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, discuss key topics in health policy for urology and recap the American Urological Association’s (AUA) recent Annual Urology Advocacy Summit, which took place from February 26-28 in Washington DC. Rhee is the chief of urology for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, the president-elect of the AUA Western section, and the chair of the AUA public policy council. Galansky is a PGY-4 urology resident at Johns Hopkins University Brady Urological Institute in Baltimore, Maryland as well as the 2024 AUA Holtgrewe Legislative Fellow.

This discussion originally took place during a live X (formerly Twitter) Spaces event held by Urology Times. To begin their discussion, Rhee and Galansky highlighted the 3 legislative priorities of this year’s AUA Advocacy Summit: Medicare reform, the workforce shortage, and telehealth. They also discussed the meaning of the theme for this year’s meeting, which was “resilience.”

During the event, Rhee also reflected on how the AUA Advocacy Summit has grown since it first began, given that this year’s meeting was the final Summit under his tenure as Chair of the Public Policy Council. Galansky also provided insight on her experience becoming involved with the AUA, and shared how other young urologists in the field can get involved with advocacy.

Rhee and Galansky ended their discussion with hopes of future positive legislative change for the field of urology.

, or anywhere that podcasts are available.

In this episode of Speaking of Urology®, Eugene Rhee, MD, MBA, and Logan Galansky, MD, discuss key topics in health policy and recap the AUA's recent Annual Urology Advocacy Summit. 

Health policy in urology: 2024 AUA Advocacy Summit recap

 highlights the role that advanced practice providers (APPs) can play in filling the gaps created by the growing work force shortages in urology. Bunce is a physician assistant at Advanced Urology Institute in Naples, Florida.

Specifically, Bunce outlines the help that APPs may offer in the treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which she highlighted during a session at the most recent American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting titled, “Choices That Matter: Optimizing BPH Care for Urologists, APPs and Patients.”

Bunce comments, “This is something that's going to help prolong physician longevity, which will also extend and help with the physician shortage. The amount of effort and energy that a physician can pour into their APP will have a return on investment greater than you could imagine.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Speaking of Urology® on 

In this episode, Janelle Bunce, PA-C, highlights the role that advanced practice providers can play in filling the gaps created by the growing workforce shortages in urology. 

How APPs can bridge the gap in urologist shortages

Every year, young urologists start their long-awaited exciting careers after going through a few challenging years in residency. Dr. Bristol Whiles, who recently graduated from her residency in urology, talks about her trajectory in these hard times and brings us some interesting thoughts on how to overcome the difficulties that inherently residency brings us, but at the same time be productive and competent in what is expected of a great resident. Although it is common sense that a resident works incessantly, it does not mean that they cannot dedicate some time for their families and hobbies. The one-million-dollar question is: “how can they do that?”, and she talked us through some game-changer ideas, useful not only to residents, but generalizable to every profession. Brilliant in every way, she managed to excel not only in the triviality of the everyday assignments of a good urology resident but also showed above-average engagement in cutting-edge research at the university, which was a determining factor for her choice to engage in a minimally invasive surgery fellowship program. Finally, she gives some insights to younger residents that aspire to stand out and excel in their future careers.

On this podcast, Bristol Whiles, MD, discusses her urology residency experience at the Kansas University School of Medicine Department of Urology.

Dr. Bristol Whiles discusses her experience as a urology resident

® Assistant Editor Janelle Hart spoke with 

. She discusses why and how mentorship can be valuable at any point in a urologist’s career. Suskind is an associate professor of urology and obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences, and a chief of neurourology and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.

“Open your mind to being both [a mentee and mentor,] no matter where you are,” says Anne M. Suskind, MD, MS, FACS, FPMRS.

The “reciprocal relationship” of mentorship in urology

 She discusses how and why urologists are succumbing to burnout and depression and suggests ways in which they can improve their mental health in their everyday practice. Londoño is a urologic oncology surgeon and assistant clinical professor in the department of surgery at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California.

“We cannot give if our cup is empty,” says Diana Londoño, MD.

Consequences of burnout and depression in urology

. He discusses why it is so important as a physician to be educated on the tips and protocols associated with identity theft. Moyad is the director of preventative/complementary and alternative medicine in the department of urology at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“I thought identity theft was simple. You fix this 1 little thing. Today, what physicians and health care professionals need to be on the lookout for is [that] it's much different,” says Mark A. Moyad, MD, MPH, on the latest Speaking of Urology podcast episode. 

Dr. Moyad discusses the reality of identity theft as a physician

 discusses findings from the study, “Failure to Attend Urology Appointments: A Retrospective Analysis of a Single Urban Academic Practice,” which was published in 

. White is a urology resident at Maine Medical Center, Portland.

“I think one of the most surprising things to us as we started to look at the data is that we had a very low rate of no shows amongst telemedicine visits,” says Randie White, MD.

Urologist Dr. Randie White discusses appointment no-shows

study, “Impact of urology trainee debt levels on future practice choices and expectations,” for which he served as a study author. Harris is an assistant professor of urology at the University of Kentucky, Lexington.

“We really found it surprising the sheer amount of debt that our urology trainees are carrying,” Harris said.

Dr. Andrew Harris discusses debt levels in urology trainees

discusses the recent Urology Practice study, The impact of stricter guidelines on post-interview contact, restricted interview topics and differences by gender in the urology match, for which she served as senior author. Kielb is chief of reconstruction and neurourology and professor of urology, medical education, and obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.

“I think the take home message is that when you're interviewing applicants in your program, take a step back and think about the questions you want to ask,” says Stephanie J. Kielb, MD.

Dr. Stephanie Kielb on curbing restricted questions in the urology match process

 discusses findings from a recent study published in Urology titled, Gender differences in authorship in urology: a five-year review of publications in five high-impact journals, for which she served as senior author. Kieran is an associate professor of urology at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Kathleen Kieran, MD, MSc, MME, discusses findings from a recent paper published in Urology.

Study evaluates authorship for women in urology

"I hope that [attendees] will be exposed to a community where they feel that they're able to freely ask questions, gain accurate information, and feel heard, validated, and connected," says Lauren E. Corona, MD.

Navigating work-life balance: VUMC’s Family Planning for Surgeons Series

"The final rule for 2025 poses several challenges to urology. Lobbying efforts to preserve telehealth access and the CF will continue, perhaps dragging into 2025," write Jonathan Rubenstein, MD, and Mark Painter.

Final rule: Conversion factor set for 2.83% reduction in 2025

"If you tapped into your emergency fund for any reason this year, it is important to make sure the account is replenished," writes Jeff Witz, CFP.

Money Matters: Go into 2025 strong with this year-end financial checklist

"If the documentation supported the use of modifier –22, it should be appended," write Jonathan Rubenstein, MD, and Mark Painter.

How to code for cystoscopy with litholapaxy of more than 40 bladder calculi

"Remember that whether or not it's your first time down the aisle, marriage is a celebration. Don't let all the financial and administrative details that go along with your special day spoil it," writes Jeff Witz, CFP.

Money Matters: Financial considerations when getting married

Juan J. Andino, MD, MBA, shares key concerns for the future of telehealth as Congress weighs a decision surrounding the extension of telehealth flexibilities. 

Juan J. Andino, MD, on key concerns surrounding the future of telehealth

 shares key concerns for the future of telehealth as Congress weighs a decision surrounding the extension of telehealth flexibilities. Andino is an assistant professor of urology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The main thing is the expiration, and then what's going to happen? Patients have become used to this. If somebody has been having that telehealth relationship, and then all of a sudden, January 1, 2025, they're told by a clinic or by a hospital system, "Hey, sorry. We know you know this surgeon, doctor, what have you. They know your history. They've taken care of you. But now we're not going to get paid if they provide that health care to you, so you're not going to be able to maintain that relationship." That's going to be extremely sad and disappointing for patients and physicians alike.

The other aspects of the waivers and the things that remain in flux and that are not fully fleshed out are going to be things like interstate telehealth. There was a period during the pandemic where you could provide telehealth across state lines. Those waivers expired because the pandemic has been under better control, and that has not been part of the flexibilities that have been extended. But that's an ongoing conversation that's a little bit controversial. There are some people who are very pro in the oncology space. You can probably make an argument that's probably one of the most important areas, because there are centers of excellence. There are things like radical cystectomy, retroperitoneal lymph node dissections, [where] patients are going to get better outcomes if they go to a place that focuses and specializes in those types of high-risk surgeries. That's one of the components, the interstate telehealth.

The other part that there's been a lot of discussion around is phone visits or audio-only visits. Historically, telehealth has been primarily reimbursed or covered if it's a synchronous video, but we know that not every patient is going to have access to broadband internet, smartphones, computers, laptops, what have you. There is some worry that if you only reimburse video and in-person the same, that we may create a new digital divide [for] the folks who live in more rural areas, and there's a number of studies that have shown that minority patients may be less likely to be able to use video and rely on phone visits. If those types of encounters are not considered equitable or not reimbursed in the same way, that could unintentionally lead to some down the road consequences of a portion of our patients have better access to care, but now this other group actually has worse access because they either have to come in-person, or they're not getting those opportunities to connect.

This transcript was AI generated and edited by human editors for clarity.

Videos

“The other aspects of the waivers and the things that remain in flux and are not fully fleshed out are going to be things like interstate telehealth,” says Juan J. Andino, MD, MBA.

Raveen Syan, MD, FPMRS, discusses the upcoming Urology on the Beach conference in Miami Beach, Florida

Raveen Syan, MD, FPMRS, previews the 2025 Urology on the Beach conference

 in Miami Beach, Florida. Syan is an assistant professor of clinical urology at Desai Sethi Urology Institute in Miami, Florida as well as course co-director for Urology on the Beach.

The Desai Sethi Urology on the Beach conference happens annually, and this is our third year. Every single year, we have seen the number of speakers and guests increase by at least 100, so this year, in 2025, we're expecting an even greater number of people than we've seen in the past. What's unique about our conference is the focus is not on just showcasing what our institute has to offer; the real focus is on networking and collaborating with the top institutes in the nation. Our speaker list is actually not even our own faculty only. It's primarily faculty members from the best urology institutes that you can find here in America and even in Canada. This year represents a truly international scope, where we have 2 Canadian faculty members who will be speaking. They are among the most reputable leaders in urology, and we're so excited to have them help teach us in America what new challenges or innovations to treatment that exist that can help us all learn together.

The other important benefit of coming to our unique conference is that we have a very hands-on experience. We have hands-on labs where innovations in technology such as sacral neuromodulation, urethral bulking agents, and prostate cancer diagnosis are available for you to practice and learn from, with the experts, with the companies, with the devices.

Another big part of our Urology on the Beach conference is we showcase other departments. Every year we invite speakers to bring a trainee—that means a fellow, a medical student, a resident—who can help teach all of us what their institute has to offer and what's unique and important about them. This really drives home that this is not an event meant to just show off our wonderful department, but to show off how much we can achieve if we collaborate and work together and ideally create even greater opportunity for further research, innovative ideas, and growth in the field of urology.

Finally, it's in January, so where else in the United States would you want to be but in Miami. You're welcome and encouraged to bring your family and enjoy a beautiful stay at the famous Fontainebleau on Miami Beach.

"What's unique about our conference is the focus is not on just showcasing what our institute has to offer; the real focus is on networking and collaborating with the top institutes in the nation," says Raveen Syan, MD, FPMRS.

Chad Ellimoottil, MD, MS, highlights specific concerns surrounding the future of telehealth waivers.

Chad Ellimoottil, MD, discusses future for payment parity, interstate telehealth 

highlights specific concerns surrounding the future of telehealth waivers, which are set to expire on December 31, 2024 if no Congressional action is taken. Ellimoottil is the medical director for telehealth and an associate professor of urology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Going beyond telehealth coverage after December 31, 2024, there are other specific issues that urologists are interested in. For example, payment parity. Will telehealth visits be covered at the same rate as in-person visits? We don't have perfect visibility on that, but there hasn't been any strong signal that payment parity is going to be changed.

Then there's always this concern about doing virtual care across state lines; that's called interstate telehealth. Unfortunately, I don't think that there's going to be any major achievements in that arena right now. Interstate telehealth is governed at the state level. Fifty states have 50 different perspectives on this, so that might take a while before we have some sort of cohesive national plan for that.

Chad Ellimoottil, MD, MS, details specific concerns surrounding the future of telehealth as Congress weighs the decision to extend flexibilities. 

Chad Ellimoottil, MD, considers future for payment parity, interstate telehealth 

Juan J. Andino, MD, MBA, considers the barriers that are preventing telehealth from reaching its full potential as Congress weighs the decision to extend telehealth flexibilities. 

Juan J. Andino, MD, on the uncertainty surrounding telehealth coverage

 considers the barriers that are preventing telehealth from reaching its full potential as Congress weighs the decision to extend telehealth flexibilities. Andino is an assistant professor of urology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

I'd say one of the things that is on everyone's mind and is hindering ongoing investment in telehealth and the infrastructure needed for telehealth is just the fact that everything is in limbo. Because all the flexibilities from the pandemic have been extended, but nothing has been made permanent, health systems, clinics, at the organizational level, it's hard to fully commit and prepare for using telehealth, if in 2 weeks or a month, it all reverts, and you're not getting paid for or reimbursed appropriately for providing care in that in that sort of way. I think the fact that everything remains in limbo, we're waiting for Congress to act, and that nothing has been made permanent. For example, new patient visits prior to the pandemic could not be done through telehealth in most cases. There are some exceptions, the VA and other kinds of organized health systems, but in general, telehealth was reserved and paid for primarily by private insurances for patients who already had been established with a doctor, but they lived far so they were able to do follow-up. Without the ability to do new patient telehealth, by definition, it's really hard to impact access to care. It would be truly sad to lose out on that potential of telehealth if everything went back to pre-pandemic levels.

“Without the ability to do new patient telehealth, by definition, it's really hard to impact access to care,” says Juan J. Andino, MD, MBA.

Chad Ellimoottil, MD, MS, discusses the ‘positive momentum’ seen to extend telehealth flexibilities

Chad Ellimoottil, MD, on the ‘positive momentum’ to extend telehealth flexibilities

Lawmakers made available several telehealth flexibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to expand access to care. These flexibilities are set to expire on December 31, 2024 if Congressional action is not taken. In this interview, 

Ellimoottil is the medical director for telehealth and an associate professor of urology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

There are quite a few telehealth waivers that are set to expire in 2025. It's important to understand the history. In March 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a number of different telehealth flexibilities that were made available that allowed telehealth to really grow and flourish. As we reach these milestones, the end of the national public health emergency and so forth, flexibilities kept getting extended. Really, the next big clip is December 31, 2024 where these telehealth flexibilities are set to expire. Now, there's a lot of concern about that, because we're getting close to that date, but in general, what we find is that there's been a lot of positive momentum to extend those flexibilities even further for another 2 years. For example, there's been passage of bills that have passed House committees; there's 1 that passed 41 to 0, so unanimously passed in a bipartisan fashion that would extend coverage for another 2 years. So, we're still waiting to hear about the final rules here, but definitely a lot of positive momentum.

Within these bills are a lot of the common things that you would think about, whether or not telehealth is going to be covered by the Medicare program, whether there's going to be any geographic restrictions, whether or not phone calls are going to be covered. So, in summary, I think that there's been a lot of positive momentum to continue coverage for telehealth without geographic restrictions, to continue coverage for phone calls, but there's still some uncertainty as to whether or not that's going to be passed, even though there is a lot of optimism for it.

"I think that there's been a lot of positive momentum to continue coverage for telehealth without geographic restrictions, to continue coverage for phone calls, but there's still some uncertainty as to whether or not that's going to be passed, even though there is a lot of optimism for it," says Chad Ellimoottil, MD, MS. 

Ernest A. Morton, MD, MBA, MS, shares initial findings on a study assessing the use of an AI scribe.

Ernest Morton, MD, shares initial findings on the use of an AI scribe

, shares initial findings on a study assessing the use of an AI scribe. Morton is a PGY-3 resident at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

The general results are that from the Abridge or the AI scribe [study], the time to completion of notes is significantly shorter, which ultimately allows us to bill more efficiently and bill quicker. Physicians are spending, depending on how much they utilize it, 20% to 30% less time on nights and weekends. The initial survey data that we have from physicians [shows] that it's improving their own clinical experience. It's removing the computer or barrier between them and the patient, and it allows them to really engage with the patient and not have to be distracted. That's some of the initial things.

Initial findings from a study on AI scribe usage indicate a significant reduction in note completion time, enhancing billing efficiency. Physicians report spending 20% to 30% less time on documentation during nights and weekends. The AI scribe improves the clinical experience by minimizing the computer's role as a barrier, allowing for better patient engagement. These benefits suggest that AI scribes can streamline administrative tasks, ultimately improving physician-patient interactions and reducing physician workload outside regular hours.

“Physicians are spending, depending on how much they utilize it, 20% to 30% less time on nights and weekends,” says Ernest A. Morton, MD, MBA, MS.

Phillip M. Pierorazio, MD, gives an overview of his presentation “No is a Complete Sentence: Setting Boundaries"

Urologist discusses when to say “no” as a professional

 gives an overview of his presentation “No is a Complete Sentence: Setting Boundaries,” which he gave at the 25th Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America. He is chief in the Section of Urology at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and professor of surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Please discuss your SMSNA 2024 presentation "No is a Complete Sentence: Setting Boundaries."

I was asked to speak about saying "no," and there are lots of people who give a great talk on this, and I tried to give my spin on that. Saying "no" is one of our biggest challenges in our careers as physicians, especially in academic careers, for people who are truly involved in the societies and committees and writing and grants and all of these different things. You just get pulled in so many different directions. And there's been a long, I think, false narrative in medicine about saying "yes" to as many things as possible. "That's how you get your foot in the door. That's how you get experienced. That's how you get established and known." And that is not true. The correct thing to do is say "yes" to the correct things, and to say "yes" to the correct things, you have to learn how to say "no," and it's really important to be able to do that. We only have limited energy and resources, mostly in terms of our cognitive function. There's only so many things we can work on and think about in a day. And once again, being purposeful, intentional about what we want to do, allows us to really focus our energies and focus our decision making, where we say "yes" and where we say "no."

Physicians, particularly in academic settings, face challenges in setting boundaries due to numerous professional demands. The prevailing notion that saying "yes" to everything is beneficial is misleading. Instead, discerning when to say "no" is crucial for managing limited cognitive resources effectively. By being intentional and purposeful in decision-making, physicians can focus their energies on meaningful tasks. This approach not only enhances productivity but also ensures that their professional commitments align with their personal and career goals, ultimately leading to a more balanced and fulfilling career.

"Saying 'no' is one of our biggest challenges in our careers as physicians," according to Phillip M. Pierorazio, MD.

Ernest A. Morton, MD, MBA, MS, highlights 2 ongoing projects centered around AI in urology

Ernest Morton, MD, highlights ongoing work with AI in urology 

, highlights 2 ongoing projects centered around artificial intelligence (AI) in urology. Morton is a PGY-3 resident at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. 

AI is a hot topic everywhere, so I really had an interest in how AI is affecting urologic care. So, I'm looking at a couple projects that are focused on AI, the first of which is Emory started to use an AI scribe. It's software that we're able to deploy on our phones or any device before we walk into a room with a patient. We can simply just prime the software by saying, this is a 50-year-old woman who had this surgery 2 weeks ago. She's here for a post-op visit. We're able to go in and talk to the patient, [and] the device can pick up on that conversation. If we're having small talk about maybe the patient's last vacation, it knows to exclude that. It takes all the salient, pertinent information and creates a template and a note. So, I'm looking at the data as far as how that's affected time to completion of notes, how that's affected physician satisfaction, how much time physicians are spending logged into the health record on nights and weekends outside of business hours, and trying to gain metrics on how that's changed our practice from a patient, as well as a clinical perspective from the physician standpoint.

And then the other project is, prostate cancer is something that we do a lot of as urologists, and part of that is getting tissue samples with prostate biopsies and determining and risk stratifying patients' cancer. We're looking at training an AI algorithm to be able to analyze all of these biopsies and be able to identify cancer and risk stratify the patient, as well as make other predictions about their long-term outcomes and prognosis. Those are the 2 big projects we’re working on.

Artificial intelligence is being integrated into urologic care through two key projects. The first involves an AI scribe at Emory University, which assists in creating clinical notes by capturing relevant patient information during consultations, potentially improving physician satisfaction and reducing after-hours work. The second project focuses on training an AI algorithm to analyze prostate biopsy samples, aiming to enhance cancer detection, risk stratification, and prognostic predictions. These initiatives highlight the potential of AI to transform clinical workflows and improve patient outcomes in urology.

Ernest A. Morton, MD, MBA, MS, spotlights projects looking at the use of AI scribes to assist in notetaking and an AI algorithm to analyze prostate biopsies. 

Phillip M. Pierorazio, MD, discusses the importance of mindfulness

Phillip M. Pierorazio, MD, on the importance of mindfulness

 discusses the importance of mindfulness. At the 25th Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America, Pierorazio gave the presentation “Getting To Zen - Generating a Life Mission Through Mindfulness.” He is chief in the Section of Urology at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and professor of surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

It's now become one of the more popular conversations I have with people is how to use mindfulness, or at least the principles of mindfulness, in a surgical practice. One of the ways I always start that conversation is, what's the goal? Why are we doing this? It started with a quest and an attempt to understand how we could have longer, more sustainable, healthy careers. We know doctors are burning out, but we know surgeons specifically, and urologists especially, higher rates of burnout, shorter careers, lot of recidivism. It's hard to retain people and keep them happy. Our lives are stressful. Mindfulness in itself, is not the cure. Sitting cross legged, or doing yoga are not going to prevent any of those things, but the foundations of mindfulness, which are really rooted in being intentional or purposeful, enjoying or being present in the moment and trying to be as non-judgmental as possible, or basically being able to take things as they are and stop acting so emotionally or irrationally. You take the foundations of those 3 concepts, it can help you have a much more productive, fruitful, enjoyable existence as both a surgeon as a and a human being.

Mindfulness principles can significantly enhance the well-being and career longevity of surgeons, particularly urologists, who face high burnout rates. By focusing on intentionality, presence, and non-judgmental awareness, mindfulness helps mitigate stress and emotional reactivity, fostering a more sustainable and fulfilling professional life. While not a panacea, these practices contribute to a healthier work-life balance, aiding in retention and satisfaction. The emphasis is on integrating mindfulness into daily routines to cultivate a more productive and enjoyable existence both professionally and personally.

"It's now become one of the more popular conversations I have with people is how to use mindfulness, or at least the principles of mindfulness, in a surgical practice," says Phillip M. Pierorazio, MD.

Akanksha Mehta, MD, MS, shares insight into the residency program at Emory Urology.

Akanksha Mehta, MD, MS, highlights the residency program at Emory Urology 

, shares insight into the residency program at Emory Urology. Mehta is a professor and the director of male reproductive health in the department of urology at Emory University School of Medicine, and at Emory Urology. She also serves as the Director of Urology Undergraduate Medical Education at Emory and as Assistant Program Director for the Emory Urology Residency training program.

The Emory residency program is a really unique program for several reasons. One, we're a big program; we're one of the bigger programs in the country, both in terms of resident complement, but also in terms of the number of sites that we have our residents train at. We're also a very diverse program. Atlanta is a city of 6-7 million people now, quickly growing, and we are the only academic center in town. So, this is 1 academic training program that really serves the majority of Georgia, as well as the states that touch this part of Georgia. So, we have a very large catchment area.

Our residents rotate through the Emory hospitals that are tertiary and regional referral centers. We have 2 dedicated pediatric hospitals that they go to. We have a regional VA Medical Center, and we have a level 1 trauma safety net hospital. That provides a lot of diversity in terms of patients, pathology, and the type of services that we offer. I truly think it sets us apart from almost any other program in the country. I know I'm biased, but I think that.

Our residents come out really well trained clinically. This has always been the foundation of our training. I took over as program director 6 years ago, and I really wanted to make sure that we were adding more than just clinical excellence. So, we have a research rotation for our residents that we're able to incorporate into their 5-year training program because our volume is so large from a clinical perspective. Our residents have gone on to publish multiple papers during the time that they train with us.

And I want to also make sure that we leverage the other strengths of Emory for our program. This year, we are starting an international rotation with a focus on global health and humanitarian work. That's our new foray as a residency training program. I'm looking into how we can increase our impact on like rural health as well in Georgia. So, making small changes, but really proud of everything we've accomplished here, and obviously [it's a] group effort from all the faculty and the residents and our wonderful admin team.

Emory Urology's residency program stands out due to its size, diversity, and comprehensive training opportunities. Serving a large catchment area, it offers rotations through various hospitals, including pediatric and trauma centers, enhancing clinical exposure. The program emphasizes clinical excellence and incorporates a research rotation, allowing residents to publish extensively. Recent initiatives include an international rotation focusing on global health and humanitarian work, and efforts to impact rural health in Georgia. The program's success is attributed to collaborative efforts among faculty, residents, and administrative staff.

"This year, we are starting an international rotation with a focus on global health and humanitarian work," says Akanksha Mehta, MD, MS.

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