Four doctors in white lab coats standing in a high-tech interventional pulmonology suite with advanced medical imaging equipment.

Department of Medicine

Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship Program

Through a strong collaboration between thoracic surgery, oncology, and pulmonology services, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship Program delivers world-class training for fellows in one of the fastest-growing thoracic procedure centers in the nation.

Hyun S. Kim, MD Program Director, Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship

Why our program could be right for you

The Montefiore Einstein Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship excels in procedural training, research integration, and equitable patient care. With expert mentorship, cutting-edge technology, and a strong emphasis on community impact, fellows gain hands-on experience in advanced diagnostics and minimally invasive procedures.

Our program fosters innovation while ensuring compassionate, patient-centered care, preparing our fellows to be leaders in a rapidly evolving field. It’s the ideal choice for those committed to excellence in comprehensive thoracic procedures and improving healthcare outcomes.

Moses Campus

Montefiore Einstein’s flagship Moses Campus is home to the program's state-of-the-art Bronchoscopy Suite, built in 2021, capable of a wide breadth of pleural procedures, diagnostic/robotic bronchoscopy, and advanced therapeutic bronchoscopies.

The fellow will be exposed to complex patients with complex pleural diseases, central airway pathologies, interstitial lung diseases, and other critical thoracic conditions requiring urgent interventions. The fellow will round daily on the inpatient service and perform procedures under the close supervision of the attending physician.

Five doctors in lab coats and face masks standing in a bronchoscopy suite with imaging monitors and surgical equipment.

Jack D. Weiler Hospital, Einstein Campus

Adjacent to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, our Weiler Campus is the second-largest in the Montefiore Health System and offers tertiary care medical services to the community it serves.

In addition to a bronchoscopy suite capable of supporting non-robotic navigational bronchoscopies, therapeutic bronchoscopies, and pleural procedures, our cutting-edge hybrid operating room enables a wide range of airway and pleural procedures, including rigid bronchoscopies and robotic-assisted bronchoscopies.

Hutchinson Campus

Our world-class Hutchinson Campus raises the bar for efficiency and innovation in healthcare. Designed with our patients in mind, the 11-floor, 280,000-square-foot facility is a patient-focused and highly-streamlined ambulatory care center that maximizes efficiency. The Hutchinson Campus is home to multiple specialities and services under one roof, and often on the same floor, allowing for greater physician collaboration, easier referrals, joint consultations and shorter wait times.

Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC)

Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center delivers exceptional multidisciplinary care for patients with thoracic malignancies, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and thymoma. As a National Cancer Institute-designated center ranked among the top 1% of U.S. hospitals for cancer care, it brings together a team of interventional pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists who collaborate through weekly tumor boards to craft personalized treatment plans.

Program description

Clinical Rotations & Multidisciplinary Collaboration

Fellows train across Montefiore’s campuses, including:

Moses Campus: Primary site for inpatient consults and procedures.
Einstein Campus: Key site for complex airway procedures, with access to the operating suites and thoracic surgery support
Hutchinson Metro Center: Outpatient pleural disease clinic.
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center: Outpatient multidisciplinary thoracic oncology clinic.

Collaborative Partnerships:

Thoracic Surgery: Joint management of complex airway diseases, lung nodules, and pleural pathologies.
Medical Oncology: Integrated care for lung cancer staging and palliative interventions.
Radiation Oncology: Collaboration on malignant airway cases.

The Montefiore Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship is proud to offer cutting-edge training in robotic-assisted bronchoscopy through our Robotic Platform, positioning fellows at the forefront of minimally invasive lung nodule diagnosis.

Why Our Robotic Program Stands Out

Top Nationally in Volume & Growth:
Our high-volume ION robotic program performs among the highest numbers of cases in the U.S., ensuring fellows gain unparalleled hands-on experience. We are one of less than 20 Case Observations Sites across the nation, demonstrating our excellence and commitment in early cancer detection.
International Leaders in the Field:
Our core faculty proctor and teach across the country as well as internationally.
Shifting the Stage of Lung Cancer Diagnosis:
By enabling ultra-precise biopsy of small, early-stage nodules (even <1 cm), we are detecting lung cancer at earlier, more treatable stages—directly improving survival rates.
Superior Diagnostic Yield & Safety:
Studies show robotic bronchoscopy outperforms traditional methods in accessing peripheral lesions, reducing the need for invasive surgical biopsies.

Fellowship Training in Robotic Bronchoscopy

Hands-On Mastery: Fellows train under national experts, performing hundreds of cases with progressive autonomy.
Multidisciplinary Integration: Collaborate with Thoracic Surgery, Radiology, and Oncology to optimize nodule localization and treatment planning.
Research & Innovation: Contribute to studies on AI-assisted diagnostics, surgical vs medical pleural infections management, and early-stage therapeutic ablation.

Impact on Patient Outcomes

Earlier Interventions: Diagnosing Stage I/II lung cancer instead of Stage III/IV means more curative surgeries, fewer chemoradiation regimens, and longer lives.
Reduced Complications: Minimally invasive approach lowers risks of pneumothorax and bleeding compared to CT-guided biopsies.

Expanding Access

Bringing advanced diagnostics to the Bronx’s high-risk population, where lung cancer disparities are stark.

Hyun S. Kim, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine

Program Director, Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship

Director, Pleural Disease Clinic

Daniel da Costa, MD

Assistant Professor, Medicine

Associate Program Director

Director of Bronchoscopy

Ali Sadoughi, MD

Associate Professor, Medicine

Director, Interventional Pulmonology

Chirag Shah, MD

Associate Professor, Medicine

Clinical Director, Outpatient Pulmonary Programs

David Schecter, MD

Assistant Professor, Medicine

Emilienne S. Anibe-Bah, AGNP

Nurse Practitioner, Interventional Pulmonology

Lynette Bradberry

Program Coordinator

A challenging and innovative curriculum

The Montefiore Einstein Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship is a one-year ACGME-accredited program that offers comprehensive procedural training in advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for the treatment of complex respiratory diseases. Fellows gain extensive experience in high-volume procedures, encounter a diverse range of pathologies.

A typical week of the fellow will consists of at least 3 full days of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in endoscopy suite and in the operating room, with 1 full day in the clinic. The fellow will have opportunity to participate in ongoing clinical trials and will be expected to engage in own research endeavor. Research support will be provided from the division's statisticians and research coordinators. There is both clinical and administrative support from the interventional pulmonary nurse practitioner.