The primary objective of the Department of Urology's residency program is to prepare future urologists for their chosen career in either academic or community urology. This process involves a comprehensive education in all areas of urology. Research is encouraged for all residents especially those interested in a career in academics. Residents will gain exposure and acquire increasing responsibility during their four years of urological training.

At the completion of the residency, residents will be competent in treating patients with all types of urologic conditions. This includes all sub-specialty areas in urology, including: urologic oncology, neurourology/reconstruction, endourology/laparoscopy, robotic surgery, impotence/infertility, and pediatrics. In addition, trainees will be prepared to complete required board examinations to practice the specialty of urology. For those interested in pursuing further specialization within urology, efforts will be made to provide research opportunities to facilitate their gaining entrance into their chosen sub-specialty.

The UC Davis Department of Urology is accredited for ten positions, and designed to provide trainees with increasing clinical responsibility in patient care and surgical experience. Training culminates in a final year as chief resident, where residents function more autonomously and take responsibility for supervising junior residents. Upon completion of the program, residents will have experience and confidence in all aspects of both adult and pediatric urology, including: urologic oncology, neurourology/reconstruction, endourology/laparoscopy, robotic surgery, infertility/impotence, and pediatric urology.

There are a total of nine urology residents who rotate through the UC Davis Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Hospitals and the Sacramento VA Medical Center.

During the PGY-3 and PGY-4 years, residents rotate through UC Davis Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Hospital, and Sacramento VA Medical Center. During PGY-5 year, residents are provided time to pursue research interests. In the PGY-6 year, residents act as Chiefs and have responsibility for organizing conferences and supervising junior residents and medical students.

There are a total of four residents who will be at the UC Davis Medical Center location at any given time. These residents rotate on individual services: urologic oncology; neurourology/reconstruction, endourology, and pediatric urology.

Resident Schedule:

PGY-1 & 2: General Surgery at UC Davis Medical Center and affiliated hospitals, with at least 4 months spent on urology.

PGY-3, 4 & 6: Urology at UC Davis Medical Center, Kaiser Hospitals, VA Mather and Shriner's Hospital for Children.

PGY-5: Urology at UC Davis Medical Center and Kaiser Hospitals and 6 months research time allotted for those interested in research or academic urology.

Urology residents are allowed a total of 24 days a year which are to be utilized for both vacation and educational leave. It is department policy that four separate five-day vacations be taken once every three months. The additional four days will be used for educational leave to attend conferences of the resident's choice. The Department of Urology encourages research and academic pursuits which include the attendance of scientific meetings. Senior residents are allowed to go to up two scientific meetings per year.

The Urology Residency is based on integrated health care systems. UC Davis Medical Center, the major teaching hospital for the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, is located on 2315 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, California. The hospital is licensed for 613 beds. UC Davis Heatlh System (which includes the UC Davis Medical Center, UC Davis School of Medicine and UC Davis Medical Group) has undergone a dramatic expansion over the past ten years. The expansion has included incorporating several primary care practice groups to create our own "HMO." The hospital complex expansion also includes the addition of a new hospital wing, surgery and emergency services pavilion, and the educational building. Research facilities have been expanded. The main operating room has expanded to 18 operating suites. In addition, there are two outpatient surgical centers.

UC Davis Cancer Center is a comprehensive center housing all oncologic specialities including radiation oncology. It is located on the UC Davis Medical Center campus within walking distance of the main hospital. A complex of three research buildings house laboratory facilities for faculty and research staff.

Adjacent to the UC Davis Medical Center is the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento. Shriners Hospital is the largest pediatric referral center for both pediatric burn patients and patients with severe orthopedic and spinal cord deformities. Urology residents rotate through the Shriners Hospital while on a neurourology/reconstruction rotation and gain exposure to spina bifida patients and urologic patients requiring reconstructive surgery.

Kaiser Permanente Hospitals - North Sacramento and Roseville: The Kaiser Permanente health care system has two major medical centers and multiple satellite clinics in the Sacramento area. Residents rotate through both hospitals during their urologic training. These hospitals provide residents exposure to patients with all types of urologic conditions. Both hospitals are located within a 20 minute driving radius from the UC Davis Medical Center. There are 13 clinical faculty members, all of whom are active in our residency training program.

The Sacramento VA Medical Center rotation provides residents with a broad spectrum of urological pathology and an opportunity for "on-hands" problem solving and patient assessment in a structured and well-supervised environment. Areas of exposure include general urology, urological oncology, erectile dysfunction, stone disease and neurourology. Because the outpatient clinics are adjacent to inpatient wards and operating suites, the residents have a unique opportunity to be involved with all aspects of pre, post, and intra-operative patient care. The medical center offers a wide rang of diagnostic service including, MRI, CT and PET scanning.

Opportunities for a career in Urology have never been better.  The demand for recent graduates has never been higher.  Most starting salaries range from 250-300 thousand dollars.  There is an increasing number of women entering urology, now approximately 15-20%.  There is a very high satisfaction rate for those entering urology, especially compared to surgery and surgical subspecialties.  Unfortunately, the competition for urology residency spots is high.  Some parameters to keep in mind include:

• Grades and test scores need to be high to match in Urology.  Most that are invited to interview at UC Davis have board scores of 90 or above, 50% honors grades, and 50% are AOA.
• There are limited positions nationally, and about 15% of applicants fail to match.
• There is an early match in urology, typically held in January.
• Research is highly desirable; most invited for interview are involved in research or have involvement in past publications.
• Students should seek advice on residency from our faculty beginning in their M2 year.
• The program seeks candidates who are committed to their education and training, and have personality traits that fit with existing staff and residents.

For more information on our Residency program go to Freida on-line at www.ama-assn.org or contact our Program Coordinator Mireya Montelongo, mmontelongo@ucdavis.edu.

The Department of Urology at the University of California, Davis participates in the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS). Applicants will receive instructions and electronic access key from their dean's office. Please check with your school for information on this program.

If you need any further assistance, please contact the urology residency coordinator:

Mireya Montelongo
Residency Coordinator
Assistant to Dr. Roger Low, Program Director and Dr. Marc Dall'Era
Department of Urology
University of California, Davis
4860 Y Street, Suite 3500
Sacramento, California 95817
(916) 734-2893 (office)
(916) 734-8094 (FAX)
E-mail: mmontelongo@ucdavis.edu

Residency Matching Program ID# 13851

Application deadline: October 7, 2011 (including three letters of recommendation)

Interview dates: November 8 & 15; December 6, 2011