Our Residents

The Chief Medical Residents are a major force in our residency training program. In addition to scheduling conferences and speakers at grand rounds, they are an invaluable resource for teaching, conducting rounds, disseminating medical literature and overseeing administrative and educational aspects of the program. Through the initiatives of the Chief Medical Residents, new program improvements are proposed and accomplished.

The 2021-2022 Chief Residents are:

Name: Justin Gasper
From: Washington State
Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine

I am originally from Washington State, but I attended college at Baylor University in Texas because I wanted to see another part of the country. I studied in their Great Books program and decided to focus on pre-med in my junior year of college. After college I did two years in AmeriCorps working both in the public schools and at a local community action center where I became passionate about addressing health disparities in underserved communities and decided to pursue medicine. At University of Washington School of Medicine I developed this passion into a focus on Primary Care where I studied in the Targeted Rural and Underserved Track (TRUST).  During this time I also became interested in public policy and was able to do advocacy work with the ACP and other groups both at the state and national level.

My primary interest was in addressing health disparities in chronic disease so I applied in Internal Medicine with a goal to train in NYC, where my partner lived. When I interviewed at Mount Sinai Beth Israel I was struck by the combination of rigorous academics, strong research emphasis, and innovative model in value-based care with the opportunity to do my outpatient rotations at an FQHC. Since I started in 2018, I have learned so much from the faculty and leadership in the program about research methods and medical education. I have also appreciated the opportunity to rotate at other inpatient and outpatient rotations around the Sinai system which has given me broad exposure to many different specialties and complicated illnesses. Most importantly, I have learned so much from my patients who come from all over the city (sometimes from all over the world!) to receive care at our hospital and they, along with our stellar faculty, have fostered my passion for improving delivery of high-quality primary care to the underserved. At the end of this year I will pursue a career as a clinician educator in primary care and hope to bring this same passion to other residents. 

Name: Hayato Mitaka
From: Tokyo, Japan
Medical School: Nagasaki University School of Medicine

I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, where I received my undergraduate education at the University of Tokyo, majoring in Biology and graduate education at Nagasaki University School of Medicine. During medical school, I gained a passion for internal medicine and clinical infectious diseases, especially fascinated by the aspect of diagnostic art. Before starting residency at MSBI, I completed four years of my first internal medicine residency in Japan. This training made me comfortable managing patients with complex medical problems, but at the same time, I often wondered if I was practicing standardized, evidence-based diagnosis and treatment. I wanted to receive a more standardized and comprehensive clinical education and acquire the research skills to solve clinical questions on my own. To pursue further training in internal medicine, I decided to pursue a U.S. internal medicine residency.

Throughout the residency interview season, MSBI continued to be my first choice. I wanted to find a program that would provide me with a well-balanced clinical education and allow me to explore the opportunities for gaining experiences in clinical research and quality improvement. From some of my friends who were already residents at MSBI, I knew that camaraderie among the residents was excellent, and program leadership was invested in their professional and personal growth. MSBI has afforded me well-rounded clinical education and clinical research experiences mentored by faculty of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai resulted in presentations at national conferences and subsequent publications. The experiences and personal development I obtained during my residency at MSBI have been far beyond my expectations. I have been very thankful to my colleagues and the camaraderie among us, which helped us go through the COVID-19 pandemic together. As a chief resident, I look forward to working with program leadership and residents to further improve our residency program. Upon completion of my chief year, I am hoping to pursue a career in infectious diseases. 

Name: Yasir Saeed
From: Peshawar, Pakistan, and Westchester, NY
Medical School: Khyber Medical College, Pakistan

I was born in Peshawar, Pakistan and grew up on a university campus with my parents being professors. My family later immigrated to Westchester, New York, where I went to high school. I always wanted a profession that allows me to use my creative intellect, academic curiosity, and caring demeanor to contribute to people’s health and well-being. Taking care of patients, bringing smiles to their faces, receiving their gratitude and blessings is the greatest reward any human being can ask for. I could not think of any better way to achieve these aspirations than by pursuing a career in medicine. I graduated from Khyber Medical College of Khyber Medical University, Pakistan. I finished my residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center affiliated with Cornell University in Bronx, New York. I have the amazing opportunity to serve a culturally diverse and vulnerable population while having access to state-of-the-art medical technology and resources close to my home.

I am honored and privileged to be doing my chief year at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. I am amazed at the sense of camaraderie and the overwhelming welcome as a chief resident at this prestigious institution. I am excited and thrilled to foster my skills as a learner, educator, and leader. I look forward to working with residents, faculty, and leadership to further contribute to the academic excellence of the program. My clinical and academic interests include evidence-based medicine, gastroenterology and hepatology, point-of-care ultrasound, and resident wellness. Outside of work, I play sports, including cricket and soccer and am a street food explorer, love to cook, and spend time with my family.

Our PGY3 Class, 2021-2022:

Our PGY2 Class, 2021-2022

Our PGY1 Class, 2021-2022:

Click here to see a list of our recent residency program alumni by subspecialty.

Despite the demands of residency training, there is still an opportunity to become involved in extra-curricular activities and have a personal life. And at Mount Sinai Beth Israel we value input from our housestaff on a variety of subjects including scheduling, curriculum and operations. Your life as a resident is not a one-dimensional experience; there is time to give back, time to explore New York City and to make lifelong connections.

Housestaff Council and the Importance of Resident Feedback

A peer-elected Internal Medicine residency housestaff council meets once a month with the program leadership during noon conference to explore new ideas and problem solve. The council may bring any issue to the table for collaborative discussion. All PGY classes are represented on the council including preliminary interns.

Resident feedback about all aspects of the program is regularly sought and highly valued and the agenda for the meeting is entirely resident driven. Housestaff input and feedback is considered and incorporated when new initiatives or policies are considered.

As an example, we have an anonymous "online suggestion box" web survey, through which housestaff can express views or concerns. This survey is checked weekly, and new submissions are discussed by the chief residents and program directors at their weekly cabinet meeting.

Institution Level Involvement of Medical Residents

We encourage our residents to take advantage of the chance to help shape the institution they are training in. Many of our residents sit on institution-level committees, placing them at the table with hospital leaders and giving them opportunity to provide direct resident input into various initiatives. Institutional committees that medical residents sat on during past years included: Blood Utilization, Cancer, Code/RRT, Ethics, Lesbian/Gay/Bi-Sexual/Transgender Health, Patient Safety, Medication Error, Beth Israel Medical Board, Graduate Medical Education, Quality Performance and Improvement, among others.

Community Involvement

Our residents have the chance to serve the New York City community in multiple ways beyond traditional rotations. Our medical residents have regularly served as volunteer doctors at the New York City Marathon, providing care to runners in the finish line medical tent. Residents have also staffed blood pressure, HIV and colon cancer screening booths at community events. Our program offers a unique elective in Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender Health, in which residents spend time learning and providing care at the world class Callen-Lorde Community Health Care Center in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.

Life in NYC

Our location in lower Manhattan offers innumerable activities for time away from work. Virtually everything you will need on a day-to-day basis will be within walking distance from where you live. For longer trips in the city, you absolutely don’t need a car, as our public transportation system is fast, reliable and very safe. Cyclists will find lower Manhattan to be extremely bike friendly, with dedicated bike lanes throughout the neighborhoods that surround Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

Restaurants and shops abound within walking distance in our immediate neighborhoods of Gramercy Park, Union Square, and the East Village. Union Square, a few blocks from the hospital, has a Whole Foods store, a Trader Joe's, and an enormous multi-level Barnes & Noble bookstore. Nothing like writing up a case report or research project on your laptop overlooking Union Square! In addition, New York City's flagship Greenmarket, a collection of vendors selling fresh produce and other foods from local and upstate farms, is found in the center of Union Square.

With a little research (check out Time Out New York, Yelp, New York Magazine, or City Search) even a couple of hours off can become a wonderful dinner at a tapas bar, a trip to a wine bar, or a Broadway show. A short subway ride can result in a stomach full of fantastic, truly authentic Indian or Pakistani food in Jackson Heights, Queens, or a complete cultural immersion experience in the peaceful and fascinating Russian neighborhood of Brighton Beach in Brooklyn.

Like the outdoors? Well, this isn't Colorado of course, but there are plenty of options. A peaceful or active day in Central Park cures many woes and people have been known to actually forget they are in New York City after a few hours (granted there have been no randomized trials for this, but we draw this conclusion based upon good, anecdotal evidence). Ninety minutes north of the city is the Mohonk Preserve, home to spectacular hiking. Some of the best rock climbing in the country, and an exceptionally cool town, can be found in and around New Paltz, NY, also just 90 minutes north of Manhattan.

For those of you who crave the beach, Jones Beach and Robert Moses State Park are all just a short way from the city and make nice day trips.

Salary, Benefits and Contractual Information

Mount Sinai Beth Israel salary and benefits are very competitive with other area programs. For more information on these topics please visit the Graduate Medical Education website