Endourology Fellowship Program

Western University provides fellowship training in Endourology and Laparoscopy/Robotics. Applicants are selected through the Endourological Society Match. Details regarding the matching process can be found at the Society's website. In general, our applicants are individuals embarking on an academic career path. As such, our program is two years in duration, and is structured to provide the fellows with intense research and clinical training.

Objectives

1. To provide a balanced training in basic and advanced endourological and laparoscopic/robotic treatment of benign urological problems.
2. To provide the fellow with the foundation for an academic career including teaching skills, grant writing skills, manuscript preparation, research methodology and critical appraisal of research.
3. To integrate the fellow into the Urology training program at Western University.

The endourology service at Western is a high-volume referral centre serving much of Ontario and beyond. The majority of the clinical activity is focused at St. Joseph's Hospital in a state-of-the-art minimally invasive surgical suite.  Endourology fellows are provided clinical training in shock wave lithotripsy, rigid and flexible ureteroscopy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, laparoscopy including da Vinci robotic assisted laparoscopic renal surgery for benign conditions.  Training in shock wave lithotripsy is provided on a newly installed Storz SLX-F2 lithotripter. Approximately 1700 shock wave lithotripsy procedures are performed per annum. We perform over 130 percutaneous nephrolithomy procedures/year including securing our own tract access under both fluoroscopic and ultrasound guidance.

The fellowship is designed as a two-year combined clinical and research fellowship.  Clinical responsibilities include participation in all applicable clinical activities such as outpatient urology clinics including the multidisciplinary stone clinic and all applicable endourological, stone, and laparoscopic/robotic surgical procedures. Research will be conducted concurrently throughout the two-year fellowship and fellows will be provided with protected research time (1 day per week) to conduct research.  Opportunities for clinical research including database research, clinical trials, translational and bench-top research are available.  Fellows are also eligible to complete a Master of Surgery in Science degree during their fellowship.  Full-time PhD researchers in microbiology, and surface science technology imaging are frequent research collaborators with our fellows.

Our program, in general, accepts one applicant per year. All applicants must apply through the Endourology Subspecialty Match organized in partnership by the American Urological Association and the Endourological Society.  Applications must include a CV, three letters of reference, and a completed application form which can be submitted at https://medmatch.auanet.org.  The review of prospective applicants' applications and supporting documents begins in January, one full calendar year before the intended start date (usually July 1st). The deadlines for Endourology Program Match and Application submission can be found at https://www.endourology.org/fellowships. 

Candidates who are selected for an interview will be invited to participate in a panel interview with the fellowship supervisors.  Interviews are usually held in- person at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting. Teleconference interviews can also be arranged for those individuals who cannot be accommodated with an in-person interview. Applications will be judged on previous clinical training, research experience and productivity, quality of reference letters, and promise for a career in academic urology. Although salary support funding is available, candidates are encouraged to seek their own supplemental funding if feasible.