Program Overview
Our two-year Pediatric Urology Fellowship program includes one year of research and one year of clinical training.
Research Program
Under the guidance of Drs. Douglass Clayton and Lauren Corona, fellows engage in a rich research experience with a primary focus on clinical research during their first year of fellowship. Projects are tailored to each fellow’s interests, while also building on ongoing departmental initiatives to ensure relevance and impact. Prior to the start of the first fellowship year, a generalized clinical research plan is developed based on the fellow’s interests, allowing for early productivity once the year begins. Drs. Clayton and Corona meet weekly with the fellow and our full-time research assistant to provide mentorship and structured support throughout the research process.
For those interested in a basic science experience, fellows also have the opportunity to join Dr. Maria Hadjifrangiskou’s renowned bacteriology lab exploring the mechanistic basis of urinary tract infections (hyperlink from website) and related microbiologic studies.
Clinical Program
Fellows spend their second year leading our busy, hospital-based clinical service. The team consists of the second-year fellow, a senior resident (PGY-4), and junior resident (PGY-2), residents rotate every three months. The fellow provides back-up call to residents one weeknight per week, and two weekends per month. During those backup calls, the fellow participates in evaluation and management of hospital consultations as well as operative call cases.
The Vanderbilt Pediatric Urology program completes more than 15,000 outpatient visits a year for more than 2,500 cases, and more than 100 laparoscopic or robotic-assisted cases. Our robust volume provides exceptional training at the hospital, in the operating room, and in our clinics. We have many multidisciplinary clinics which the fellow is encouraged to participate, including:
- Spina Bifida Clinic
- DSD clinic
- Stone clinic
- Reconstruction clinic
Fellows are exposed to a broad range of care and treatment protocols and attend and participate in a wide array of conferences including:
- Multidisciplinary didactic conference
- Radiology conference
- Morbidity and mortality conference
- Clinical case conference
- Quarterly Pediatric Urology Journal Club
- Research conference
These conferences enrich the clinical experience.
Facilities
Fellows see patients at the main Vanderbilt Urology Clinic while faculty travel to multiple sites connected to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt:
- Vanderbilt Children’s Urology, Nashville
- Vanderbilt Children’s Urology, Cookeville
- Vanderbilt Children’s Urology, Jackson
- Vanderbilt Children’s Urology, Murfreesboro
- Vanderbilt Children’s Urology, Spring Hill
The majority of surgical cases will be performed at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital for Children’s main campus, Fellows are encouraged to operate at our pediatric outpatient surgery center in Murfreesboro, when they so choose.
