Urology residents at Wake Forest University School of Medicine are expected to acquire knowledge in the field of urology through:
Depending on your rotation, you may train at facilities across our system. Explore below a few of the spaces where residents of this program spend a lot of their time. Navigate the drop-down to switch rooms and use your mouse (or finger for touch screens) to rotate around the room. - Didactic lectures and clinical conferences
- The care of patients in the clinic, hospital and operating room, guided by attending supervision and in self-study
- Simulation and skills labs held throughout the year
Our established basic urology curriculum provides comprehensive coverage of the major fields of urology including:
- Anatomy and evaluation of the urologic patient
- Renal and adrenal physiology and pathophysiology and renal transplantation
- Oncology
- Female urology and neurourology
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Infectious disease
- Sexual function and dysfunction
- Trauma and reconstruction
- Stone disease and endourology
- Infertility
- Pediatric urology
Virtual Tour
The curriculum follows a two-year cycle so that during the course of the full urology training, residents will have completed a complete curriculum several times before graduation.
Clinical Rotations
Year 1: Research
The research year gives residents exposure to both basic and clinical research, an opportunity that will serve them well regardless of their career track.Year 2: Surgical and Urology Clinical Rotations
The second year of the program is dedicated to surgical training in various clinical areas. Residents will spend six months of this year rotating on urology and six months rotating on other core general surgery rotations.Years 3-6: Urology Clinical Rotations
The urology program at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is structured to provide an increasing level of experience throughout the years of clinical urology training.Year 3: Adult Urology
Residents rotate on the two main adult urology services at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center as well as the urology service at local Veterans Health Administration.Year 4: Pediatric Urology, Female Pelvic Health, Community Urology, Consult Service
During this year the residents rotate through the subspecialties of pediatric urology and female pelvic health. They also spend time at one of our community hospitals to experience practice in a high-volume private practice like setting. Residents also spend time on the consultation service learning the diagnosis and management of urologic emergencies.Year 5: Senior Residency, Elective Time, Transplant Surgery
During this year residents graduate from junior residents to senior residency. They return to the Veterans Health Administration as the chief resident of the service as well as have off service rotations with transplant surgery and elective time.Year 6: Chief Residency
The chief resident is in charge of the urology outpatient clinic and has supervision over all inpatient adult urologic patients on his or her service.For a full detailed description of rotations please download our Urology Residency Curriculum Overview Guide.
Conferences and Didactics
In addition to the core curriculum weekly conference, the department conducts weekly urology grand rounds, which cover a host of topics related to the practice of urology.
Some of the rotating grand rounds topics include:
- Journal club
- Multidisciplinary conferences
- Morbidity and Mortality Conferences
- Tumor Board
Research Opportunities and Presentations
- All residents in the urology training program are required to engage in scholarly activity. This is accomplished during the first year, which is dedicated to research.
- If a resident possesses specific talents that lend themselves to participation in an ongoing basic scientific research project throughout the residency, and if it is approved by the appropriate faculty, then permission will be granted for these cases to continue the research.
- Residents are expected to have at least one publication to complete the training program. Most residents will complete a number of projects and present their findings at national and regional meetings.
- Residents are funded for approved meetings if they are presenting an academic paper or participating in an academic program. Intermediate-level urology residents are also supported to attend the annual American Urological Association Basic Science Review Course.
- All residents are required to present two researched topics (in didactic lecture form) at the Wednesday morning conference each year of their residency.