Career Development - Urology

Urology is a combination of office-based practices combined with major open surgical cases and the utilization of high-tech equipment such as during laparoscopic and robotic surgical procedures.

There is a big push towards performing minimally invasive surgical procedures on the entire urinary tract. Graduates from Tulane Urology will gain a broad understanding of the diagnostics and therapeutics as it relates to traditional and technologically advanced urologic procedures. Furthermore, Tulane Urology has a long history of embracing the latest technology to facilitate patient care and to enhance the education of residents.

Urology residency lasts four and a half years, after completing six months of General Surgery (Total: five years).

Urology has several subspecialties, most of which require one or two years of additional fellowship training after completing a urology residency. These include:

• Andrology and Infertility
• Pediatric urology
• Urodynamics/Incontinence
• Endourology, laparoscopy, and robotic surgery
• Urologic oncology

The typical workday during a urologic residency involves patients in the urology clinic, in the open surgical suite, in the endourology/laparoscopic/robotics surgical suite, or in the outpatient surgery center.

Residents are assigned to different urological subspecialty services. Based on the service in which residents are assigned, the times spent in the clinic will vary. In a usual week, residents spend at least 15 hours in an outpatient clinic setting. A typical work week comprises about 50 hours. The Urology Department strictly adheres to the work guidelines of the RRC/ACGME.

In the Department of Urology, we look for applicants who desire training in minimally invasive procedures, who have good hand-eye coordination, who show interest in research activities, and who are affable and professional. One difference in the urologic subspecialty is that many of our procedures are done with state-of-the-art endoscopes and with 3-D imaging surgical/robotic platforms. Such training is highly desirable, which bodes well for our graduating residents.

We recommend that those in T3, especially early in T3, should spend an elective week or two on the urology service, so as to familiarize themselves with the weekly schedules, the urology clinic, and the procedures in the various areas of urologic surgery and diagnostics. Further, we recommend that those interested in urology take a sub-internship for a minimum of two months outside of Tulane, based on COVID-19 guidelines. For more information, contact our Program Director, Dr. Raju Thomas, at 504-988-2750.

In Urology, which is relatively competitive, we look as USMLE scores, research activities within urology, medical school GPAs, the references from sub-internships, and their performance during electives at Tulane Urology. Presentations, publications, and research activities are given the highest merit.

Students wishing to match in a urology residency will need to apply to the American Urological Association (AUA) Match, as well as the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) Match.

Having a passing Step 1 score, along with research activities, are considered to be the initial evaluation criteria.

Clerkships and letters of recommendation are added onto these in the decision-making process.

Interviews and other application materials follow these in importance when selecting residents.