Department of Surgery

Urology Residency at MCG
Includes:
- Application and Interview
- Overview
- Research
- Conferences

Residency Program in Urology

The Section of Urology at MCG offers a fully accredited postgraduate residency training program designed to prepare selected physicians to evaluate, understand, and manage medical and surgical aspects of genitourinary disorders. In addition to providing a rigorous clinical training program, the Urology Section strives to create an atmosphere of scientific curiosity and endeavor.

The Section of Urology consists of 10 full-time faculty members – 8 clinical and 2 research faculty, as well as a highly capable clinical associate faculty and additional research personnel. With 8 full-time faculty, the ratio of faculty to trainees is exceptionally favorable for teaching and supervision.

Application and Interview Information

Through the resident match, two applicants are selected to enter the residency each year, usually from among graduating 4th year medical students. Selection includes acceptance for the internship in General Surgery at MCG. Following satisfactory completion of this core training in General Surgery, resident trainees will enter into the formal Urology training program. Although all residents are expected to complete their final year of chief residency four years later, each year's appointment is contingent upon satisfactory progress of the individual resident during the preceding year, and all residency appointments are therefore reviewed and renewed annually. The MCG urology residency program participates in the program administered through the American Association of Medical College's centralized Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) matching system. Access to the ERAS system is available at http://www.aamc.org/audienceeras.htm.

Overview of Urology Residency at MCG

PGY-1
The first post-graduate year (PGY-1) is spent in General Surgical training, which is designed to provide the trainee with a thorough grounding in general surgical principles, including preoperative and postoperative care of the surgical patient, surgical intensive care, and foundations in technical surgical skills upon which ongoing urologic training will be based. This year will include a rotation on the Urology service.

PGY-2
First Year Training in Urology (PGY-2) is spent entirely at MCG. Responsibilities include completion of history and physical examinations of urologic patients, assistance with surgical cases in the operating room, and preoperative and postoperative care of all urological patients. The Junior Residents also receive extensive experience in the Urology outpatient clinics during this year. Techniques in diagnostic evaluation and management of patients with genitourinary disease are emphasized throughout the year.

PGY-3 and PGY-4
During the PGY-3 and PGY-4 years of Urology training, the trainee serves as Acting Chief Resident in Urology for six months at the Augusta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, three months on the MCG Pediatric Urology Service, and three months on the MCG Adult Service as Senior Resident. Under the supervision of the Urology faculty members at the VA, the Acting Chief Resident assumes charge of the Urology Service. The Pediatric Urology Service rotation at MCG's Children's Medical Center (CMC) is a specialty rotation with surgical experience similar to many pediatric urology fellowship programs. While on the MCG Adult Urology Service, the resident actively participates in all aspects of endourology, open scrotal, penile procedures, and increasingly demanding major open oncology and reconstructive procedures as their skills develop. These residents are also intimately involved with all renal transplantation procedures, performing all donor nephrectomies and ureteroneocystostomies. These residents alternately serve as the urology consultants for the other specialties within the institution, including the Level I Trauma Center. Together, these rotations provide a broad training experience, which encompasses all aspects of Urology. The rotation at the VA hospital is comparable in depth, breadth, and responsibility to a Chief Resident year at many other programs, and provides our residents with an unusual clinical opportunity.

PGY-5, Chief Resident in Urology
The PGY-5 year of urological training is spent predominantly at MCG as Chief Resident on the Adult Urologic. The Chief Resident also participates in selected, technically demanding surgical procedures at the Augusta VA Medical Center. During this final year of training, the Chief Residents are afforded considerable responsibility for patient care in the clinics, on the wards, and in the operating rooms. They are also responsible for teaching junior house staff and medical students, administration of the adult service, and organization and participation in regularly scheduled patient and educational conferences.

PGY-2 to PGY-5 night call is every third to fourth night during the week and can be taken from home when there are no acutely ill patients requiring closer monitoring. Weekend call is every third to fourth weekend. MCG Urology complies with the 80-hour work week regulations.

Research
Dr. Vijay Kumar is Director of Urology Research and runs an exciting, productive basic science laboratory studying ways to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) in prostate cancer. Other basic science laboratories on the MCG campus also focus on urologic disease processes.

While there is currently no dedicated basic science research rotation as part of the urology training at MCG, residents are encouraged to pursue their research interests. Faculty supervision, clerical support, computer/library facilities, and flexibility in clinical responsibilities are available to residents for clinical research. Many faculty members have existing databases of patient information that can be analyzed by residents either by expanding on the suggestions of the faculty member or developing their own hypothesis for study once approved by the supervising faculty member and institutional review board.

Residents who desire an additional year dedicated to basic science research are supported in their efforts by the Urology Section. Residents performing a research year are encouraged to apply for additional funding through sources such as the American Foundation for Urologic Diseases. MCG Urology has a record of successfully funded resident applications.

The PGY-4 and PGY-5 residents routinely attend regional and national meetings such as the Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association and the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association. Residents at any level with research abstracts accepted for presentation at these selective meetings will also be provided funding and relief of clinical duties to attend. All residents are encouraged to present their research data at local venues such as the Georgia Urological Society and MCG’s Annual Rinker-Witherington Society Meeting. Residents additionally submit their work for publication in peer-reviewed journals and receive substantial guidance from the faculty to navigate the publication process.

Conferences
Didactic conferences with close interaction between faculty, residents, and medical students are hallmarks of effective teaching. The Section of Urology provides a rich calendar of such learning opportunities.

• Surgical Indications Conference: Weekly
• VA Uropathology Microscopy Session: Weekly
• MCG Uropathology Microscopy Session: Twice Monthly
• Pediatric Radiology Conference: Twice Monthly
• Adult Radiology Conference: Twice Monthly
• Campbell’s Textbook Assigned Reading Review: Once or Twice Monthly
• Multidisciplinary Cancer Conference: Monthly
• Faculty Didactic Lectures: Once or Twice Monthly
• Grand Rounds (Invited Expert Speaker): Monthly
• Journal Club: Monthly
• Morbidity and Mortality Conference: Monthly
• Combined Urology/Nephrology Urinary Stone Conference: Monthly
• Urodynamics Conference: Monthly

Urology Residency Program Office
Medical College of Georgia
Room BAA-8411
Augusta, GA  30912-4050
Phone: (706) 721-2519
Fax: (706) 721-2548
Email: kimaddox@mcg.edu