Education - Residency Program
About the Program
The Department of Urology residency program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons is one of the oldest and most accomplished Urology programs in the nation. The goal of our Department is to provide unsurpassed excellence in patient care, research, and residency and fellowship training. This year, NewYork-Presbyterian was ranked the best hospital in New York City and among the top urology programs in the nation in US News and World Report. Our faculty are internationally recognized experts in the fields of Urologic Oncology, BPH, NeuroUrology/Urodynamics, Female Urology, Pediatric Urology, Urolithiasis, Reconstructive Surgery, Male and Female Sexual Dysfunction, and Male Infertility. Our emphasis is on Minimally Invasive Surgery, which permeates all of the above disciplines. The Department of Urology residency program includes several campuses: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, The Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, NewYork-Presbyterian/Allen Pavilion, and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospitals.
A Six-Year Residency
Starting with the 2005 applicants, the Urology Residency Program at Columbia Urology again became a six-year program. The program is fully accredited having received the maximum five-year accreditation in January 2005. The program accepts three residents per year. The first 12 months (internship year) are spent in the Department of Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia with monthly rotations through various surgical sub-specialties including two months as the adult urology intern. The subsequent five years are spent entirely in urology training: four clinical years and one research year. Residents obtain comprehensive training in adult and pediatric Urology through direct interaction with our faculty both in office and hospital settings. Didactic sessions are provided through weekly tumor boards, GU radiology rounds, board review sessions, and grand rounds as well as monthly journal clubs. Residents are able to develop and hone their laparoscopic and robotic skills in our minimally invasive surgery laboratory, which includes laparoscopic and robotic trainers (MIMIC System). It is of note that the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital pediatric Urology service has the highest surgical case volume of any non-fellowship program in the country and as a result, affords our residents a unique opportunity.
A Full Year of Research
The PGY-4 year is spent in the Urology research laboratories (Cory Abate-Shen, Ph.D., Carlos Cordon-Cardo, M.D., Ph.D., or Cathy Mendelsohn, Ph.D.), in the laboratories of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (Dr. Riccardo Dalla Favera, Director) or in clinical research with a clinical faculty mentor. Dr. Abate-Shen is one of the world's experts in mouse models of prostate and bladder cancer and is studying prostate and bladder carcinogenesis and chemoprevention. Dr. Cordon-Cardo is perhaps the world's leading systems pathologist studying prostate and bladder cancer. Dr. Mendelsohn is a world leader in the molecular embryology of ureteral and renal development. Many of our clinical faculty are active in Phase I, II and III clinical trials, as well as industry-sponsored research and research in conjunction with the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Academic Leaders
Our program is committed to training the leaders of Urology for today and tomorrow. Many of our residents pursue careers in academic urology and have gone on to competitive fellowship programs at the NCI, UCLA, University of Indiana, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Michigan, Sick Children's in Toronto, M.D. Anderson, North Shore-LIJ Health System and Columbia University.
An Opportunity for Fourth Year Medical Students
The entire faculty is dedicated to the training of our residents and believes that there is no finer training program anywhere in the world. We are anxious to have the opportunity to meet you. Applicants are encouraged to learn more about our program and faculty by spending a month as a sub-intern during their fourth-year of medical school. This is not a prerequisite and other applicants who have been unable to do a sub-internship have chosen to spend shorter periods of time on service to get to know our faculty and program better. Medical students may apply for a fourth year elective by contacting Ms. Jacqueline Tavarez at jt328@columbia.edu or (212) 305-1371.
Application Process
The Department of Urology participates in the ERAS application system. We require 3 letters of recommendation, your medical school Dean's letter, and medical school transcript. Your file should be complete (except for Dean's letter) by September 15th but it is advantageous to have your application complete as early as possible. Successful applicants will be invited for a limited number of interviews in November. Please contact our residency coordinator Ms. Jacqueline Tavarez at jt328@columbia.edu or (212) 305-1371 with any questions.
Sincerely,
Mitchell C. Benson, M.D.
George F. Cahill Professor &
Chairman of Urology
Residency Program Director
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Kimberly L. Cooper, M.D.
Associate Residency Program Director
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