Residency Programs
Residency programs at Mountain Vista Medical Center are academically sponsored by the Midwestern University Graduate Medical Education Consortium. There are three residency programs currently offered.
Residency programs are designed to meet the professional demands of each specialty and may include hands-on experience, training in cognitive and procedural skills, and access to an accomplished, high-quality team of faculty/physicians. Applicants for residency training at Mountain Vista Medical Center must successfully complete required Level I and Level II medical student training examinations to qualify for interviews and match ranking.
Learn more about our residency options:
Fellowship Program
The mission of the Mountain Vista Medical Center GI Fellowship Program is to transform a well-trained internist into a compassionate, ethical, clinical gastroenterologist who will provide the highest standards of care to patients with gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and pancreatic illnesses. They will be proficient in the diagnosis and treatment of all GI illnesses and will be the best resource for patients and colleagues.
Program Amenities
- Designated conference rooms — including video conferencing and other technologies.
- Designated on-call rooms — including computer, phone and access to shower.
- Resident lounge
- Cafeteria Food Services —full access to cafeteria food services.
- Access to extensive electronic library resources (Midwestern University, Glendale).
For more information about the programs, contact Ruben Ortiz or Sandy Elcock by calling 480-373-2370 or 480-358-6158. (Mountain Vista Medical Center is located in Mesa, a modern-day desert urban retreat and the third largest city in Arizona.
Program Leadership
Administrative Director of Medical Education: Sandy Elcock
Director of Medical Education: Onofrio (Ned) Sciortino, D.O. Anesthesiologist and Medical Director of Anesthesia at Mountain Vista Medical Center Medical Degree:
- Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, Mo.
- Internship: Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, Ariz.
- Residency: Anesthesia, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona
Family Medicine Residency Program Director: Benjamin Ihms, DO
Gastroenterology Fellowship Program Director: Abdul Nadir, MD
General Surgery Residency Program Director: Rob Schuster, MD
Internal Medicine Residency Program Director: Yamine Saddouk, MD/DO
Audition Process
Mountain Vista Medical Center Residency programs will begin accepting applications for audition/sub-i rotations for the upcoming academic year beginning March 1. Any applications received prior to this date will not be considered. Listed below is an outline of the selection process for audition/sub-i rotations.
- Students should download and complete the Rotation Request form.
- The application should be completed in its entirety. Applications not fully completed will not be accepted and the rotation will not be scheduled.
- Completed applications, along with a CV, should be submitted to the designated program coordinator as noted on the application.
- Once received, applications will be reviewed by each residency program’s leadership and faculty. This process can take between two-four weeks, depending on the volume of applications. Final selection will be made by each program’s leadership team.
- If approved, the Medical Education Coordinator will email the medical students a tentative approval of their rotation. Students will then be responsible for submitting the required documentation listed on the email. Students will have 60 days from receipt of the email to submit their documentation, or the rotation will be canceled and opened up to other students.
- If not approved, applications will be placed on a waitlist. If slots open up, we will email those on waitlist applicants with availability. Waitlist scheduling will be done on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Once all documentation is received, a final confirmation will be sent to the student.
Interview Dates
Due to the high volume of requests received and faculty schedules, applicants will not be interviewed during their audition rotation. Interview sessions will be held in Oct., Nov., Dec., and Jan. of each academic year. Potential candidates will be emailed an invitation listing those dates in October.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now that Mountain Vista residency programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), will you be accepting MD applicants?
Yes, Mountain Vista Medical Center is now accepting MD and DO applications and has already matched with MD applicants.
How long are audition/sub-i rotations?
Audition/sub-i rotations are limited to two-week rotations for all programs at Mountain Vista. We understand some schools require a four-week rotation and Mountain Vista will make an effort to accommodate students in other services for the remaining two weeks to fulfill the school requirement. However, no guarantee is made on such requests.
I have only taken Step 1 of my third year exams. Does that disqualify me from applying?
No, please make sure to note your Step 1 score as well as the date Step 2 is scheduled for. While it won’t affect audition/sub-i rotations, Mountain Vista does require that all medical student training examinations be completed prior to ranking a candidate. Unavailable exam status may also affect interview offers on a case-by-case scenario.
Is there a minimum score cutoff for Step 1 and Step 2?
While we do review and use the scores to help us determine the best possible candidate, it is not the sole piece of information. Applications are reviewed in their entirety to determine overall which candidate is the best fit for the program.
I was unable to schedule an audition rotation, will this hurt my chances of being a viable candidate?
No. We understand that we cannot audition every applicant for a variety of different reasons. Applicants who are unable to participate in an audition rotation will be evaluated on the merit of their applications. Mountain Vista residency programs have matched residents in previous years who did not complete an audition rotation.
My schedule is off track. Can Mountain Vista accommodate it?
Yes, we understand that each school has a different start date and will accommodate any Monday start date. Programs that begin on the first of each month will need to start on the first available Monday.
I don’t have all the documentation listed on the approval email. Can I start without it?
No. All students are required to submit the necessary documentation listed on the approval email. All documentation must be current through the entirety of the rotation. If more time is needed to get everything in, please contact the Department of Medical Education. No student will be allowed to start without all the documentation submitted prior to rotation.
I want to cancel my audition rotation. Is that okay?
Yes, we understand that career goals change and shift as you set out on the audition trail. If you wish to cancel a rotation, please let us know as soon as possible so that we may schedule another student in that slot.
Is housing provided during audition rotations?
No. Formal Mountain Vista housing is not available; however, the Department of Medical Education has a directory of individuals, including residents, who have agreed to take students for audition clinical rotations. Housing must be worked out independently of Mountain Vista Medical Center. Contact the Department of Medical Education for housing information.
Are meals provided at Mountain Vista Medical Center during rotations?
Yes. Audition medical students will have the same access as residents and will be able to have breakfast, lunch and dinner during the length of their rotation.
Are there limits to how many audition students you allow at a time?
Yes. We limit the number of students so that we do not saturate the rotation or diminish a student’s opportunity to audition for the program. Not all students will receive an audition slot.
Do you have any preliminary or traditional rotating internship slots available?
No. All of our programs are categorical.