Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Beth Israel (NYC) Residency Reviews

hi guys. i am wondering whether anyone has any thoughts about the albert einstein beth israel program in NYC. I tried looking for information, but seem to only get 2 posts made about 4 years ago! makes me wonder why is this program is really not talked about much... I really liked my interview day there, and the people seemed really nice and genuine, but i would really appreciate it if someone could tell me their opinion! Thanks and good luck to all of u with your rank lists!

I liked the people a lot, too, and the PD also seems very dedicated.

As far as sorta-objective stuff, they seem to have fewer unit months than other programs. I also had concerns about how much pediatric experience they get.

I think the senior residents were mainly looking at community practice, not fellowships or academic; whether that's a plus or minus obviously depends on your goals.

Oh yeah, emresny, I forgot to mention the fabulous housing.

They had some sweet subsidized housing. The big building right next door to the hospital seemed a little too close for my taste, but there was also some crazy luxury apartment building a little further away.

thanks guys... i appreciate ur responses!

during the overview on the interview day, the PD really made a point that she would be a total advocate for you when it came time to finding jobs, whether it be that you want to go to California, stay in NY, or wherever. Also, the same seemed true for whether you want to do a fellowship or academics. That seemed really cool to me.

I guess, for me, I'm just so surprised about how little it is talked about the program...especially outside of NY (which I am). Is that good, bad, or neither? I dunno.

I am actually trying to decide where to place ORMC in relation to BI (both high on my list at this point). I realize both are completely different programs. I liked both from my interviews and would be happy in both locations... This ranking stuff is a lot harder than I expected it to be.

One thing I remember about this program... good exposure to toxicology and no electives outside of the institution. I loved the PD but I was a little turned off by the inability to do anything outside the institution.

I remember AEBI residents/faculty being the friendliest on the interview trail. Two bedroom subsidized housing for a family of four with a dog killed it for us. Otherwise, great program.

Not sure if I'm the only one, but I had a less than positive impression during my interview at BI...mostly because of one interviewer that repeatedly called the residents lazy and put his feet up on his desk right in front of my face for our 15 minute encounter.

But the location is definitely amazing...would like to hear what other comments people have about this program because I really wanted to like it a lot!

So speaking as a resident at Beth Israel, NY, I love this place!!!!

There were 3 things I was looking when I was making my rank list.
1. To be trained well as an EM physician
2. To be happy during my residency training
3. To have my attendings and program director have my back when I graduate.

1. The alumni who have graduated from BI are now all over the country in community and academic ED's. The alumni network is extremely strong. The ones I have met are well respected in their institution. Most EM programs are going to train you well, but I know BI residents have excellent training because of the diverse pathology, social status and age range you treat in the heart of New York City.

2. The residents are really happy here. The attendings are great, are very approachable and knowledgeable. The nurses are the best nurses you can ever work with. Residents go to dinner together or breakfast together after a night shift. Where else do the x-ray techs organize pot lucks meals in the middle of the night, or ice cream socials? It is just a great atmosphere to be in.

3. When you graduate, you have the opportunity to do what you want because the program director has your best interest at heart. This year 2 residents are going into fellowships, Interventional Pain Medicine and Pediatric EM, and the rest are going for community jobs. The PD will make sure whatever you want, she will make it happen. The PD calls different hospitals that you want to work at to make sure you have job interviews. Everyone usually gets there first job choice after graduating. Plus when changes need to be made during the year for the residency, the PD listens and tries to make those changes happen. She is extremely open to feedback.

Anyway, that is probably more than you wanted to hear, but I really do love this place. I love living on the lower east side in Manhattan. New York is an amazing city with so much to do everyday, no where like it in the world. Come on, being an ER doc in NEW YORK CITY, what else can you say!

I did my elective here and had a great time. There is a great deal of pathology and autonomy there. Some amazing teachers as well. I felt I learned so much and worked well with the residents/attendings. Would love to match there. Definitely unique in its own right.

Interview Day/Residents- working there, I was told I would be able to do my interview at the end of my elective. So I ended up doing it towards the last week of my rotation. I was wearing my scrubs and Dr. Akhtar and I talked. It was very casual. I kind of wished I had done a couple shifts with her in the ED. Because of the month I did it, she was busy with residency issues. She was working on finding an assistant PD.

The residents- a crazy and fun bunch. I got to work with almost all of them and hang out with them during grand rounds. I liked most of them. they were into enjoying life and doing stuff outside of medicine. They seemed to get together outside the hospital for dinner and drinks cuz of their apartment setup (the hospital owns apartments across from the ED). I was at the point of my elective, looking for some advice on applying and a couple helped out. It felt kind of weird doing my elective because I imagined that they would be trying to recruit me. But very few tried. I think its cuz mostly foreign med students rotated thru there.

Facilities- To be honest, not that great. I am coming from a school whose home ED is a mess. So I was looking to upgrade for residency. They are building a new ED (and have been for a couple years). One of the attendings joked to me on my first day that it would be built after the second avenue subway would be completed (2012). The main ED cuz of the construction is cramped. The main pod that you work in as a resident is surrounded by the trauma room + high acuity rooms. The side rooms are hard to get to because they are in an L format- you need to walk around the end to the other side. I found that to be hard to handle for telling my nurse that I was ordering X y z. When it gets busy, it gets packed. The Peds ED is on the second or third floor of the building. It has a five to six room capacity. I found the peds ED was a breather for the main side. You got to see the less acuity patients up there and get to play with the kids. the attending works one on one with you up at the Peds ED. Most of the staff are Peds EM certified.

Attendings- The strength of the program. They come from everywhere- SUNY Downstate, Bellevue, Maryland. I loved working with almost all of them. They were extremely down to earth, funny, laidback, enthusiastic. There were a couple exceptional ones- Dr. Bowers, Dr. Felberbaum, Dr. Drescher, Dr. Zane. I felt the teaching is emphasized there more so than at other places I rotated at. I was given a lot of autonomy. I presented the case, ordered most of the stuff, did most of the procedures. When it got busy in the main ED, I always had the opp to present to the teaching resident or the attending. I never felt I was getting pimped for pimp sake but more for my own educational learning.

Curriculum/Clinical exposure: awesome three years. It is well balanced with no floor months, a tox block. Ultrasound is emphasized. Dr. Akhtar teaches most of it and you are sent from the fast track area to the main side of the ED to do scans. Some of the things I was looking for was more EMS exposure- it has a 0.5 block where you ride along with paramedics. But otherwise, not much else. Trauma is sprinkled out thru the curriculum. The main ED at BI has very little. It's because of three things- 1) Manhattan in general has little to no trauma anymore 2) it's level 2 trauma center 3) Bellevue is next door. Residents do trauma elsewhere at Elmhurst- it's in the Queens area. Heard its amazing for GSW, MVA. So you get a good amount of exposure elsewhere. Also peds trauma is at Jacobi up in the Bronx. most of the residents complain about the commuting but admit its a great experience otherwise.

Clinical exposure- You get a ton: a good mix between privates + uninsured. It's not a county level experience so the ancillary staff will do all the scut. I got to practice my Mandarin and Spanish equally, which was interesting cuz in Manhattan, it's always been just Spanish. I saw so many different complex cases. BI has more of an academic feel to it. The private patients that are seen there can be really sick with a lot of complexity. I got to also see a lot of undifferentiated patients who were uninsured and came to BI cuz they knew they would get in right away instead of going to Bellevue or Downstate.

Overall- This review is biased (as you can tell) from doing an elective there. I think it's a solid three year residency with an academic bent. Solid teaching, attendings, fun residents. Can't wait to see the new ED. I had an amazing time there and would love to join them in July.

Hello everyone, I am currently a third year resident of the Beth Israel emergency medicine residency and I wanted to post an update about the residency and what it has to offer. We are a 3 year program in the heart of New York City. First off, I have absolutely loved the time I have spent here and I'm a little sad that it is coming to an end. In the past year the ED has undergone some major changes. We have a brand new emergency department that was completed in phases over the last several months and is now fully open. It is very big and very beautiful. The ED is stocked with the most state of the art equipment. Secondly, our ED has experienced a major bump in volume since St. Vincent's closed earlier in the year. Because the ED at Beth Israel runs very smoothly thanks to the nursing staff and ancillary staff, this change in volume has been a very smooth transition. Here is my breakdown of various aspects of the residency program.

1. The Emergency Department: As stated above, it is brand new and very beautiful. You will see it first hand when you come to interview.

2. Patient population: We experience a very large amount of very high acuity patient's during all shifts which makes the time in the department an excellent learning experience. The acuity allows for several procedure opportunities daily and several opportunities to run and be part of major medical resuscitations. A large percentage of our patient population has primary care mostly affiliated with the hospital so it is very easy to get in touch with PMDs and obtain outpatient medical records.

3. ED staff: Our staff makes the department run as smoothly as it does. Our nurses are phenomenal and you will never be waiting around for something to get done. You will also never be wasting your time drawing blood or transporting patients. All of this allows for the fastest possible dispo times for each patient which makes a huge difference.

4. Residents: Our residents come from all over the country and I love the group of people I work with. We are all very social and have a good time both inside and outside of the department. New York City obviously allows for several options of social activities.

5. Attendings: Our attendings are wonderful. There is not a single mean or obnoxious attending. There are no egos and all attendings are always willing to teach the residents and medical students. There is not one attending I dread working with when I show up for a shift.

6. Housing: We offer subsidized housing in several different buildings around the hospital including a luxury building which is approximately a 10-15 minute walk from the hospital. The housing is very nice and very affordable given our salaries which are among the highest in NYC.

7. Off service rotations all provide excellent learning atmospheres, from trauma at Elmhurst Hospital to ophthalmology at New York Eye and Ear. The hours for off service rotations are very reasonable. WE DO NOT DO ANY FLOOR WORK THAT IS NOT AN ICU SETTING. This was huge for me.

All in all I have only wonderful things to say about this program and strongly encourage anybody that is interested in emergency medicine residency in New York City to come check us out. If you have any specific questions, you can contact any of the chief residents on the program's official website which is www.embimc.org.

OK, OK. Here's the inside scoop!



I'm writing as a second year EM resident here at Beth Israel NY who was exposed to EM at Downstate, EM at Sinai, Queens Hospital, and Elmhurst.



When I applied for EM residency I wanted to be in a STRONG 3-Year program in NYC - That's exactly what I found here at BI. Allow me to expand briefly on this.



Quality Training - I wanted to be in a program where I will be exposed to a wide variety of pathology so I can confidently manage such upon graduation - This is precisely what I'm exposed to here at BI. Coupled with trauma months at Elmhurst Hospital, I'm confident that my expectations will be exceeded.



Attending - I sought out a program with dynamic and experienced attendings who love to teach without exuding an air of intimidation - it's here at BI. As a matter of fact, as a current second year resident, on any given shift, I am able to confidently manage the acute section of the ED while partnering up with WHATEVER attending on the schedule. I do not have to check the attending schedule before any of my shifts because they are equally fulfilling to work with.



Nursing and Ancillary staff - IMPECCABLE! I have been to both private and city hospitals in NY; none have a comparable nursing and ancillary staff. Friendly, hard-working, extremely helpful, encouraging and they operate as a well-oiled section of the ED team. Now we have a BRAND NEW/ HUGE ED!! All brand new equipment, dedicated Radiology and dedicated CT scanner. Full complement of supporting departments, from neurology, neurosurg to ophthalmology and podiatry!



Diversity - I must admit this, I assumed that I will be giving up diversity in patient population by coming to BI but I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the extreme diversity. I'm able to take care of many Asian patients from China town given the proximity, many Latino patients, strong African-American population coming across the Brooklyn bridge, Caucasians; in short, the patient population at Beth Israel is an excellent representation of NYC - Which we all agree is as diverse as diversity goes.



COMRADERY! This is the biggest catch and deal breaker for me. From outside looking in as an interviewer I was very attracted to the cohesiveness and comradery between the residents and attendings. From the inside "looking in" I'm still amazed by the core group of people I work with. They are caring, FUN, FUN, interesting, hard-working, down-to-earth and ALL are consummate team players. I'm convinced that this may be one of the strongest aspects. Remember, no matter how BIG the name of a program is, if you are frustrated with the people you work with, it'll become a 3 to 4 year sentence - Yikes!! I would have been unhappy if I didn't get a chance to be part of this group here at BI.



Administration - As you go on your various interviews ensure to gauge if the administration is the kind that will have YOUR best interest at heart. Here at BI, the Program Director and the rest of faculty are heavily invested in each resident's progress and advancement during and after the training period. The Program Director doesn't sleep until you as a resident achieve what you set out to accomplish. In the recent past we have had graduates attain fellowship training in Pain management, Ultrasound etc. And they have attained these fellowships at the institution of their liking. This is remarkable to say the least.



All in all, I say all these points to say this; Emergency Medicine at Beth Israel is exactly where to be. I won't trade my match here for any other program!



Good luck on your interviews and matching. Don't hesitate to contact ANY of our residents via our website www.embimc.org

Hey all! As time comes closer to submitting your rank lists, I thought that I, as an intern (who still vividly remembers interviews and the match) would shine some light on the program and why I chose it.

First of all, the impression that I got when I was interviewing was of a group of attendings and residents that genuinely enjoyed working together and had fun working. Now, as a first year resident here, I would say that couldn’t be more true. Being from Texas, I knew New York was going to be a change, but everyone here makes you feel right at home. I really am happy with the residents that I work with and all of the attendings are happy to be there and want you to succeed and teach you.

Secondly, I knew New York would have the most variety of patients of all demographics, ages, cultures, diseases, etc. Sometimes people knock BI because it’s a private hospital in Manhattan, but we see a lot of patients without insurance every day. I think we have a great mix and plenty of volume to see so many different types of patients.

Next, when I toured the facilities during my interview, the ED was still being renovated. Now that all the construction is finished, we have a huge space, a brand new (practically HD) ultrasound machine, CT scanner just for the ED, and equipment & supplies that are always stocked and easy to find. The ED itself is a well-oiled machine and all the staff from Nurses to PCAs to clerks enjoy working and get things done quickly. There is a great relationship between all the staff.

The off-service rotations are all geared toward us getting the knowledge and skills that we need without having to do a lot of scut. There are no floor months, the ICU rotations are very good and are very good with teaching critical care and emphasizing Emergency Medicine when possible. We rotate through many different ED environments between Beth Israel, Elmhurst, Jacobi, King's Highway, and our Pediatric ED that you get a very good taste of what different ED's are like and how they function.

Finally, and I think most importantly, is the leadership with have in our department. Our PD and two Associate PD’s will go to bat for you for fellowships you are interested in, care about you as a person and not just a resident who happens to work with them, and want you to succeed. They will help get the job/fellowship/location of your choice and have tons of connections everywhere. They always preach wellness and make sure that we have balance. We have several activities outside of work to hang out and let loose, and that’s the culture of Beth Israel. Everyone here wants to be here, enjoys going to work everyday and really loves what they are doing and where they are doing it.

That’s why I picked Beth Israel, and I’m very happy to be here!

Can anyone post an unbiased review of BI? The last bunch have been by residents and I'd like to hear from other students that have interviewed there!

Not to mention one of the last reviews was created by a completely new account just to pump up BI in a what appears to be very biased fashion. Take the last couple reviews with a grain of salt. Unfortunately I did not interview there for scheduling reasons so I cannot comment on the program.

I interviewed at BIMC in November 2010 and I thought it was a great experience. I had never heard of this program and only applied for location. I was pleasantly surprised on how much I adored this program...

I'm not the type of person that salivates at a program's name because those places attract people that can be too competitive or too serious... just not like me. Anyways, I went to the social the night before and I have to say I was surprised by the turnout and how comfortable I felt with the residents (including the Texan and the chief resident). I was upset when it was time to leave. I enjoyed their company so much.

On interview day, the PD emphasized her goal for diversity in the program and in each of her residents and I could easily see that. This is the most diverse bunch I have met and to me that matters a lot, because you have to enjoy the people you work with... With other interviews, I've met some great residents but they get a bit weird and awkward when in a big bunch... It's a bit fake, almost like they're acting. I didn't get that here. They all seemed genuine.

BIMC does have a fairly brand new ED that has a bit of construction left (there was an Orange zone that had not opened yet, but I think they should be completely done by July 2011).

These were the things that I wrote down:

· Annual Salary: $55,484- $62,631
· 10 hour shifts
· 13- 4 weeks blocks
Diverse patients and residents... Great PD
· Patient care to > 110,000, 25% admittance, 911 and psychiatric receiving hospital
· Orientation block, 3 blks of Ped EM, 5 blks of Trauma, 6 blks of EM, Comm Hosp ED, ENT, Opthal, Orthopedics/ US blks, ENT


Anyways, BIMC will be high on my rank list... I am worried about the Manhattan cost of living because I'm not from NY, but my main goal is to get a great education, be happy with those I work with and enjoy the last years of my 20s and I think this can be done in NY... esp Manhattan
So just go with your gut.

P.S.-- the past 2 or 3 posts by residents are decent. When you interview there, it will all make sense.... because it's pretty accurate.

My Negatives--
The cheaper subsidized housing was 20 feet from the hospital... I wouldn't want to hear ambulance sirens while trying to sleep. So I guess I would just pay more for the housing 3 blocks away...
Not enough program experience with International electives or fellowship in International EM


--- The Unbiased (kinda) interviewer

Thoughts from interview day:

Started in 1989, most graduates stay in the new york area, but you can go anywhere. Admission rate is 25%. You work in 3 hospitals, Beth Israel (main one), Elmhurst in Queens (trauma), and Jacobi for peds. You do 0-2 peds shifts in the specific Beth Israel peds ED (very low acuity) in your non dedicated peds month. No moonlighting. No orthopedics or anesthesia residency. No fast track shifts, that’s all done by PAs. Subsidized housing $1300 studio. Pretty small in a semi-old apt. Residents seemed cool, they were hyping how great NYC is. Everyone is friendly with everyone else and they hang out outside of the hospital. No interactions with fellows. They kept on emphasizing diversity. They change the rotations based on what residents say, they have an annual retreat to talk about what needs to be changed. You get paid more than $60,000 a year to start off, the highest in NYC. I didn’t get a great vibe from the residents or program director, but they were still friendly and sociable.