Urology residents attend several clinics. The General Urology clinic meets two days weekly and is staffed by a chief resident with a junior resident. Residents also attend clinics with exposure to Oncology/BCG clinic, Andrology/Infertility clinic, Urodynamic clinic, Renal Transplant clinic, Pediatric Urology clinic and Private Practice clinic. Each clinic is supervised by one of the attending urologists.

The educational program employs a variety of methods to foster learning in basic science and clinical knowledge as well as the general competencies endorsed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). These include by are not necessarily limited to the following protected didactic educational experiences.  Educational opportunities abound. Clinical conferences and seminars include:

• Resident teaching session - semi-weekly
• Urology Chief Rounds - weekly
• Pediatric urology conference - weekly
• Urology tumor conference - semi-monthly
• Uroradiology conference - semi-monthly
• Uropathology conference - monthly
• Journal Club meeting - monthly
• Visiting Professor - quarterly

The Urology Outpatient Clinic is conducted by the residents, with faculty supervision; many staff patients are referred from the Emergency Center, one of the largest in the midwest.

Residents also participate in a variety of informal teaching experiences including bedside rounds, outpatient clinics and operative procedures under the direct supervision of highly dedicated teaching faculty. We believe that a self-motivated and self-directed approach to continuing education and lifelong learning is incumbent upon all qualified and dedicated professionals. In order to cultivate these skills and provide a structure for independent study throughout the training program, all residents are provided with written objectives as well as a comprehensive surgical textbook. All residents are expected to actively pursue and remain abreast of the current literature as it pertains to patients under their direct care. To facilitate this type of in-depth study, all resident have uninterrupted access to the on-site medical library with full copying privileges.

Urology Inservice Exam

All residents participate in the American Board of Urology In-Service Examination and are encouraged to attend American Urological Association meetings, postgraduate conferences and seminars.

Self-Assessment Study Program

For more than 30 years, the AUA's Self-Assessment Study Program (SASP) has been a leading educational resource for urologists-in-training and practicing urologists.  Each year, a new 150-item multiple choice SASP examination is developed that addresses several aspects of the core curriculum of medical knowledge and patient care.

The Pocket Guide to Urology

Since the first edition was released in 1999, the Pocket Guide to Urology has become one of the most popular urology texts. Over 30,000 copies of the Pocket Guide to Urology have been printed and distributed worldwide (over 20 countries on 6 continents). The 4th edition is currently for sale (2011).

The 4th edition of the Pocket Guide to Urology is a comprehensive evidence-based reference book that emphasizes clinical guidelines, consensus statements, and landmark studies. Information is compiled and is presented in a thorough, organized, and logical format. Each chapter contains detailed references. 

USMLE Step 3

A 2003 study examined the impact that both postgraduate training and timing had on Step 3 performance. Results were controlled for students' performance on the Step 1 and 2 exams. The study found that graduates whose postgraduate training focused on broad areas performed better than those with more specialized training, with those residents studying either med-peds or family practice performing the best on the exam relative to earlier USMLE performance. Residents from fields like emergency medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics also performed well. These results are not surprising given the generalist-oriented nature of Step 3. Among residents from these general fields, performance improved with increased amount of postgraduate training. However, performance on the exam was still less than what would be expected based on Step 1 and 2 results. (Only the med-peds and family practice residents with over a year of postgraduate training performed better than expected.) This may be due, at least in part, to the fact that many residents study less for Step 3 than they did for Steps 1 and 2. These findings suggest that residents from more generalized training programs may perform better if they take the exam later in their training.

The study had somewhat different findings for students amidst more specialized postgraduate training. Residents from the fields of anesthesiology, psychiatry, radiology, pathology, surgery, and Ob/Gyn all performed relatively poorly in relation to what their earlier scores might have predicted, compared to residents in more general specialties. Contrary to what might be expected, delay in taking the exam did not negatively impact scores. It is unclear if this reflects a trend for residents taking the exam later to have studied longer.

Reference

Sawhill AJ, Dillon GF, Ripkey DR, Hawkins RE, Swanson DB. The Impact of Postgraduate Training and Timing on USMLE Step 3 Performance. Academic Medicine , 78 (10), October Supplement 2003, S10-S12.