Temple University

The Temple Urology Residency offers an extremely diverse residency experience through its multiple campuses with the ability to rotate at four clinically busy, comprehensive hospitals with an all-encompassing educational experience. Briefly: Our University Hospital has a recently expanded advanced robotic surgery program, an extensive history of both major penetrating and blunt genitourinary trauma, and a tremendously high case volume. The Temple residency program is the only residency that rotates through the Fox Chase Cancer Center, the only NCI-Desinated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the region. As such, this experience provides residents with an opportunity to learn comprehensive urologic oncology from 6 oncologists trained in minimally invasive and open techniques. Our community urologic exposure at Abington Memorial Hospital involves an intensive operative experience in general urology, working with nine urologists with various fellowship training, including: male infertility, female urology/reconstruction, urologic oncology, and laparoscopy/endourology skill sets. An opportunity to work closely with 4 staff pediatric urologists treating patients from a large referral base in multiple clinical settings. Designated Research time built into the residency which can include working with PhD’s in a laboratory setting and/or with clinical faculty who are invested in the diverse and expanding field of urologic research. Our affiliation with the Fox Chase Center provides limitless opportunities in oncologic research. Temple has proven time and again its strength as a urologic training ground: Recently approved by the ACGME for the maximum allowed 5-year accreditation Our residents routinely graduate with cases in most all categories well above the 80th percentile. Granted program expansion by the ACGME to now accept three residents per year Temple offers an ideal location to live and train as Philadelphia is a major metropolitan area with top great places to live and relax, venues for both national sporting events and music shows, museums and theatre productions, highly renowned restaurants, large outdoor parks and close drives to the beach, mountains, skiing, New York City and Washington D.C.

We are looking for bright individuals who are ready to make the transition to residency and whose work ethic will drive them to work hard for the 5 years they will dedicate to training. Additionally, we are interested in candidates that are lifelong learners that will strive to enrich the field of urology after the completion of residency – be it from the office of a private practice or through an academic career. Most importantly, we are looking for a person who fits into the Temple family and who takes the utmost pride in caring for patients, who actively participates in his/her education, who interacts well with fellow residents and faculty, and who will be happy spending their time training in our program.

The overall gestalt of the application is more important than any one part. Certainly, academics play a very important role as documented in medical student performance in class/clerkship grades and USMLE board scores. Clinical clerkship grades from the 3rd and 4th year, especially those from surgical or urologic rotations can give a window into how a student will perform under stressful clinical duties as a resident. Letters of recommendation from fellow urologists also greatly help illuminate a potential candidate’s strengths. Research or urologic experience speaks very highly of a desire to seek out opportunities and a knowledge that the field “is for you.” Ultimately, the application will be the gateway to an interview offer. The interview itself is a time where strengths in the application can be highlighted by the candidate. If you have made it to our interview, you (along with all the candidates) are qualified to become a urologist. Thus, the interview provides candidates an opportunity to see if Temple is the right learning environment for you. Also, it allows us time to see if you would fit in with the Temple team.

Get started early: When you know you are interested, be proactive. Seek out urologists, residents and mentors to guide you and help you achieve your goals. Build your application: shadowing, away rotations, research, etc. Use your application when it comes time to interview: highlight what sets you apart without portraying yourself as someone who might not fit in. Spend time where you may want to end up: if you like a program, try to do an away or “audition” rotation there and really work hard to impress. Consider it a month-long interview. If you can afford it, go back for a second look after interviews and spend a day with the residents and attending staff; again, consider it a day-long interview. You’ve chosen a great field. Please feel free to get in touch with our residency coordinator below with any questions or if you are interested in coming to Temple to rotate with us: darylynn.lindo@tuhs.temple.edu