Program Overview

Year One

First year residents complete various four-week surgical rotations at:

• Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • Emergency General Surgery
  • Colorectal Surgery
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Vascular Surgery
  • Oncology/Endocrine Service
  • Surgical Intensive Care Unit
  • Urology
• Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • General Surgery
  • Urology

Year Two

Second-year urology residents explore the basics of care in both inpatient and outpatient settings and the operating room for adult and pediatric patients. The goal is to lay the foundation for increased responsibility and learning in subsequent years.

Residents complete two six-week rotations at these locations:    

• Veterans Affairs Medical Center
• Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• The Vanderbilt Clinic – Urology Outpatient Clinic

On these rotations, residents gain:

• Operative experience
• Inpatient care experience
• Pre and post-operative management skills

During this year residents become proficient at:

• Commonly performed clinic procedures
  • Cystoscopy
  • Prostate biopsy
  • Transrectal ultrasound
• Perioperative care

Year Three

Our third-year Urology residents complete four separate three-month rotations.

Introduction to Oncology.  Under the direction of Dr. Kelvin Moses and Dr. Amy Luckenbaugh, residents participate in major oncologic surgeries. Additionally, residents gain advanced understanding of the multidisciplinary approach to urologic oncology patients by spending time with each of the following services/clinics:

• Medical oncology
• Radiation oncology
• Interventional radiology
• Urologic radiology with focus on mpMRI prostate
• Pathology with urologic oncology focus
• Advanced prostate cancer

Endoscopy/Stone Disease.  Mentored by Dr. Nicole Miller and Dr. Ryan Hsi, this rotation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center focuses on:

• Advanced endoscopic skills
• Management of renal calculus disease

Residents spend time in clinic and the operating room learning:

• Advanced ureteroscopic and percutaneous renal surgery
• Medical management of stone disease
• Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HOLEP)
• Medical management of BPH

Research Rotation.  The research rotation exposes residents to the principles and practices of basic, translational and clinical research under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Tosoian. Residents have the opportunity to complete research studies with the goal of presentations at regional and national meetings and ultimately publication.

Residents may choose a project in:

• Basic research
• Translational research
• Clinical research
• Health sciences research
• Variety of projects using our extensive departmental clinical databases

Residents maintain ongoing clinical responsibilities during the research rotation, including:

• Clinical responsibility for call coverage
• Educational conference attendance
• Periodic OR and clinic coverage

Veterans Affairs Hospital.  During this rotation, under the leadership of Dr. Jennifer Robles, residents focus on advancing clinical and operative skills with increasing autonomy, including:

• Routine clinical procedures, like cystoscopy and TRUS biopsy
• In-office vasectomies
• General urology operative procedures
• Guideline based clinic care

Year Four

Our fourth-year Urology residents complete four three-month rotations that broaden their exposure and experience in patient care.

Advanced Laparoscopy.  Residents refine and expand their skills in advanced laparoscopy with and without robotic assistance under the mentorship of Dr. Nick Kavoussi and Dr. Dan Barocas. The rotation offers experience in:

• Management of diseases amenable to minimally invasive surgery, such as:
  • Benign upper urinary tract stricture disease
  • Prostate cancer
  • Renal cancer
  • Stone disease
  • BPH

Pediatric Urology. The residents work alongside our seven full-time pediatric urologists.  Residents gain:

• Robust experience in surgical procedures
• Exposure to a wide breadth of pediatric urology

Reconstructive Urology and Pelvic Health. Under the guidance of five reconstructive urologists, this rotation provides education in:

• Benign diseases of the lower urinary tract, such as:
  • Female pelvic organ prolapse
  • Impotence
  • Neurogenic bladder
  • Peyronie’s disease
  • Stricture disease
  • Voiding dysfunction
  • Urodynamics
• Advanced genitourinary reconstructive surgery

Outpatient Urology.  The residents work with several faculty in outpatient surgery centers and clinics. During this rotation, residents gain a broader understanding of outpatient urology. The experience includes: 

• General and sub-specialty outpatient clinics
• Testosterone replacement therapy
• Transperineal prostate biopsy
• HoLEP
• Outpatient reconstructive and oncology cases

Year Five – Chief Resident Year

Fifth-year urology residents serve as chief residents at both Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Hospital.  This is the busiest operative year for residents, and provides significant responsibility and autonomy.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Residents complete nine months or three rotations as chief resident at VUMC. The chief resident:

• Hones operative skills with a robust surgical volume
• Is responsible for the inpatient Urology service, including:
  • Pre- and post-operative care for the urology inpatients
  • Inpatient urology consultations
  • Emergency room consultations
  • Leading the urology resident team

Veterans Affairs Hospital. The chief resident manages the urology service and directs junior residents. This includes both urology inpatient and outpatient service. The chief resident:

• Hones operative skills with a robust surgical volume
• Manages patients from clinic through surgery and into postoperative outpatient setting
• Coordinates care across services

Our current resident rotation schedule:

How to Apply