Residency

Urology is a specialty that evaluates and treats patients with disorders of the genito-urinary tract, including the adrenal gland. The Residency Program in Urology at the University of Washington is a six-year program.  Our residents spend one year in general surgery at the University of Washington and then perform four years of clinical urology. There are an additional 12 months of research in urology which typically occur during the 4th year.

Residents are required to learn about all aspects of general urology, including oncology, pediatrics, female urology, stone and minimally invasive surgeries, erectile dysfunction and vascular physiology, and genitourinary pathology and infections.

Additionally, residents are expected to be competent in all six of the ACGME Core Competencies, including the professional, communication and quality domains. In addition to the competencies, all residents are expected to mature professionally and develop knowledge in selflessness, medical ethics, self-reflection and accountability.

All residents are required to perform 12 months of substantial research in urology in one of our laboratories. Research projects are typically presented at regional and national conferences and are required to be presented at the Annual Urology Research Day. In addition to experiencing a collegial research environment and conducting specific research projects, all residents are expected to participate in didactic courses such as statistics, clinical trial design, or molecular biology. These courses not only assist residents in their ability to evaluate journal articles critically but they also promote effective writing and communication about their projects. It is expected that several papers worthy of publication will be generated throughout residency.

During the research year, residents are required to participate in a weekly continuity clinic, share in the call schedule on an infrequent basis, take an elective, which can be a month's rotation with the multi-organ transplantation team at UW, or another specific rotation which can be designed in coordination with and approved by the program director.