed to generate a completed, hypothesis based, research thesis during the Fellowship. Fellows are expected to involve themselves in the education and mentoring process through didactic lectures, structured educational experiences, 360 degree evaluations, and involvement with OBGYN Resident physicians, medical students, and undergraduate students. Each Fellow will be adequately prepared to achieve subspecialty certification by the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and then proceed to develop successful careers in academic medicine.

    The department offers a two-year Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Fellowship training program that is structured to provide the fellow with all aspects of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, research endeavors and educational opportunities. Surgical training is a key component of our MIGS fellowship. Our MIGS division provides a robust surgical program with focus on advanced laparoscopy including hysterectomy, myomectomy and endometriosis surgeries, utilizing a balance of conventional laparoscopy as well as daVinci robotic surgery. Four main surgical approaches: laparoscopy, robotic surgery, hysteroscopy, and vaginal surgery are all encompassed. Emphasis is placed on pelvic anatomy to allow the fellow to become confident in navigating all pelvic spaces when encountering complex surgical cases. There are two opportunities a year to participate as a teaching proctor in a pelvic anatomy cadaver lab as well as an animate lab laparoscopy workshop allowing the fellow to gain skills and to teach house staff as well. A simulation lab with a laparoscopic pelvic trainer and robotic simulation is available to the fellow at any time. 

    The department also offers a two-year Global Women’s Health Fellowship.  This is a two-year fellowship that incorporates clinical, teaching, and research responsibilities at Stony Brook Medicine and Hospital Central de Maputo in Mozambique. The fellow will graduate with an advanced degree in public health and will graduate equipped to run global health program that focuses on capacity building in women’s health, clinical education, program development and/or program implementation.  In the first year of the fellowship, the fellow will work on G-local (Local-Global issues). G-local issues include issues of health disparity and health equity in the local community. During the G-local portion of the fellowship the candidate will focus on service to the uninsured and underserved communities in Suffolk County. The fellow will be required to serve as an attending at the Access-Gyn clinic once per month which is the free gynecology clinic offered by the Stony Brook OBGYN department and will be required to perform outreach and service to one of the following: Riverhead Jail or Shinnecock Indian Nation on Long Island. Outreach may include education or direct services on site.  Clinically, during the first year, the fellow will sharpen skills needed to work skillfully in Sub-Saharan Africa. They will work primarily as a Laborist, focusing on management of complications of labor and the top three causes of maternal mortality worldwide: Hemorrhage, Hypertensive diseases, and Infections. On average they will work 10 shifts per month on Labor ward. This will help them to sharpen their skills in dealing with common and complex obstetrical emergencies. During the first year, the fellow will be part of the Stony Brook Hemorrhage and Accreta call pool and will be expected to scrub as first-assist or attending on cesarean hysterectomies to become expert and this procedure.

    An online Masters of Public Health program at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine will be included as part of this fellowship. This is an online course that includes basic competencies in public health such as program development, health policy, health economics, epidemiology, principles of disease control and a required research project. The research project may be substituted with a quality improvement project depending on the requirements of the specific public health degree concentration. The fellow’s research or quality improvement project will be designed during the first year and IRB approval (if applicable) will be sought during the first year.

    During the second year of the fellowship, the candidate will spend 12 months on site at Maputo Central Hospital as a visiting faculty at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane. During their time in Maputo, Mozambique, the fellow will have clinical teaching responsibilities. They will be required to take primary labor and delivery call, gynecologic emergency room call. They will be primarily engaged in education and quality improvement or research projects.

    Fellows interact and operate with skilled mentors not just in minimally invasive surgery, but also gynecologic oncology and female pelvic floor surgery. A unique and valued component of the fellowship is the emphasis on gynecologic ultrasound for various gynecologic conditions. Ultrasound training includes traditional abdominal and vaginal modalities, as well as 3D reconstructions, saline sonohysterogram and sono hysterosalpingogram. The fellow is expected to become AIUM certified upon completion of the fellowship. The fellow will also become familiar in interpreting a pelvic MRI. Our fellows also function as junior faculty, taking on the role of gynecology attending for the house staff approximately 1 week every other month, supervising consults and any emergent cases from the Emergency Room that require surgery as well as taking a 12-hour OB-GYN call twice a month.

    The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine recognizes the importance of research by our faculty members, residents and students. One of our core values, as part of the academic mission of the department is to establish an atmosphere of respect and excitement for research. Our commitment to multidisciplinary team-based women’s healthcare is a key component of our efforts to create and expand knowledge and improve the quality of our patients’ lives through excellent basic, translational, and clinical research. The Department’s mission to foster clinical investigation and translational research amongst the faculty is supported by an established and rapidly growing Division of Research.

  • Ophthamology

    Department of Ophthalmology

    The Department of Ophthalmology is a fully integrated multi-specialty ophthalmic group offering a wide range of ophthalmic services committed to providing the highest quality care for patients with all types of eye diseases and visual problems. The department strives to educate and advise patients about their specific eye problems; to communicate with the referring healthcare providers in order to provide timely, well coordinated care; and to treat patients with efficiency, respect, and compassion.

    The department is organized to provide the following clinical services:

    • General ophthalmology service
    • Neuro-ophthalmology service
    • Vitreoretinal service
    • Cornea and anterior segment service
    • Glaucoma service
    • Oculoplastics and reconstructive surgery service
    • Pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus service
    • Optometric service
    • Uveitis

    These services are directed by members of the full-time faculty, all of whom are board certified and fellowship trained.

    The faculty plays an active role in the medical student education, contributing to several of the organized teaching blocks. The department offers a two-to-four-week clinical clerkship in ophthalmology.

    The department has a three-year, fully accredited residency training program in ophthalmology. This training program has six residents, three of whom rotate at both Stony Brook University Hospital and the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The faculty also participates in the training of residents from other departments in the School of Medicine, including Maxillofacial Surgery, Neurology, and Emergency Medicine. The department offers a basic series of lectures in ophthalmology. Research participation within the department adds a valuable dimension to its educational programs, demonstrating the faculty’s commitment to scholarly activity and the advancement of ophthalmic knowledge and patient care.

    The department has a number of research programs both within the full-time faculty and in collaboration with Neurobiology, Preventive Medicine, and Neurology. The department is a member of the SUNY Eye Institute.

  • Orthopaedics

    Department of Orthopaedics

    The Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program provides the resident with a rich educational experience through its home institution and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Rotations are available at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and Shriners Hospitals for Children in Spokane Washington.

    Rotations are provided in the clinical subspecialties of Hand and Foot Surgery, Microsurgery, Oncology, Pediatric Orthopaedics, Spinal Surgery, Sports Medicine, Joint Replacement and Reconstruction, Upper Extremity Surgery, and Orthopaedic Oncology. There is uninterrupted participation in the comprehensive management of patients in all subspecialties, from the initial ambulatory encounter through admission and treatment processes to rehabilitation and follow-up. All residents receive experience in clinical and diagnostic orthopaedics, and comprehensive training in the surgical management of all orthopaedic problems.

    Multiple weekly specialty conferences include Pediatric, Spine, Sports, Hand, Food and Ankle, Trauma, and Recon/Ortho Oncology. X-ray rounds are held daily. Grand Rounds are held two to three times a month with in-depth, topic-based lectures provided by visiting professors, attendings, or senior/chief residents in one of our media integrated lecture halls. Tumor Board is held monthly, presenting and discussing recent surgical cases of bone and soft tissue cancers, and QA Conference is held quarterly, where resident case presentations of morbidities and mortalities are discussed by faculty and residents.  Resident Conference is held every Wednesday, and consists of various conferences planned cadaver or skills labs, and specialty seminars. 

    Strong faculty commitment to teaching and academic development, combined with a full and varied surgical schedule, provides a vast amount of clinical material and support for the resident. This results in an experience that fulfills and exceeds the requirements of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ABOS). Stony Brook Medicine has new operating rooms, which are pre-wired for recording and conferencing capabilities. 

    A completed research project of publishable quality is required of each resident prior to graduation. Time and resources are available to the residents for required and elective research interests. 

    The Orthopaedic department also houses a musculoskeletal lab and a microsurgical skills lab with fully functional microscopes, both standard and trainer/dual scopes, instruments and suture materials. Our wet-dry surgical skills lab is a fully functional surgical demo and modeling area used for research, anatomic dissections, and surgical/arthroscopic practice. As stated above, all lab activity can be recorded and viewed live via direct communication with the conference room. 

    Educational activity, including the Orthopaedic Cellular Biology/Structure Lab and Musculoskeletal Lab, provide basic research experience. Instruction in cellular physiology and biochemistry of musculoskeletal tissues (bone/cartilage; muscle/nerve; tendon/ligament) is given by the Ph.D. faculty of the Orthopaedic Department. Our research scientists help to facilitate the development of collaborative and independent research initiatives. Pathology is taught by the clinical faculty, and anatomy is taught on a regular basis, both in the operating room and the lab. Cross-sectional anatomy is taught in combination with radio diagnostic techniques such as CT and MRI, both for the extremities and spine. Psychomotor skills are taught in a preliminary physical exam and psychomotor course that is given annually to entry-level (PGY-2) residents. Periodically throughout the year, psychomotor skills are refined through hands-on experience in the Micro Lab, suturing vessels, tendons and nerves. A trauma-oriented skill section is also included, and offers experience with procedures such as internal fixation for wrist fractures and AO techniques in trauma. 

    The department supports a fully accredited residency program in orthopaedic surgery and post-residency fellowships in hand surgery.

  • Pathology

    Department of Pathology

    The Department of Pathology is concerned with the pathogenesis of disease, as well as with its manifestations of diagnosis. The department serves as a bridge between the preclinical and clinical sciences for students, clinicians, and non-clinicians at all stages of training. It has responsibility for teaching students in each school of the Health Sciences Center, in the College of Arts and Sciences, and in the Graduate School, and has responsibility for the postgraduate and continuing education of resident physicians, house staff and practitioners. In addition to its teaching responsibilities, the department operates the hospital laboratories. At the graduate level, programs leading to the PhD degree are developed within the department and in cooperation with other departments.

  • Pediatrics

    Department of Pediatrics

    The Department of Pediatrics is comprised of 180 pediatric physicians, and other health care professionals practicing in over 30 pediatric specialties.  Our faculty provide care for more than 400,000 children throughout Long Island in our new state-of-the-art Children’s Hospital and affiliated offices in Suffolk County.

    We have robust, competitive ACGME-accredited residency training programs in Pediatrics, Medicine-Pediatrics, and Child Neurology, as well as fellowship training programs in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatric Infectious Disease, and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.  Residents and fellows are trained to apply evidence-based medicine to the clinical care of children.  Residency and fellowship curriculum include training beyond the clinical medicine and include patient safety and quality improvement education, communication, procedural training, and research methodologies.  

    Our faculty, residents, and fellows all play an important role in the education of medical students from the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, visiting medical students, undergraduate students, master’s and doctoral level students, and trainees in the other four Schools of the Health Sciences. The department’s education efforts for medical students are extensive. The Clerkship in Pediatrics is a required course that is conducted year-round in six-week blocks for all third-year medical students in the School of Medicine.  The Sub-internship in Pediatrics is a rigorous four-week clinical experience designed to expand clinical responsibility beyond that of the clinical clerk. Elective experiences are available in all fields of Pediatrics at Stony Brook Children’s. 

    Our expert faculty lead cutting-edge research in a variety of fields through bench and clinical research projects, quality improvement projects, advocacy programs, and educational research.  Faculty provide mentorship for junior trainees in all aspects of medicine.    

  • Pharmacological Sciences

    Department of Pharmacological Sciences

    Pharmacology is an interdisciplinary science that explores the effects of exogenous chemicals and endogenous signals on biological systems. Faculty research interests emphasize the molecular mechanisms of the action of drugs, hormones and toxins. Areas of research include chemical biology and toxicology, neuropharmacology, and a variety of types of signal transduction. Teaching is directed toward an understanding of the basic principles underlying the therapeutic and toxic actions of drugs and chemicals.

    The department provides instruction for professional students in the schools of the Health Sciences Center and offers graduate and upper-division courses in pharmacology including toxicology, and therapeutics. Both MS- and PhD-granting graduate programs are offered through the Graduate School and the School of Medicine. 

  • Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

    Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

    Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, a division of the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, offers an elective in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for fourth-year students who are interested in the specialty. Students will gain exposure to the field of rehabilitation medicine in a variety of settings including acute inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation, and procedures including joint injections, botulinum toxin injections, and electrodiagnostic testing. Students will learn the physiatric approach to patient care and the roles of the various rehabilitation team members.  Attendance at twice weekly lectures is mandatory.

    The elective is available at St. Charles Hospital or the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Northport.  Detailed information regarding the elective is available on CBase.  For more information, students may contact Mr. Dennis Lawney, Program Coordinator, at (631)474-6349, or dennisj.lawney@chsli.org.

  • Physiology & Biophysics

    Department of Physiology and Biophysics

    The Department of Physiology and Biophysics offers a program of study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy. 

    The broad interests of our faculty provide diverse research opportunities ranging from systems physiology, to translational cancer research and single molecule biophysics. Our goal is to instruct students in the use of quantitative methods to study complex physiological problems of relevance to human health and disease.

    The Department's principal areas of research specialization are 1) Ion channel and gap junction Biophysics, with emphasis on cardiology and vision; 2) Intracellular and intercellular signaling mechanisms in cancer and neurobiology; 3). Physiology at the cellular, organ, and intact animal levels with emphasis on transgenic models of disease; 4) Fluorescence microscopy with the largest concentrations of microscopy equipment at Stony Brook University.

    Our curriculum is based on a foundation in Human Physiology with additional advanced courses in Statistical Methods, Biochemistry and the physical chemistry of Biomembranes. Through elective coursework in Applied Mathematics, Genetics, Neurobiology or Journalism students can tailor their training to their career goals. Students from our program have gone on to careers in academic and industrial research, government service and law.

    Program Requirements

    To obtain the Ph.D in Physiology & Biophysics, students must successfully complete all required coursework. Within the course of laboratory rotations during the first year, students must obtain faculty sponsorship for their doctoral thesis research. By the end of the second year, students must complete their qualifying examination, which entails an oral defense of a research fellowship proposal on the topic of the student’s choosing. At the beginning of the third year, students are required to constitute their doctoral thesis examination committee containing at least one member from outside the Department. Advancement to candidacy is predicated on the successful presentation of the Thesis Proposal by the end of the third year. Once advanced to candidacy, students are expected to pursue a course of rigorous laboratory research. Successful completion of the degree program will entail a first-authored research publication in a peer-reviewed journal. All of these requirements are to be completed within seven years from the date of admission

    CUrriculum

     YEAR I
     Fall  Spring
    HBY 530 Cellular Physiology & Biophysics HBY 570 Student Journal Club
    HBY 501 Human Physiology  HBY 500 Lab Rotation
    HBY 570 Student Journal Club HBY 690 Seminar in Physiology & Biophysics
    HBY 500 Lab rotation (HBY 500) HBY 561 Statistical Analysis
    HBY 690 Seminar in Physiology & Biophysics (HBY 690) HBY 562 Model Based Analysis
        GRD 500 Ethics In Research

     

    YEAR II
     Fall  Spring
    MCB 520 Graduate Biochemistry HBY 591 Lab Research   
    MCB 517 Biomembranes  HBY 570 Student Journal Club
    HBY 591 Lab Research HBY 690 Seminar 

    An additional 12 credits of electives are taken at the student’s discretion during the first and second year. 

    Admission

    Application Requirements

    The minimum requirements for admission to The Ph.D program in Physiology & Biophysics are a Bachelor’s Degree with a Major in the Physical or Biological sciences. Successful applicants have a grade point average of 3.25/4.0 or higher for their undergraduate curriculum, with special emphasis on coursework within the major. Starting this application cycle, scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are no longer required for admission to our program, but a strong performance on the GRE will reflect positively on your application, if you think it's necessary. Students for whom English is not their native language, must establish English proficiency based on the results of your TOEFL or IELTS examinations. Applicants are required to provide three letters of recommendation that can speak to the student’s academic and research performance. Preference is given to students with previous research experience. Students who do not meet these qualifications are encouraged to seek admission to our Master’s program for additional preparation.

  • Psychiatry and Behavioral Health

    Department of Psychiatry AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

    The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health is a leader among clinical departments in research and provides a complete range of instruction from beginning medical education through post-residency fellowships, offering top-notch mentored clinical experiences focused on treatment and recovery. Our portfolio ranges from basic neuroscience, epidemiology and behavioral science to clinical and translational research, translating cutting-edge biomedical science into diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic advances.  In addition to teaching psychiatry, members of the department are also involved in teaching psychology, neurobiology, pharmacology and biomedical engineering. Faculty within the department are dedicated to research related to an understanding of psychiatric disorders, ranging from basic neurobiological research to applied clinical studies. Many Faculty members supervise and support graduate and post-doctoral students in related disciplines through joint appointments with other departments.

    We invite you to browse through our website to learn more about our Clinical Services, Medical Student Education, Residency Program and Institute for Mental Health Research (IMHR) Division and Leadership Team.

  • Radiation Oncology

    Department of Radiation Oncology

    The Department of Radiation Oncology teaches the disciplines of oncology and clinical application of radiation and tumor biology, radiation physics, and therapeutic delivery of various radiations modalities, as applied to the treatment of malignancies and selected benign disorders. The department supports clinical trials and basic research in conjunction with other medical specialties and the Brookhaven national laboratory.

    The mission of the Department of Radiation Oncology is to develop a well-rounded academic program in Cancer care, involving the clinical oncological science and research of the tumor and molecular biology and medical physics. There are several education programs that we offer.

    Residency training Program

    The department hosts an ACGME- accredited four-year residency training program in radiation oncology. The residents rotate in the oncology subspecialty services, receiving intensive hands-on training in the oncological and radiotherapeutic management of malignant and benign neoplasms both in the adult and pediatric patient populations. As part of their curriculum, they gain expertise in brachytherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, image-guided radiation therapy, and other modern treatment modalities. They also carry out clinical and/or basic research projects under supervision of faculty members who are active in the respective research areas. These may include basic laboratory bench-work, retrospective and prospective clinical investigations, participation in investigator-initiated trials, public health and bioinformatics projects. Results of the research are presented at national meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. The program’s curriculum also includes rigorous didactics in radiobiology, radiation physics, and clinical oncology, incorporating interactive teaching sessions, Grand Rounds talks, journal clubs, M&M conferences, and multidisciplinary team discussions. In the final years of residency training, there are opportunities for research and clinical electives, both domestically and abroad.

    Our main department’s laboratory research projects include an investigation into molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of combining radiosurgery or stereotactic body radiotherapy with checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy; the cell biology of radiation-induced normal tissue toxicity in the CNS; biomedical informatics studies focusing on the application of artificial intelligence to radiotherapy, as well as numerous research projects in medical physics.

    For medical students who wish to explore radiation oncology as a specialty option we offer both clinical rotations in the department and opportunities to participate in the department’s research projects.

    Medical Physics Residency Program

    The Medical Physics Residency Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational (CAMPEP) and provides the residents with two years of clinical training in the discipline of therapeutic medical physics. Under close supervision of board-certified medical physicists, the residents are involved in all aspects of the clinical medical physics activities, including, but not limited to, machine quality assurance, treatment planning of conventional and advanced external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy procedures, as well as radiation safety and protection. Two years of intensive training prepares the residents with the experience and knowledge for board certification and to become fully functioning and confident medical physicists.

    Biomedical Engineering Medical physics track

    The Department of Radiation Oncology offers the Biomedical Engineering M.S. and Ph.D. students a forum of advanced learning in therapeutic medical physics. Through hands-on experience in the clinic and didactic lectures given by our departmental physics faculty, the students are afforded an opportunity to acquire practical experience and knowledge in Medical Physics.

  • Radiology

    Department of Radiology

    The Department of Radiology provides clinical services to Stony Brook University, Southampton and Eastern Long Island Hospitals as well as to our imaging centers at Stony Brook Road, Commack and Riverhead. We provide Interventional Radiological services to the Northport Veterans Administration Medical Center. Our mission is a commitment to excellence in medical imaging, quality, patient care, education and research.

    The department offers a four-year residency in Diagnostic Radiology. The program includes rotations in Neuroradiology, Musculoskeletal, Chest, Cardiac, Interventional, Abdominal, sonography, Pediatric radiology, Breast Imaging as well as Nuclear Medicine including PET MRI and PET CT imaging. The department has a newly installed dual- energy CT scanner. There is extensive availability with exposure to research with highly respected radiologists, research faculty and medical physicists. This provides residents with strong foundations to go on to the highly respected fellowships and careers in both the academic and private sector. The rotations are primarily at Stony Brook University Hospital, with additional rotations at the Northport Veterans Administration Hospital. The department is pleased to announce a new certificate program for our Radiology Residents in informatics in conjunction with the Department of Bioinformatics, which can be obtained during their residency. This program is currently in its second year.

    The third-year medical students rotate in Radiology, which includes daily lectures that address basic image interpretation and an algorithmic approach for the selection of imaging studies. In addition, the student completes a series of programmed learning seminars and teaching files, which review principles of image interpretation. There is extensive exposure to many of the subspecialty areas with observation of procedures and participation in film review sessions with faculty.

    A fourth-year medical student elective is also offered. The student will be able to exercise choice in time commitment to various subspecialties according to interest and need.  The student will attend departmental conferences, participate in daily activities of the department, meet with visiting professors, and attend student rounds for case presentations.

    The Department offers a one-year Fellowship in Musculoskeletal Radiology, Breast Imaging and Neuroradiology.

  • Surgery

    Department of Surgery

    The Department of Surgery was founded in 1974 together with the creation of the Stony Brook School of Medicine. Expanding on the institutional vision, the department’s mission is to achieve national recognition as a leading research entity; provide exceptional clinical care encompassing “leading edge” therapies and technologies to our patient population; serve as a first-tier educational program for our fellows, residents, students and staff; and play a leading role in our community in the dissemination of high-quality healthcare and education.

    The department is organized into nine clinical divisions: general surgery, including trauma and surgical critical care; cardiothoracic surgery; otolaryngology–head and neck surgery; breast surgery; upper gastroenterological and general surgical oncology; pediatric surgery; plastic and reconstructive surgery; colon and rectal surgery; and vascular surgery. In addition, the department includes two nonclinical divisions: education and surgical research.

    Medical Student Education

    The department provides instruction for medical students throughout their four years of training. Most of the department’s effort is directed at third- and fourth-year students in the form of a general surgery clerkship and surgical selectives/electives, although some didactic teaching is also provided for the first- and second-year students through clinical correlations lectures. The cornerstone of the student education program is the eight-week Phase II clerkship (repeated eight times per year to encompass the entire Phase II class), which is offered at three sites (Stony Brook University Hospital, Winthrop-University Hospital, and the the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center).

    Third Year

    The third-year surgery clerkship is designed to provide the student with a broad experience in the the evaluation and treatment of patients with surgical disease across all of the general surgical disciplines via his/her assignment to a specific surgical team of residents and attending physicians. These rotations are geared to emphasize direct patient contact, including all phases of evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. Students are specifically expected to: 1) participate in daily patient care until clinic follow-up, 2) accept personal responsibility as a physician for the care of their patients, acting always under attending and resident supervision, 3) obtain didactic learning through regular attendance of student lectures and department-wide educational activities, and 4) attend surgical skills labs geared to teach basic surgical technique.

    The formative and summative evaluation of students include weekly meetings with the clerkship director at which regular feedback to the students is provided, a mid-point quiz, an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), and a clinical evaluation by the attending and resident physicians with whom the student has had substantial contact. At the conclusion of the general surgery clerkship, the student also takes a “PBL” formatted oral examination and a standardized National Board examination, graded on a standardized national curve.

    Fourth Year

    There are a number of course offerings in the fourth year, one of which is mandatory (Surgical Selectives), and several which are electives (sub-internships in a number of services, and the surgical anatomy didactic course). The one-month Surgical Selectives course (including a mandatory two-week service in anesthesiology) provides student with additional exposure to optional rotations in the surgical subspecialties. The sub-internship in surgery allows the senior medical student to function as a primary responsible physician working under the close supervision of the surgical team.

    Residency/Fellowship Programs

    The Department of Surgery offers a five-year, ACGME-certfied residency program in general surgery graduating six chief residents per year, with a total of 51 residents. In addition, individual divisions within the department offer an ACGME-accredited residency plus fellowship in general, vascular, colon and rectal surgery, otolaryngology and plastic surgery in surgical critical care.

    All residency/fellowship programs in the department require residents to develop the six competencies, as defined by the ACGME, in the following areas: patient care; medical knowledge; practice-based learning and improvement; interpersonal and communication skills; professionalism; and systems-based practice. To successfully complete residency/fellowship training, these competencies must be developed to the level expected of a new practitioner.

    A Surgical Skills Center (SSC) is also available to provide residents and medical students with a more expanded educational curriculum. The SSC provides opportunities for trainees to practice in a stress-free environment not only surgical technical skills, but also pre-operative and post-operative patient care scenarios that enhance residents’ educational experience. The SSC utilizes cutting-edge audio/video technologies and software in order to maximize the utility and productivity of the activities it hosts and to provide opportunities for performance review of, effective debriefing with, and meaningful feedback to trainees.

    Training modules range from basic open skills (knot tying, suturing, IV access, central line and chest tube insertion) and fundamental laparoscopic skills (camera navigation, controlled cutting, transfer drills, and laparoscopic suturing) to advanced open surgical skills (inguinal hernia anatomy and repair, sutured and stapled intestinal anastomosis, vascular anastomosis, arterial endarterectomy and bypass, open aortic aneurysm repair) and advanced patient care skills (advanced trauma and cardiac life support, various surgical clinical care scenarios). Three high-end haptic virtual reality simulators are also available for training in laparoscopic advanced skills, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic colon resection, angiographic vascular anatomy, and a wide array of basic and advanced endovascular skills (navigation of endovascular catheters, angioplasty, and stenting). A dedicated space for a surgical wet-lab has also been created to allow for practice using animal tissue.

    General Surgery

    The general surgery residency graduates six chief residents per year, and a total of 51 residents participating in a five-year, ACGME program across three campuses. General surgery residents are provided training predominantly by Department of Surgery full-time and voluntary faculty, but also rotate on the Department of Urology transplant service and receive additional endoscopy experience on the Gastroenterology Service in the Department of Medicine. As detailed below, the residents’ clinical rotations are supplemented by didactic conferences and simulation lab opportunities, as well as by opportunities to rotate out of their training for one to two year experiences in departmental, on campus or off-campus research endeavors.

    Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Surgery

    The department offers a five-year vascular and endovascular surgery residency and a traditional two-year fellowship. Based in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, both training  programs are designed to prepare physicians for the pursuit of either an academic or high volume private practice career in vascular and endovascular Surgery. Residents are chosen out of medical school for the integrated five-year program, which culminates in eligibility for primary certification in vascular surgery only while fellows have complete a general surgery residency and eligible for certification in both general and vascular surgery. For those physicians who are decided on vascular surgery as a career, this program provides focused training and reduces the amount of training time from the traditional training period by two years. Residents and fellows are taught the whole range of open and endovascular interventions from routine to complex, medical management of vascular disease, and use and interpretation of noninvasive vascular lab studies. Clinical research is an important part, and required, of both training programs in vascular surgery.

    Colon and Rectal Surgery

    The department offers a one-year colon and rectal surgery residency (fellowship) based in the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery. The content of the educational experience is directed toward fulfilling the requirements of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Fellows gain operative experience through a large volume of diverse surgical procedures, including reconstructive anorectal surgery, surgery for inflammatory bowel disease, emergency colon resections, ambulatory anorectal surgery, and all aspects of office and endoscopic procedures. Upon completion of the training program, fellows are ready to enter into clinical practice, and are eligible for board certification in colon and rectal surgery.

    Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

    The department offers a five-year residency program in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. This residency is devoted to the task of educating and training physicians to function independently as specialists in the field. The program is based in Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and has met the rigorous standards set by the ACGME. It consists of a specialized year of rotations (i.e., six months of otolaryngology, one month of plastic surgery, one month of oral and maxillofacial surgery, one month of neurosurgery, one month of anesthesia, one month of surgical critical care, and one month of trauma surgery), followed by four years of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. All rotations occur at Stony Brook University Hospital and the ambulatory and clinical facilities of the Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Upon completion of the residency, trainees are ready to enter into clinical practice, into fellowship training, or into basic medical or clinical research. 

    Plastic Surgery

    The Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery provides training of plastic surgery residents at Stony Brook Medicine, as an affiliated institution of the integrated six-year residency program of the Long Island Plastic Surgical Group (LIPSG) base at NuHealth (Nassau University Medical Center; NUMC) in East Meadow, NY. The program, fully accredited by the ACGME, trains residents in all aspects of surgery with specialization in plastic and reconstructive surgery, under the guidance and mentorship of faculty from all three organizations: NUMC, LIPSG, and Stony Brook Medicine. Residents have the unique opportunity to train in the large private practice setting of LIPSG, as well as at numerous other locations including NYU Winthrop Hospital and Mercy Medical Center in addition to Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Center, and Stony Brook Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery Center. The NuHealth LIPSG-Stony Brook plastic surgery residency program teaches the next generation of plastic surgeons everything from the basics of aesthetic enhancement procedures to reconstruction of skin in patients with severe burns. 

    Surgical Critical Care 

    The surgical critical care residency (fellowship) is a one-year experience (two fellows per year) centered at Stony Brook University Hospital, which is the only regional (Level 1) trauma center in Suffolk County. The fellows are provided clinical experience in surgical critical care, including burn care, and do rotations on the hospital’s specialized intensive care units. Fellows are actively involved in clinical research with members of the Division of General Surgery, Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burns.

    Research

    The Department of Surgery is committed to its mission to achieve national recognition as a leading research entity. The department has developed an infrastructure to support both clinical and translational research and to foster research projects by both faculty and trainees. The surgery residency program has incorporated a robust curriculum in research education, including the teaching of literature review, hypothesis generation, study design, biostatistics, ethics in research, data analysis, and research proposal writing. As part of the training requirement, all residents must present or publish a paper in their first three years of training, with a second such project mandated for their fourth or fifth year.

  • Urology

    Department of Urology

    The Department of Urology at Stony Brook University Hospital provides a wide range of general and tertiary urological care. Subspecialty services include urologic oncology, female urology, prostate diseases, infertility and Men’s Health, kidney stone disease and Endourology, pediatric urology, reconstructive urology, sexual dysfunction, kidney transplantation and minimally invasive surgery via laparoscopy and robot-assisted surgery using the Da Vinci® S HD™ Surgical System.

    The majority of the faculty of the Department of Urology are fellowship trained at elite institutions. They offer a wide array of experience in all aspects of urological procedures. The department has a four-year ACGME accredited residency program and works in conjunction with the School of Medicine in providing education to medical students.

    The department participates in the second-year medical student curriculum. In the Introduction to Clinical Medicine course, students are taught the male genitourinary physical examination. Following the study of the exam techniques utilizing audiovisual aids and models, small groups of students spend a session with the instructing physician and professional patients, who assist the student in conducting the physical examinations.

    Stony Brook medical students may elect a clerkship during the third-year or a sub-internship during the fourth year. During this rotation, emphasis is placed on the urologic history, physical examinations, and differential diagnosis of urologic problems. The basic pathophysiology of urologic disease is emphasized and the rationale for medical and surgical intervention is reviewed. The sub-internship consists of a four-week rotation, which gives a more in-depth exposure to urology. Students are expected to give a presentation at the end of their rotation. Research-based electives are also available to medical students within the Department of Urology.

    All students are taught directly by the attending faculty and urology residents. The residents are responsible for orienting the medical students to the day-to-day activities of the service. This gives the residents a chance to exhibit their teaching, professionalism, communication, and system-based practice skills. Activities include morning rounds, selection of participation in specific surgical cases performed within the department, and participation in the outpatient clinic. The residents are also directly responsible for assisting the medical students with history and physical examinations and other clinical patient care activities. The chief resident participates with the Urology faculty in evaluating all medical students while on their Urology rotation.

    Residency Program

    The educational philosophy of the Department of Urology is to provide the urology resident with an in-depth understanding of the practice of urology, including, but not limited to, patient care, communication skills, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, professionalism, and system-based practices. In addition to the six competencies, the department provides a strong understanding of the basic scientific, medical, and surgical principles of urology. The department believes that basic and clinical sciences should be integrated into the residency in order to cultivate a physician/urologic surgeon who is well versed not only in the technical aspects of the specialty, but also in a fundamental understanding of the disease processes which affect the urinary tract and the male genital system. The objectives of the urology resident education at Stony Brook are to:

    1. Provide a strong didactic, educational environment focused on the six competencies listed above;
    2. Provide a supervised surgical education with the appropriate evaluative tools;
    3. Reinforce the concept of self-motivated education, which will serve the resident well in his/her practice in the community, in research, or in academics; and
    4. Provide a strong understanding of the six competencies and emphasize how they are important to the functioning of the physician in today’s complex healthcare environment.

    In summary, the overall emphasis of our program is to provide residents with a well rounded educational experience that will prepare them for a productive and satisfying career in urology. Since the career goals of individual residents may differ, it is our goal to provide a broad base of urologic education from which any career path in urology can be achieved.

to top