Research Rotations

Elevate Your Research Ambitions during your Residency at Montefiore Einstein Anesthesiology

Our department offers a dynamic and supportive research program for residents interested in becoming clinician scientists, with extensive opportunities to build a research career. Our program has a unique emphasis on digital health research, epidemiology, and social determinants of health.

These opportunities are open to all residents, regardless of prior research experience or initial dedication to research at the start of residency.

Dedicated Mentorship and Guidance: Starting in the CA0 year, our program offers dedicated faculty research mentors aligned with residents’ specific research interests. These mentors provide clinical and research developmental support and guide residents in accessing resources and achieving research goals.

Flexible, Resident-Centered Approach: Residents can choose research commitments ranging from a few weeks to several months throughout their four-year journey.

Institutional Support for Research Success: 
Montefiore is committed to supporting our residents’ research success. We provide an educational allowance for attending national conferences, access to grant writing courses, and opportunities to apply for competitive research grants like the FAER Resident Scholar Program. The level of support increases with residents’ commitment and success. Our residents have earned numerous awards in research competitions at prestigious annual meetings such as those of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, International Anesthesia Research Society, and the New York State Society Post-Graduate Assembly. Our department also hosts an annual academic research night to celebrate and showcase the innovative research conducted by our residents, clinical fellows, research staff, and faculty.

Personalized Research Tracks: For residents aspiring to become clinician-scientists and who demonstrate a strong track record in conducting research, we offer dedicated non-clinical research time and personalized mentorship. We are currently offering four research tracks based on the resident’s level of experience:

1. Introductory Research Track Based on Scholarly Activities:

This track fulfills the research requirements from the ACGME, introducing all Anesthesiology residents to the basics of conducting an academic assignment. Under faculty mentorship, residents will:

• Complete an academic assignment, which can include a Grand Rounds presentation, publication of a review article, or participation in a clinical or laboratory investigation.
• Present their work at Grand Rounds or a local, regional, or national meeting.

2. Intermediate Research Track:

This track is for residents with little to moderate experience in conducting research. The goal of this track is to co-author a research abstract and present the work at a national research meeting. Residents in this track will:

• Receive regular mentorship from a member of the Anesthesiology Digital Health Laboratory.
• Identify a research project of interest.
• Focus on data requests, IRB submission, data analysis, interpretation of results, and/or writing.
• Revise and approve the final abstract.
• Present the abstract at a national research meeting.

3. Advanced Research Track (3-6 Month Program):

This research focus is for residents with extensive research experience. Clinical performance-related requirements must be met to remain on the advanced track. Residents will work with a Professor-level clinician scientist to identify areas of interest that are likely to make significant contributions to medicine. They will engage in multiple projects, leading to several publications as first or co-author.

Requirements:

• A total of 3-6 months of protected research time during the four years of anesthesia residency.
• Good clinical standing as determined by the Clinical Competency Committee.
• Prior research experience and enthusiasm for research.
• Good standings on the Anesthesia In-Training Exam.
• Meeting research milestones and earning passing grades for each month-long rotation.
• Attendance at weekly research meetings with the Digital Health Lab.

Goals:

• To facilitate creative, critical thinking, and an appreciation of advancing perioperative medicine through research at an early stage in clinical training.
• To understand the importance of excellence in scientific teamwork in order to select areas of interest which are promising to achieve publication goals during protected research time

Opportunities:

• Study hypothesis development and cohort building.
• Learn to conduct sophisticated statistical analyses (i.e. primary and secondary exposure, primary and secondary outcomes, confounder models) in collaboration with our team of methodologists.
• Write a paper to be submitted for publication as a first/shared first author.

4. Intensive Research Track (6-11 Month Program)

Residents with extensive research backgrounds and a desire to pursue a future as an independent clinical researcher can designate 6 to 11 months research time distributed throughout their four years of residency. They will be mentored by experienced clinician scientists, and be fully integrated as members of the Digital Health Lab.

Requirements:

• Extensive prior experience (multiple publications, optimally some of which are in observational research) and demonstrated enthusiasm for research.
• Good clinical standing as determined by the Clinical Competency Committee (includes assessment of clinical rotation evaluations and In-Training Exam scores.
• Meeting research milestones for the intensive program (passing grade on each month-long rotation) such that the progress towards research publications can be objectively demonstrated.
• Attendance at Digital Health Lab weekly research meetings and lab huddles, with the expectation to produce weekly presentation on research progress.

Goals:

• To become an independently thinking scientist who understands the importance of a focused and critical approach to selecting research proposals and demonstrates the persistence and flexibility to produce manuscripts.
• To understand the importance of selecting areas of interest — in collaboration with a scientific team — that have the promise to achieve publication goals during protected research time.
• Produce multiple first-author publications and co-authorships and to present this work at national meetings.

Opportunities:

• Study hypothesis development and cohort building.
• Learn to conduct sophisticated statistical analyses (i.e. primary and secondary exposure, primary and secondary outcomes, confounder models) in collaboration with our team of methodologists.
• Write papers to be submitted for publication as a first/shared first author.
• Assist others in analyzing data, building cohorts, and writing manuscripts.
• Develop a clear area of scientific interest for further exploration post-residency.
• Gain non-clinical time as a junior attending with mentorship for competitive grant writing.

An example of a successful candidate’s protected research time on the intensive 6–11-month track:

• CA0 Year: 4-8 weeks of elective research time to begin shaping the project and identifying key questions.
• CA1 Year: 2-4 weeks of research time to solidify the project based on clinical exposure and observations. A subsequent application and review process occurs after the resident’s Basic Exam to appropriately allocate the necessary protected research time during CA2 & CA3 years.
• CA2 Year: 1-2 months of protected research time, contingent upon meeting clinical milestones.
• CA3 Year: A minimum of 3 months dedicated to research so the resident can complete their projects and present their findings.

Who Are Our Ideal Candidates for the Advanced and Intensive Tracks?

Candidates who have extensive research experience will be considered for our Advanced and Intensive Research Tracks. Individuals who have graduated from medical school more than five years ago or are Foreign Medical Graduates — with an excellent scientific track record — are welcome to apply. We seek residents with a proven ability to reliably work within a team, have a passion for scientific inquiry, and aspire to continue their careers in academic medicine after residency.

 Learn more about our current Anesthesiology residents.