Welcome from Our Program Director, Dr. Sameh Elias
Welcome to Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Residency Program! Our program is ACGME accredited with 30 residents located in northern New Jersey. Throughout the years, all medical school graduates from the United States as well as International graduates have found an excellent place for training at Palisades Medical Center.
Our mission is to train physicians who after board certification will continue to be competent physicians, lifelong learners, and leaders in a constantly changing environment by applying evidence-based medicine to the practice of internal medicine. We accomplish this through a comprehensive didactic curriculum in combination with an exceptional inpatient and outpatient training experience.
One of our greatest strengths is the residents and faculty who form the backbone of the residency program. Our resident-focused approach to training incorporates resident feedback to drive innovation and change within the program. Dedicated faculty members also mentor our residents in a collaborative and supportive fashion. We are a cohesive program with great team and family atmosphere amongst faculty, residents, interns, students, and hospital staff.
All residents receive individualized training and mentoring so that they can pursue their highest aspirations as physicians in hospital medicine, primary care, or fellowship. Our residents are highly sought after graduation, securing employment in academic medicine, hospital medicine, ambulatory medicine, and private practices. The program has a strong track record of residents matching in fellowships in cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, hematology/oncology, geriatric medicine, addiction and palliative medicine.
We are pursuing enthusiastic and compassionate individuals who are going to be future leaders and champions in their field. Thank you for your interest in our program.
Sameh Elias, M.D., FACP
IM Residency Program Director
Contact Us
Graduate Medical Education Department
Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center
7600 River Road
North Bergen, NJ 07047
Sameh Elias, M.D.
Internal Medicine Program Director
Email: Dr. Elias
Ava Gerardo
Internal Medicine Coordinator
Phone: 201-710-2762
Email: ava.gerardo@hmhn.org
Program Overview
On behalf of the faculty and staff of the Department of Medicine we are pleased to introduce you to the Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Residency. We originally started as American Osteopathic Association (AOA) approved program. Since 2012, we have graduated four classes and currently have thirty categorical resident positions. In 2017, we have obtained Accreditation on Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accreditation. Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center is located at 7600 River Road in North Bergen, NJ, and it serves a population of 400,000 in Hudson and southern Bergen counties. The not-for-profit medical center is a part of the Hackensack Meridian Health System, and it features a 202-bed hospital and The Harborage, a 245-bed nursing home and rehabilitation center. Our mission is to enhance the health status of the diverse communities we serve and deliver patient care in a safe and nurturing environment consistent with the highest standards of excellence, quality and efficiency, and with strict adherence to ethical practices.
Our trainees receive a well-rounded experience and are exposed to a variety of patient populations and teaching atmospheres at Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, and outpatient clinics. This prepares our residents to succeed in careers as hospitalists, primary care internists and sub-specialists. Our house staff is able to achieve the balance of strong clinical training and rewarding personal life.
We are proud of our department’s balance of community medicine, clinical excellence, teaching commitment and research opportunities. We are fortunate to have dedicated community physicians as well as full-time staff at our hospital consortium. This faculty is complemented by private physicians in both primary care and subspecialties who commit their expertise and time to our program. One of the many advantages of our residency program is the one-on-one time spent with attending physicians.
We present our trainees with the unique opportunity to measurably improve the health of their community while learning both the art and science of medicine.