NYU Langone’s Division of Pediatric Surgery offers a two-year, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–accredited Pediatric Surgery Fellowship. We seek to train the next leaders in academic and clinical pediatric surgery. We emphasize technical excellence, compassion, gradual independence, collegiality, safety, and data-driven practice. Graduates of the program will possess the skills required to operate independently to treat the full spectrum from the most routine to the most complex pediatric surgical conditions in premature babies, neonates, children, and adolescents. The American College of Surgeons’ Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center designation for Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone demonstrates that our hospital provides an ideal environment for pediatric surgery fellows to learn the importance of quality metrics and the multidisciplinary coordination of complex diseases. Finally, we underscore the significance of lifelong learning and continued professional growth to prepare our graduates to successfully achieve and maintain board certification in pediatric surgery.

The program spans three institutions: NYU Langone (Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital), NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, and Hackensack University Medical Center (Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital), with each offering unique clinical exposures and learning opportunities.

Operative and Inpatient Training

Fellows participate in a range of operative experiences and patient care learning environments.

The clinical program provides a broad experience in all aspects of pediatric general and thoracic surgery at three distinct locations. Six months of the first year are spent on the busy Pediatric Surgery Service at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital. One half day a week during each of these NYU Langone months is spent at Bellevue, which offers a unique education in health equity and the delivery of care to underserved and diverse populations at a city hospital. Bellevue also serves as our Level 1 Trauma Center/Level 2 Pediatric Trauma Center. There are two-week electives in both GI endoscopy and urology. There are one-month rotations in both the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Tisch Hospital and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at NYU Langone. Three months will be spent at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, which provides a deeper experience in pediatric surgical oncology, minimally invasive surgery, robotics, and outpatient surgery.

The second year is spent as a fellow on the Pediatric Surgery Service at NYU Langone for 8 months (again, with one half day per week spent at Bellevue). Additionally, there are three months at Hackensack University Medical Center and another elective month devoted to both airway endoscopy and transplantation.

Outpatient Training

Fellows conduct half-day office hours per week, in either the Bellevue clinic or Hackensack University Medical Center outpatient office.

Administrative and Research Opportunities

The fellowship allocates 10 percent of time for administrative duties, study, and research activities, supporting academic growth and expertise in the field.

Team Composition

The same attending faculty serves all three locations. Both NYU Langone and Hackensack University Medical Center maintain a consistent team structure, including PGY-4 and PGY-2 residents and advance practice nurses, allowing the fellow to focus on education and leading the patient care team.

Fellowship Curriculum

The Pediatric Surgery Fellowship offers a robust educational curriculum that includes a range of didactic sessions, conferences, and collaborative meetings.

Fellowship Academic Block

Held every Thursday, fellowship academic block sessions represent mandatory protected time scheduled from 7:00AM to 11:00AM, providing focused educational engagement.

The sessions are increasingly run by the fellow as they gain experience, and involves participation from all surgical attendings as well as our residents, medical students, and nurse practitioners. The weekly blocks include: Department of Surgery Morbidity and Mortality, Pediatric Surgery Morbidity and Mortality, lectures/didactics based on SCORE modules, journal club, clinical research meetings, and “Challenging Cases” with additional sessions devoted to diversity education/cultural competence, wellness, and professionalism.

Fellowship Conferences

Fellowship conferences include the following.

Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Conference:

• This monthly conference brings together a panel of distinguished experts across several medical disciplines. These include specialists in maternal–fetal medicine, neonatology, pediatric cardiology, and surgery subspecialties, as well as pediatric surgery faculty, fellows, residents, and medical students.
• This diverse group of professionals collaborate to address the latest approaches and advancements in fetal diagnosis and treatment, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the subject. The focus is on discussing the latest approaches and advancements in fetal diagnosis and treatment, providing an overview of emerging trends and techniques in the field.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Conference:

• This conference is held bi-monthly. These sessions bring together experts from diverse specialties including adult colorectal surgery, adult inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), pediatric gastroenterology, and radiology, as well as pediatric surgery faculty, fellows, residents, and medical students.
• The conference focuses on discussing the latest advancements and reviewing case studies in gastrointestinal care, facilitating an interdisciplinary approach to improving patient outcomes.

Pediatric Complex Colorectal Multi-Institutional Collaborative:

• This monthly collaborative meeting includes multi-institution pediatric surgery faculty and fellows (who present active cases on an ad hoc basis).
• This format encourages a broad exchange of knowledge and expertise, focusing on complex colorectal cases in pediatric patients.

Tumor Board:

• This monthly meeting features critical insights from specialists in pediatric oncology, pediatric radiology, pediatric pathology, and radiation oncology, as well as pediatric surgery faculty, fellows, residents, and medical students.
• This multidisciplinary approach ensures a comprehensive review of cases, fostering a deep and diverse understanding of oncologic care in pediatric settings.

Vascular Anomalies Conference:

• This monthly conference features critical insights and collaborative treatment plans from specialists in pediatric hematology and oncology, pediatric interventional radiology, and pediatric otolaryngology (ENT), as well as the pediatric surgery team.

Pediatric ECMO Conference:

• The pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) monthly meetings are attended by specialists in pediatric ECMO, pediatric critical care, pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, and perfusion, as well as pediatric surgery faculty and fellows.
• This meeting focuses on the critical aspects of ECMO management, providing a dedicated platform for specialists to discuss and refine approaches to ECMO within pediatric care.

Radiology/Surgery/Pathology Conference:

• Complex cases are presented by the fellow and allow all three disciplines to learn from each other.

How to Apply

Applications to our Pediatric Surgery Fellowship can be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) service of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Contact Us

For more information about the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, please call 212-263-6378 or email Keith A. Kuenzler, MD, program director, at Keith.Kuenzler@NYULangone.org, or Laurie Woldman, program manager, at Laurie.Woldman@NYULangone.org.