Program Timeline

Trainees complete urology residency as competent clinicians and urologic surgeons who are well-prepared for board examination. The program focuses on academic discovery and education. Residents identify research questions as early as their first or second year and seek scientific discovery for manuscript preparation and presentation at local and national meetings during years three to five. Throughout training, residents teach medical students, with approximately 100 students rotating through urology in any given year. Some residents pursue a fellowship to develop further specialization, but all are prepared to begin an academic or private urological career upon graduation.

PGY1

Goal: Educate the residents on the fundamentals of patient care. PGY1 residents perform histories and physicals, preoperative and postoperative care, rounding on inpatients, writing chart orders, assisting in surgical procedures, and developing basic surgical skills. PGY1 residents are also introduced to the concept of the six core competencies, including methods for evaluation.

This year includes six four-week rotations in general surgery (including a four-week rotation learning intensive-care patient management in the surgical ICU) and seven four-week blocks on the urology service in preparation for further responsibility and on-call duties during the second year.

PGY2

Goal: Develop medical knowledge and patient care competence in outpatient clinic management (including all clinic procedures), endoscopic surgery, and minor open procedures.

PGY2 residents spend 10 months on the UI Health Care adult urology service and two one-month rotations as UI Health Care night float residents. The experience is primarily split between the outpatient clinic and the urology operating rooms, mainly participating in endoscopic cases, including transurethral cases (TURP, TURBT), ureteroscopy, and PCNL, and gaining experience in scrotal and inguinal procedures. PGY2 residents also take part in the postoperative management of urology inpatients and the operating room for more extensive cases and when on call.

PGY3

Goal: Increase knowledge and competence in outpatient and inpatient management of urologic disease. The PGY3 resident gains experience in more extensive open, laparoscopic, and complex endoscopic cases with graded responsibility as a more senior resident.

A total of four months is spent on the pediatric urology service at Stead Family Children's Hospital, participating in all pediatric cases, learning all aspects of pediatric urology, and further developing surgical skills. Residents spend at least four days per week in the operating room, with approximately one day in clinic. Residents also spend four months as the junior at the Iowa City VA Medical Center. The VA junior resident gains autonomy in endoscopic and minor OR procedures, cystoscopy clinic, inpatient management, and assists the VA chief in more extensive open and laparoscopic procedures. PGY3 residents spend the remaining four months on the UI Health Care urology service.

PGY4

Goal: Further improve knowledge of increasingly complex surgical management of adult urologic disease. PGY4 residents develop laparoscopic and robotic surgery skills and further their skills in more difficult endoscopic and percutaneous urologic surgery and open surgical techniques.

Residents spend eight months at UI Health Care Medical Center, with time split between the benign and oncology services. The remaining four months are spent at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa in Mason City, Iowa, to understand the practice of urology in a private hospital setting and participate in all minor and major surgical procedures. PGY4 residents also gain exposure to the private practice of urology and the administration of a urological group practice.

PGY5 (Chief)

Goal: Learn the management of a urology clinic and surgical schedule, including management of personnel. The chief resident performs most of the more extensive open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgical cases with faculty assistance in the operating room. PGY5 residents supervise the teams responsible for inpatient care and advise and supervise all inpatient decisions with consultation and active participation by faculty.

Chief residents spend eight months at UI Health Care Medical Center, with time split between benign and oncology services. Residents spend the remaining four months as chief residents at the Iowa City VA Medical Center, performing major open and laparoscopic procedures with the assistance of the junior resident and managing their own procedure clinic, including prostate biopsies and vasectomies. The VA chiefs also guide the junior residents on inpatient and outpatient management.