I rotated there and was very impressed. UAB is a huge medical center- I walked around with a map for a week! The urology department has a large staff with experts in every field, many of whom are leaders in their respective fields. There is a huge volume of patients with a wide range of pathology. They primarily work in 4 hospitals- the University, the Highlands, the Children's Hospital, and the VA. The people are great. The attendings are very friendly and approachable and they enjoy teaching. The residents work well together and enjoy both what they are doing and being together. They have a good number and variety of educational conferences. There is 6 months devoted to research during the PGY3 year and residents are expected to finish one project a year. There is a mix of people who go on to fellowships vs. those who go into private practice. They are looking for a chair right now, but they have been interviewing candidates and the interim chair has been the chair in the past. So all in all, a very well-run program with great people! Here's their website: http://medicine.uab.edu/surgery/urology/
Sorry to take so long to reply. I really enjoyed Birmingham. It's a smaller city, which means it has everything you could want without the crazy traffic and with a lower cost of living. It has a bunch of fun areas with restaurants, bars, shops, parks, etc. They had a big beer festival and music festival while I was there. It's also a pretty area- very green and hilly. The houses are very affordable if you want to buy. It's about 2 hours from Atlanta and (I believe) 3 hours from Nashville. I would consider the city another plus to the program.
I am one of the PGY-3 residents at UAB. Bias aside, here are a few highlights about our program
1. Residents: we are a diverse group that works closely together. Have a mix of
married and single people. We went from 2 to 3 residents/year-our current 3rd
resident is PGY-1. The past chiefs chose to go into peds fellowship at
Vanderbilt and private practice in Georgia.
2. Faculty: we have fellowship-trained attendings in urologic oncology,female
urology, and infertility. All are easily approachable, willing to teach,
great to work with.
3. OR experience: Fairly distributed, not top-heavy. Judge for yourself
PGY-2: -6 months at the University hospital, 6 months at the VA
-Mostly cystoscopies/ureteroscopies/TURBTs/some PCNLs/occasional
IPP/AUS/sling
-In the spring, you get to "take down the bladder" with the robot,
and do more as you get better...
PGY-3: -6 months of research (2 afternoons of vasectomies/ESWLs per week)
-6 months at UAB Highlands ("a private practice like experience").
4 attendings operate there (Infertility, Female, Male & Female
pelvic health/Reconstructive/Neurourology, and General
urologist/"Jack of All Trades". As you are the only
resident, you do everything from TURPs, Interstim placements, Male
and female slings, IPPs/AUSs, to nephrectomies, perineal
prostatectomies, and cystectomies. Assist with vas reversals
PGY-4: -6 months at Children's (with 3 attendings, you basically get to pick
the cases to scrub)
-6 months at the University hospital. Share bigger cases with the
chief...
PGY-5: - 6 months at the VA. Transition to being independent
- 6 months at the University hospital.
- Obviously you pick the cases (Robotic prostatectomies/partial
nephrectomies/pyeloplasties/cystectomies... Male implant
cases/Laparoscopic.../Transpants (we do ~50% of donor nephrectomies
for the transplant surgeons)
4. Birmingham, while a southern city, has a population of 1.2 million and, thereby, plenty of stuff to do for anyone. Housing is very affordable and convenient to the hospital. Children's hospital, University hospital, and the VA are connected to each other. UAB Highlands is on campus (~5 minute drive)
5. To address the rumors of the Division Chair... Dr. Amling (our ex-chairman) has moved to Oregon and we are in the process of interviewing candidates for the position.
Overall, we are a pretty solid program with good OR experience. Come to the interview, ask the questions, and judge for yourself
Does anyone have any information about this program? I'm having trouble finding reliable/accurate stuff. Any thoughts would be appreciated...
I rotated there and was very impressed. UAB is a huge medical center- I walked around with a map for a week! The urology department has a large staff with experts in every field, many of whom are leaders in their respective fields. There is a huge volume of patients with a wide range of pathology. They primarily work in 4 hospitals- the University, the Highlands, the Children's Hospital, and the VA. The people are great. The attendings are very friendly and approachable and they enjoy teaching. The residents work well together and enjoy both what they are doing and being together. They have a good number and variety of educational conferences. There is 6 months devoted to research during the PGY3 year and residents are expected to finish one project a year. There is a mix of people who go on to fellowships vs. those who go into private practice. They are looking for a chair right now, but they have been interviewing candidates and the interim chair has been the chair in the past. So all in all, a very well-run program with great people! Here's their website: http://medicine.uab.edu/surgery/urology/
Hey, thanks for the information. While you were there, what did you think of the town? Never been to Birmingham...
Sorry to take so long to reply. I really enjoyed Birmingham. It's a smaller city, which means it has everything you could want without the crazy traffic and with a lower cost of living. It has a bunch of fun areas with restaurants, bars, shops, parks, etc. They had a big beer festival and music festival while I was there. It's also a pretty area- very green and hilly. The houses are very affordable if you want to buy. It's about 2 hours from Atlanta and (I believe) 3 hours from Nashville. I would consider the city another plus to the program.
I am one of the PGY-3 residents at UAB. Bias aside, here are a few highlights about our program
1. Residents: we are a diverse group that works closely together. Have a mix of
married and single people. We went from 2 to 3 residents/year-our current 3rd
resident is PGY-1. The past chiefs chose to go into peds fellowship at
Vanderbilt and private practice in Georgia.
2. Faculty: we have fellowship-trained attendings in urologic oncology,female
urology, and infertility. All are easily approachable, willing to teach,
great to work with.
3. OR experience: Fairly distributed, not top-heavy. Judge for yourself
PGY-2: -6 months at the University hospital, 6 months at the VA
-Mostly cystoscopies/ureteroscopies/TURBTs/some PCNLs/occasional
IPP/AUS/sling
-In the spring, you get to "take down the bladder" with the robot,
and do more as you get better...
PGY-3: -6 months of research (2 afternoons of vasectomies/ESWLs per week)
-6 months at UAB Highlands ("a private practice like experience").
4 attendings operate there (Infertility, Female, Male & Female
pelvic health/Reconstructive/Neurourology, and General
urologist/"Jack of All Trades". As you are the only
resident, you do everything from TURPs, Interstim placements, Male
and female slings, IPPs/AUSs, to nephrectomies, perineal
prostatectomies, and cystectomies. Assist with vas reversals
PGY-4: -6 months at Children's (with 3 attendings, you basically get to pick
the cases to scrub)
-6 months at the University hospital. Share bigger cases with the
chief...
PGY-5: - 6 months at the VA. Transition to being independent
- 6 months at the University hospital.
- Obviously you pick the cases (Robotic prostatectomies/partial
nephrectomies/pyeloplasties/cystectomies... Male implant
cases/Laparoscopic.../Transpants (we do ~50% of donor nephrectomies
for the transplant surgeons)
4. Birmingham, while a southern city, has a population of 1.2 million and, thereby, plenty of stuff to do for anyone. Housing is very affordable and convenient to the hospital. Children's hospital, University hospital, and the VA are connected to each other. UAB Highlands is on campus (~5 minute drive)
5. To address the rumors of the Division Chair... Dr. Amling (our ex-chairman) has moved to Oregon and we are in the process of interviewing candidates for the position.
Overall, we are a pretty solid program with good OR experience. Come to the interview, ask the questions, and judge for yourself
I know that the chief of their division recently departed to Oregon. Don't know if that position's been filled yet.