Stony Brook University Medical Center offers a five-year vascular surgery residency as well as a traditional two-year residency (fellowship), both of which are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). These training programs are designed to prepare physicians for the pursuit of an academic career in vascular surgery equally as well as for private practice in vascular surgery.

Our new integrated vascular program is one of six available nationwide. Residents are chosen out of medical school and enter the five-year program which culminates in eligibility for certification in vascular surgery. For those physicians who are sure that they want vascular surgery as a career, this residency provides focused training and reduces the amount of training time from the standard training period (ie, five years of general + two years of vascular) by two years. Those who choose this path will not be eligible for certification in general surgery.

Stony Brook University Medical Center is the "parent" teaching hospital, and in addition to rotations here, our vascular residents and fellows also do rotations at the Northport VA Medical Center and Winthrop–University Hospital (George L. Hines, MD, is chief of vascular surgery at Winthrop, and our residency site director there).

Stony Brook's Vascular Surgery Division has five full-time vascular surgery faculty members: Antonios P. Gasparis, MD, medical director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory; Nicos Labropoulos, PhD, director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory; David S. Landau, MD; and Apostolos K. Tassiopoulos, MD, interim chief of vascular surgery and program director of the vascular surgery residency.

Our vascular surgery faculty have broad expertise in the entire spectrum of vascular and endovascular surgical procedures. In addition, they maintain a high level of scholarly activity; see faculty publications.

The first year of the fellowship is spent rotating at Stony Brook, the VA hospital, and Winthrop. The fellow is expected to perform at least 100 major open cases as well as 100 diagnostic and/or therapeutic endovascular procedures. At the VA hospital, the vascular fellow is responsible of the non-invasive vascular laboratory studies. This experience allows the resident to qualify for the certificate of registered vascular technologist upon completion of the fellowship.

In addition, during the first year the vascular surgery fellow is expected to initiate clinical research projects, which should be completed before the end of his or her fellowship. The Department also offers ample opportunities for collaboration with faculty in basic research.

The second year of the fellowship is also spent rotating at Stony Brook, the VA hospital, and Winthrop. At least 300 major vascular reconstructions covering the entire gamet of abdominal, extremity, and neck interventions are expected during the second year. In addition, at least 300 diagnostic and therapeutic endovascular interventions are expected to be completed by the vascular surgery fellow, including aneurysm repair, peripheral arterial and carotid angioplasty and stenting, thrombolysis and venous intervention.

During the fellowship, the vascular fellow is expected to participate in the clinical education of the junior general surgery residents rotating on the vascular surgery service. The vascular surgery fellow is responsible for the preparation and direction of the vascular surgery conferences and a number of didactic clinical and basic science presentations. The vascular surgery fellow is allowed a large degree of independence in the operating room.

Upon completion of the training program, the fellow should feel comfortable in dealing with all aspects of clinical vascular surgery, and is eligible for board certification in vascular surgery by the American Board of Surgery.

If you have any questions regarding our training programs, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Tassiopoulos at 631-444-2683.

The following list provides information about the application process, as well as how to obtain the application form:

n Selection of vascular residents is made through the National Resident Matching Program;
n All applicants for the two-year fellowship must be board eligible/certified in general surgery;
n A personal interview is required;
n Applicants must have a New York State medical license by July 1 of the academic year they begin;
n We are registered with the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), which transmits residency applications, recommendation letters, dean's letters, transcripts, and other supporting credentials from medical schools to residency program directors using the Internet). Applications will only be accepted through this system.
n Questions concerning the application process should be directed to Linda Brochhausen via email or phone (631-444-1791) or fax (631-444-7689).