Chief Residents 2026-2027
Daniel Cho, MD, MS
Daniel Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea and immigrated to New Jersey in elementary school where he first dreamt of becoming a professional tennis player. Ultimately, work as an EMT during high school shifted his ambitions to medicine. He attended Brown University for a combined BS/MD program, where he studied public health, economics, and completed several exchange programs to learn about healthcare systems in China, Taiwan, London, and Copenhagen. During his master’s thesis, he investigated the role of corporate corruption in driving the opioid epidemic and took part in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation.
At Cornell, Daniel has brought a collaborative spirit and appreciates learning from not only the attending faculty, but also from senior residents and peers. Even as a junior resident, he took leading roles in the Residency Support Council, and engaged and produced with the Extended Reality Anesthesiology Immersion Lab. Daniel is known for a quiet but warm intensity and for being a deeply kind, caring, and supportive friend. Outside of medicine, Dr. Cho is a dedicated (albeit suffering) fan of the Mets, Knicks, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Taylor Fortson, MD
Taylor Fortson grew up in Claremont, California and from a young age immersed herself in the community through academics and team sports. Taylor’s family placed a strong emphasis on education, and she grew up with an understanding of medicine as a profession rooted in service, responsibility, and care for others. Matriculating close to home at Pomona College and studying neuroscience/pre-med while performing undergraduate research and playing Division III soccer—serving as captain senior year — were natural outcomes.
As a Weill Cornell Medicine student, Taylor appreciated that anesthesiology attendings and residents challenged her to perform procedures, ask questions, and provide input on clinical decision-making despite being the most junior member on the team. She was particularly drawn to the composure and problem-solving required during those critical moments in each case.
Taylor is a deep thinker and a keen observer who brings focused due diligence and rigor to her clinical practice, routinely demonstrating full and complete engagement and situational awareness. Engagement in pipeline and recruitment programs, mentoring of STEM students, and leadership roles with Weill Cornell’s SNMA chapter are just some of the extracurricular activities that Dr. Fortson enjoyed along the way. She has demonstrated a commitment to both the department’s Humanizing Medicine curriculum and to national engagement, attending meetings including SOAP, SCA, PGA and SNMA. Dr. Fortson has all the characteristics of a Chief Resident: she values mentorship and holds herself accountable for the highest levels of patient care.
Anvesh Macherla, MD
Anvesh Macherla grew up in San Diego and has always valued being part of a team. He spent a lot of time playing soccer and running track growing up. This inclination continued as an undergraduate at the University of California San Diego where he was a member of a Bollywood dance troupe. Anvesh realized medicine was a good fit because it combined science with the chance to work closely with and help people. He excelled in medical school at the University of California, Irvine where he was inducted in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Anvesh became interested in anesthesiology after he rotated on the acute pain service and saw how quickly regional anesthesia could make a significant impact on patients; he saw similar intraoperative threads, and loved the physiology and pharmacology that permeated anesthesiologists’ clinical practice.
Anvesh is universally liked by and gets along with everyone, which makes him a very vibrant and strong part of the Cornell community. His interpersonal skills, professionalism, and love for anesthesiology are infectious and inspire those with whom he works. Endless energy, enthusiasm, and positivity are the hallmarks of Anvesh's working persona. He is hungry for knowledge, for ‘reps,’ and can always be counted on to be doing the right thing. Dr. Macherla is a resilient, well-rounded, and lovely human being — on top of being a very talented physician.
A Message From the Chief Residents
A warm welcome from the residents of the Weill Cornell Medicine Anesthesiology Residency Program!
We're so glad you're interested in learning more about our program and what makes it such a special place to train. Our residency sits in the heart of New York City, which means world-class clinical training with the chance to live in one of the most exciting and culturally diverse cities in the world. Whether that means running through Central Park after sign-out, finding a favorite restaurant in a new neighborhood, or taking advantage of the city's art scenes, life in NYC becomes part of your residency experience in the best way.
We train at three world-class institutions located right across the street from one another: NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Together, they offer a combined clinical experience that is hard to match in breadth or depth. Our Regional Anesthesiology experience is arguably the best in the country, with dedicated rotations at Weill Cornell and HSS. Our Division of Cardiac Anesthesiology covers everything from heart transplants to valve repairs. We have one of the highest-volume obstetric units in the country, and our integrated children's hospital gives residents exposure to pediatric anesthesiology throughout the year in addition to multiple discrete rotations. Thoracic volume is high at both Weill Cornell and MSKCC, and our longstanding liver transplant program continues to grow. Residents rotate through the MSKCC ICU, Burn ICU, Neuro ICU, and Cardiothoracic ICU. Rotations at HSS and our ambulatory surgery center also expose residents to private practice and hybrid "privademic" models of care.
What we're proudest of, though, is our culture. Our residency is united by a sense of camaraderie, built through monthly happy hours, yearly class retreats, and a culture where residents support one another inside and outside the hospital. Faculty regularly join our social events and take an active role in mentorship and teaching. Our Residency Support Council (RSC) helps foster wellness by planning gatherings and easing transitions between rotations.
Resident education remains a top priority. During their 3 months of anesthesiology, interns have daily structured lectures including POCUS, simulation sessions and didactics. Senior residents have protected time for three weekly lectures, and simulation and ultrasound training. We also offer unique electives, including global health in Rwanda and veterinary anesthesia through Cornell's veterinary school in Ithaca. For residents interested in research, the department provides robust support through the Van Poznak Scholarship Program, with opportunities to collaborate across Weill Cornell Medicine, Rockefeller University, MSKCC, and HSS.
We are proud to be a community of passionate, diverse, and forward-thinking residents who support one another and push each other toward excellence.
We are really enjoying welcoming our current intern Class of 2030, and we look forward to meeting you all on the interview trail!
Daniel Cho, MD, MS
Taylor Fortson, MD
Anvesh Macherla, MD