Female Urology / Urodynamics Fellowship Training

Female Urology / Urodynamics Fellowships

Numerous training programs are available in this growing field. Fellowship accreditation, however is very confusing.

The American Board of Urology (ABU) and the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) have created a combined accreditation board for fellowships in female pelvic surgery. The fellowship requires 2 years of training for urologists and 3 years for gynecologists; urologists may enter programs for which a gynecologist serves as program director and vice versa. One year must be dedicated to research, with no more than 10% of the urology fellow’s time spent on non–research-related activities. Further, the program mandates graduate coursework in biostatistics/epidemiology and completion of a thesis project. The Board also monitors clinical case volume/diversity and the level of didactic teaching received. At present, there are 31 accredited fellowships under ABU/ABOG sponsorship.

Under the umbrella of the specialty of Urology, there are excellent fellowships that are not accredited by the ABU/ABOG. Some of these programs also incorporate neurogenic and male voiding dysfunction.

To make matters more complex, the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) also offers accreditation in urogynecology independent of the ABU. One 3-year position is generally available to gynecologists at each institution. Interestingly, a urologist serves as a program director for two of these programs.

In the future, Society for Urodynamics and Female Urology (SUFU) accreditation of fellowship programs is expected. Current leaders envision training of fellows in five separate modules: (1) urodynamics (mandatory); (2) lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence in the male and female (mandatory); (3) pelvic organ prolapse; (4) voiding dysfunction (neurogenic and non-neurogenic); and (5) genitourinary reconstruction. Participating physicians will need to complete only four modules, including the mandatory components, to finish training, allowing physicians the flexibility to personalize their education based on their personal interests. A combined ABU/ABOG/SUFU-accredited program represents the fellowship of the future; ABU/ABOG certification (remember, different from accreditation) may follow.

Why do a Female Urology / Urodynamics Fellowship?

Almost all training programs afford in-depth training in surgical reconstruction of the female pelvic floor and urodynamics. A few fellowships also incorporate training in neurogenic and male voiding dysfunction. Clinical problems addressed in this field effect a huge proportion of the population. As the baby-boomers age, skills acquired in these fellowships are likely to only grow in demand. Such expertise are clearly extremely valuable both in academics and in private practice. In the current reimbursement environment, this field is considered quite lucrative. There are also very few, if any, emergencies. For those with a passion for academics, research opportunities abound.

Why not?

Commitment of 1-2 years is significant and may be unnecessary for some who had strong training in this urologic sub-specialty during residency and are planning to go into private practice. Caring for female patients with voiding dysfunction is certainly challenging, and some individuals' personalities and clinical approach may not be suited for this particular patient population.

Accredited SUFU Fellowships

Cleveland Clinic (FL)
Program Director: Gamal Ghoniem
Length of fellowship: 2 years
2950 Cleveland Clinic Blvd.
Weston FL 33331
Tel: 954-659-5188

Cleveland Clinic (OH)
Program Director: Howard Goldman
Length of fellowship: 2 years
9500 Euclid Ave, #A100
Cleveland OH 44195
Tel: 216-444-3677
GOLDMAH@ccf.org

Continence Center at Virginia Mason
Program Director: Kathleen Kobashi
Length of fellowship: 2 years
1100 Ninth Street
Seattle WA 98111
Tel: 206-223-6176
www.vmmc.org

New York University School of Medicine
Program Director: Victor Nitti
Length of fellowship: 2 years
150 East 32nd Street
New York NY 10016
Tel: 646-825-6343

Stanford University Medical Center
Program Director: Craig Comiter
Length of fellowship: 2 years
300 Pasteur Drive, Room S-287
Stanford CA 94305
Tel: 650-723-4537
ccomiter@stanford.edu

UCLA
Program Director: Shlomo Raz, Larissa Rodriguez
Length of fellowship: 2 years
200 Medical Plaza, Suite 140, Box 957366
Los Angeles CA 90095-7366
Tel: 310-794-0246
Fax: 310-794-0211
jhkim@mednet.ucla.edu

University of Texas Southwestern
Program Director: Philippe Zimmern
Length of fellowship: 2 years
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas TX 75390-9110
Tel: 214-648-9397

University of Southern California

Program Director: Larissa Rodriguez, MD
Length of fellowship: 2-3 years, Uro and Urogyn
USC Institute of Urology
1441 Eastlake Avenue, Suite 7416
Los Angeles CA 90033
lrodriguez@med.usc.edu

Vanderbilt University
Program Director: Roger Dmochowski
Length of fellowship: 2 years
Department of Urology
A-1302 Medical Center, N.
Nashville TN 37232-2765
Tel: 615-343-5602

Non-SUFU Accredited

Drexel University College of Medicine
Program Director: Kristene E. Whitmore
Length of fellowship: 2 years
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
245 N. 15th Street, 16th Floor, MS 495
Philadelphia PA 19102-1192
Tel: 215-762-8292
Teresa.robinson@drexelmed.edu

Duke University
Program Director: George Webster, Cindy Amundsen
Length of fellowship: 2 years
P.O. Box 3146
Durham NC 27710
Tel: 919-684-2516

Eastern Virginia Medical School
Program Director: Gerald Jordan
Length of fellowship: 2 years
400W. Brambleton Ave.
Suite 100
Norfolk VA 23510
Tel: 757-457-5125
http://www.evms.edu/urology/index.html

Graduate Hospital (Phil.)/UMDNJ
Program Director: Ricardo Caraballo
Length of fellowship: 2 years
1800 Lombard Street, Suite 900
Pepper
Philadelphia PA 19146-1407
Tel: 215-893-2643

Louisiana State University
Program Director: J. Christian Winters
Length of fellowship: 2 years
4228 Houma Blvd., Suite 600A
Metarie LA 70006
Tel: 504-568-2207
Fax: 504-780-8922

Loyola (Chicago)
Program Director: Kimberly Kenton
Length of fellowship: 3 years
2160 S. First Ave
Bldg 103, Room 1004-D
Maywood IL 60153
Tel: 708-216-2170
Fax: 708-216-2171
kkenton@lumc.edu
http://www.stritch.luc.edu/depts/obgyn/fellowship/application.htm

Mayo (Rochester, MN)
Program Director: Deborah Lightner
Length of fellowship: 2 years
200 First Street, SW
Rochester MN 55905

McGill University Dept. of Urology
Program Director: Jacques Corcos, Marguerite Lemieux
Length of fellowship: 1-3 years
3755 Cote Ste-Catherine
Montreal PQ H3E 1T2
Canada
Tel: 514-340-8222, ext. 5166
jcorcos@uro.jgh.mcgill.ca
www.jgh.ca/department/urology

MD Anderson
Program Director: O. Lenaine Westney
Length of fellowship: 2 years
1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1373
Houston TX 77030
Tel: 7135636092

Medical University of South Carolina
Program Director: Eric Rovner
Length of fellowship: 1 year
96 Jonathan Lucas St., CSB 644
Charleston SC 29425
Tel: 843-792-8347
www.muschealth.com/urology/
residents_students/fellowship_info/

Metro Urology
Program Director: Steven Siegel
Length of fellowship: 1 year
6025 Lake Road
Woodbury MN 55125
Tel: 651-999-6800
www.metro-urology.com

New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College/Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Program Director: Jaspreet Sandhu
Length of fellowship: 2 years
353 East 68th Street
New York NY 10065
Tel: 646-422-4399
sandhuj@mskcc.org

New York, NY
Program Director: Jerry Blaivas
Length of fellowship: 1 year
445 E. 77th Street
New York NY 10022
Tel: 212-308-6565

San Diego UCSD & Kaiser
Program Director: Emily Lukacz
Length of fellowship: 3 years
9350 Campus Point Drive
La Jolla CA 92037-8433
Tel: 858-657-8435

Tower Urology Institute for Continence Los Angeles
Program Director: Gary Leach
Length of fellowship: 1 year
8635 West 3rd Street, Suite 1 West
Los Angeles CA 90048
Tel: 310-854-9898
drdorado@aol.com
www.towerurology.com

UC Davis
Program Director: Anthony Stone
Length of fellowship: 1 year
4860 Y Street, Suite 3500
Sacramento CA 95817
Tel: 916-73-5154

UC Irvine
Program Director: Regina Hovey
Length of fellowship: 1 year
401 Marble Cove Way
Seal Beach CA 90740-6230
Tel: 714-456-5538

University of Alabama at Birmingham
Program Director: R. Edward Varne
Length of fellowship: 2 years
619 19th S 175 F, Suite 10382
Birmingham AL 35249
Tel: 205-934-7874
ljiles@uabmc.edu

University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital
Program Director: Paul Tulikangas
Length of fellowship: 3 years
Hartford Hospital
80 Seymour Street
Hartford CT 06102
Tel: 860-545-1669
wbarret@harthosp.org

University of Iowa
Program Director: Bradley A. Erickson (brad-erickson@uiowa.edu)
Length of fellowship: 1 year
200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City IA 55242-9110
Tel: 319-356-7221

University of Miami
Program Director: Angelo Gousse
Length of fellowship: 1 year
P.O. Box 016960 (M814)
Miami FL 33101
Tel: 305-243-2973
Fax: 305-243-3164

University of Michigan
Program Director: J. Quentin Clemens
Length of fellowship: 2 years
3875 Taubman Center
1500 East Medical Center Drive
Ann Arbor MI 48109-5330
Tel: 734-232-4881

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Program Director: TBD
Length of fellowship: 2 years
2140 BioInformatics Bldg, CB 7235
Chapel Hill NC 27599-7235
Tel: 919-966-8217
Fax: 919-966-0098

University of Pennsylvania
Program Director: Lily Arya
Length of fellowship: 3 years
3701 Market Street, 3rd Floor
Philadelphia PA 19104
Tel: 215-615-6039
larya@obgyn.upenn.edu

University of Texas Health Science Center - San Antonio
Program Director: Stephen R. Kraus, MD
Length of fellowship: 2 years
Department Of Urology
7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7845
San Antonio Texas 78229
http://urology.uthscsa.edu/ed_sufu_overview.html

University of Texas Houston
Program Director: O. Lenaine Westney
Length of fellowship: 1 year
6431 Fannin Street, #6018
Houston TX 77030-1501
Tel: 713-500-7331

University of Toronto
Program Director: S. Herschorn
Length of fellowship: 1 year
Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Science Center
2075 Bayview Ave. MG408
Toronto ON M4N 3M5
Canada
Tel: 416-480-4733

Washington University
Program Director: Carl Klutke
Length of fellowship: 1 year
1040 N. Mason Road, #122
St. Louis MO 63141
Tel: 314-996-8066

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