Resident Life
Diversity and Inclusion
Metropolitan Hospital won the award in 2021 as the most racially inclusive hospital in the country with Harlem Hospital close by in the top ten! The MetHarlem Residency Program along with the whole hospital system have a strong commitment to an inclusive environment and prides itself on the diversity of the residents, faculty and staff that reflect the vibrant mosaic of New York City itself. MetHarlem not only strives to champion all residents coming from vastly different ethnic and cultural backgrounds but goes above and beyond to support and sustain them in their daily lives—from single to married with children, those who live near or commute, religious or non-practicing, MetHarlem welcomes you. It is our responsibility and oath as physicians to care for our community and for each other and have our team reflect our community. We aim to encourage all of them in the manner they feel comfortable with ongoing support and efforts as we all evolve with the times.
We will continue to recruit a diverse group of residents that better represents the Harlem community we serve. Every year we actively recruit underrepresented minority students for our residency and ensure a balanced match list. Who we match largely lies in the applicants hands and many NYC programs attract students from diverse backgrounds. Below are some, but not all of our efforts we have done and will continue given our commitment to our community
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Balanced interview selection and rank list with a specific focus to underrepresented minorities
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Faculty recruitment
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Diversity and Inclusion Scholarly Track with high levels of national involvement (EMRA, AAEM, SAEM, ACEP, SNMA)
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Highly selective student-faculty paired mentorship with similar background and career goals as well as residency mentorship programs (e.g. women-in-medicine)
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Medical school, residency, hospital and hospital-system wide responses to current movements (e.g. BLM)
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Hospital committee board positions (e.g. LGBTQ+ committee)
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Religious inclusion efforts (e.g. Shabbos spots, time for prayers)
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Resident and attending driven QI projects, Research and Grants focusing on improving healthcare outcomes for URM patients in collaboration with the healthcare system and medical school
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Community initiatives including pipeline programs at local high school and colleges in collaboration with the medical school to improve admission rates into medicine
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Conference didactics dedicated to important topics (see didactics page)
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Many more...
Salary & Benefits
Annual Salary based on PGY* - current as of 08/2026
PGY-1 $81,238
PGY-2 $84,426
PGY-3 $90,793
*this does not include the $3,800 annual meal stipend and
because CIR is a strong union, though not guaranteed, they
usually negotiates a yearly salary increase.
*Also if an incoming resident has completed previously GME
accredited years of residency, our program honors them and
adjusts to their appropriate postgraduate year and salary.
- For example, if you completed a transitional year beforehand, you
would start as a PGY2 salary!
Financial Benefits
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Meal Stipend: $3,800/year
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Annual Educational Fund: $1000
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Federal Holiday Pay: additional $200/shift
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403B Retirement Fund Option (PGY-1 + PGY-2, FICA taxes exempt
from your paycheck and contributed to this account)
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ACEP Conference Reimbursement (PGY-3): $1,500
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Subsidized Parking at Metropolitan Hospital
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Conference Reimbursement (according to hospital for residency wide trips)
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Patient Care Trust Fund > 1 million $
Additional Benefits
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Health Insurance
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Dental Insurance
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Vision Insurance
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Malpractice Insurance
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Two Personal Wellness Days/year (not including requested days off)
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Free Rosetta Stone Access
Reduced Pricing Parking
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$90/month parking at Metropolitan
CIR Benefits
Residents receive benefits from their individual sponsoring institution as well as from The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), a labor union that represents residents in various institutions across the country. Recently, CIR negotiated an increased salary, additional benefits and an allotment of mental health days for the well-being of residents which increases job satisfaction and performance. More CIR benefits include:
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Educational Resources Stipend
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Dental insurance
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Vision insurance
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Death and Disability Insurance
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Legal Assistance
Wellness
At MetHarlem Residency Program, we are highly focused on resident wellness both in and out of the work environment. We do everything we can to create an enjoyable, healthy experience for our residents throughout their three years.
In the ED, we foster an environment of psychological safety that promotes camaraderie and teamwork. The Helping Healers Heal program is available to provide support to residents and staff around traumatic events commonly experienced in all healthcare settings. On shift, we encourage our residents to take breaks and to leave their shifts on time. During conference, we have guest lecturers and dedicated small groups on topics such as resiliency, mindfulness and voluntary storytelling. Faculty and leadership also have an open door policy and encourage residents to approach them about anything they may need.
During orientation, interns have a wellness day usually held at Dr. Chirurgi's home on Lake Mahopac in Upstate New York. Additionally, during the summer our program hosts a wellness day for all residents, nurses, PA's and attendings of the EM department to enjoy water sports and time at the beach as a team.
With the support of our faculty and alumni, we are also able to fund an 2 day resident wellness retreat once a year dedicated to improving mental health and bonding. This is where we are able to identify key factors contributing to resident burnout and empower residents to bring positive changes to the department.
Frequently Asked Questions
How competitive is your Emergency Medicine residency program?
As one of the few 3 year residencies in NYC, our program has become increasingly competitive. We only interview about 10% of applications received. However, despite this and increasing pressures from the academic society, we welcome D.O. applicants and every year hold a few spots for FMG/IMG’s and we accept J-1 Visas. Our priority is recruiting the best doctors around the world to fit in our program.
If a resident has an emergency, how does the residency support them?
First and foremost, we are a huge team. Our program has been around for 30+ years and has seen our fair shares of emergencies both good and bad. Our Chiefs and leadership always encourage our residents to reach out if they need support and will work to move entire rotations if needed to support our residents during both good and hard times. As cheesy as it sounds, we are a big family and community who support each other.
What are some requirements to be considered for an interview?
CORD strongly recommends that every applicant do no more than one home EM rotation and one away rotation, submitting a maximum of two SLOEs. We require a minimum of one SLOE and strongly encourage a minimum STEP 2 score of 230.
How are emergency department shift schedules organized?
All shifts are 12 hours in length. The number of shifts are based on PGY year.
First years work 18 shifts every 28 days (per ED rotation).
Second years work 17 shifts every 28 days (per ED rotation).
Third years work 16 shifts every 28 days (per ED rotation). 14 shifts for Chiefs.
How do residents commute to their off-service rotations at Westchester Medical Center and what's the deal with parking?
Residents typically commute to Metropolitan and Harlem via public transit, driving, or walking. Meanwhile traveling to Westchester Medical Center typically involves driving, the MetroNorth train, or ride sharing apps. Most residents use ride sharing apps like Uber/Lyft to get to their WMC rotations. Our residency provides compensation and/or ride share passes to cover the cost.
Learn more about resident life
I am not from New York. Can I afford living in the city on a resident's salary?
Yes, you can! Resident salaries have gone up each year and most, if not all of our residents live in the city exclusively on their salary without the need to moonlight, get into credit card debt, or requiring parents financial help. Some residents chose a fancier apartment with a doorman and rooftop, but decide to cook easy meals to save money. Meanwhile others spend their money on Crossfit memberships and save money on having roommates or commuting in from Queens..but ALL can afford NYC.
Next Question, Where do residents live?
All over the city from East Harlem to the Bronx, to the Upper East Side to Williamsburg in Brooklyn. We even have some residents living across the river in New Jersey. All areas are feasible and it all depends on what you are looking for.
Does our program offer housing options / housing stipends?
Currently our program does not offer resident housing options or stipends but plans are being made for options in the future.