To facilitate regular rotations, each resident has simultaneous appointments as a house officer at both the Northport VA Medical Center and Winthrop–University Hospital. In addition, each resident receives an academic appointment as clinical assistant instructor of surgery in the School of Medicine at Stony Brook.
The stipends for surgical residents, as of July 1, 2014, are:
PGY-1 = $59,767
PGY-2 = $63,574
PGY-3 = $67,054
PGY-4 = $70,537
PGY-5 = $74,014
PGY-6 = $77,490
PGY-7 = $85,270
NB: These stipends reflect a "cost of living allowance" of $2,500 plus a "location stipend" of $3,026. They also are subject to annual increases, pending United University Professions (UUP) agreements. The chief resident bonus is a prorated $1,000 amount split by all six chief residents. See salary increases effective July 1, 2015.
Three weeks of vacation time are allowed each year. Vacations are assigned in one-week blocks (Monday through Sunday). The schedule allows vacation time for one resident per week per rotation. No two residents at the same hospital schedule vacation/educational leave at the same time except under special circumstances. The chief resident at each hospital has the responsibility to maintain adequate coverage of that hospital's service. No vacations are allowed during the time when residents are on rotations through the SICU or CVICU. All requests for time off — vacation, sick leave, conference, interview — must be made no later than the third Friday of July of the prospective academic year.
Health insurance and life insurance are available. Malpractice coverage is included in the surgical residency program.
Traditionally, each chief resident elects to attend one surgical meeting, for which expenses are reimbursed by the Department of Surgery. If any resident is presenting a paper at a meeting, the Department usually covers all expenses.
Meals are provided for those residents on call at University Hospital, the Northport VA Medical Center and Winthrop–University Hospital.
Residents are responsible for obtaining their own housing with referral assistance given by the Department. Surgical residents are given an on-call room at all hospitals.
We have an "Emergency Surgery Service" consisting of four residents working 13-hour shifts Sunday through Friday. The remaining residents work 12-hour shifts Monday to Friday and one 20-hour shift on the weekend. This schedule gives each resident one day off per week, one full weekend off per month, and no 24-hour shifts.