Urologic Oncology and Robotic Surgery Fellowship Program Structure

Eligibility

Candidates must be graduates of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) - accredited urology program. There are generally three one-year clinical fellowship positions available for board-eligible/certified urologists. In addition, we offer two-year fellowships for those interested in enriching their training in basic science, translational and outcomes research in preparation for a career in academic urology.

The two-year fellows spend the first 12 months participating in research. The second 12 months will be the urologic oncology and robotic surgery clinical training on the urology service. During the clinical year, the fellows participate in a high volume of laparoscopic/robotic procedures and open oncology surgery, provide care for inpatients, including ICU care and offer continuity of care in the outpatient clinics.

Responsibilities

The fellow is responsible for inpatient care and typically operates four days per week with any one of the six current urologic oncology faculty members. The fellow is currently supported clinically by nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Completion of this program also mandates that our fellows present at national meetings, write research papers, get involved with clinical trials, participate in journal clubs and present lectures to the oncologic community. Clinical fellows will also rotate at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California, and Foothill Presbyterian, in addition to their rotation at City of Hope.

Based on current occupancy levels, fellows would be anticipated to participate in the surgical care and management of approximately 800 robotic radical prostatectomies, 75 robotic radical cystectomies with urinary diversion, 150 robotic partial and radical nephrectomies, and 40 retroperitoneal lymph node dissections. A variety of other endoscopic, endourologic and general urology cases occur throughout the year, as well as brachytherapy, focal therapy of the prostate, MRI-ultrasound fusion transperineal biopsy of the prostate, and others.

The robotic curriculum is focused on both achieving expertise in single-port and multi-port robotic surgery. City of Hope offers one of the busiest single-port robotic curriculums for advanced oncologic surgery over the past six years.

While minimally invasive techniques are an important part of this program, our fellows are also trained in complex open surgical techniques such as postchemotherapy RPLNDs, nephrectomies with caval thrombus, open cystectomies and urinary tract reconstructions (including orthotopic neobladders and Indiana Pouches). Because our fellows train in a nationally recognized National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, they also have opportunities to participate in many multi-teamed procedures for abdominal and pelvic malignancies. Fellows are also exposed to a multidisciplinary treatment approach to urologic cancers by developing close relationships with radiation oncology, medical oncology, uroradiology and uropathology.