Program Goals and Rotation Schedule

Program Goals

The UCSF Department of Urology recognizes that our training program is one of our most valued assets. We aim to attract bright, committed, and compassionate applicants from diverse backgrounds, who aspire to become future leaders in this specialty. They should possess a desire to serve culturally diverse and medically underserved populations while being dedicated to addressing issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our program exposes residents to the entire spectrum of urologic evaluation, intervention and research, allowing them to master the art and science of urology.

Rotation Schedule

THE FIRST YEAR OF RESIDENCY (PGY1)

  • 6 months with the UCSF Department of Surgery. Intern rotations focus on maximal exposure to basic open and laparoscopic general surgery procedures, critical care, kidney transplant, trauma, and plastic surgery.
  • 6 months with the UCSF Department of Urology at UCSF Health sites In this role the intern will learn how to perform urologic inpatient care, consults, as well as gain experience in the clinic and operating room across a broad spectrum of urologic conditions including pediatric urology, urologic oncology, and benign urology.
    • Mission Bay – 3 months
    • Parnassus – 3 months

THE FIRST-YEAR UROLOGY RESIDENT (PGY2)

  • 3 months at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC). Residents learn general, oncologic, reconstructive, and endourology through outpatient, inpatient, and operating room experiences. During this rotation the resident will learn how to do transrectal ultrasound, cystoscopy, fluoroscopy imaging and interpretation in the clinic setting. In the operating room they will learn open, laparoscopic, robotic, and endourologic skills.
  • 3 months at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFGH). The resident focuses on trauma, general urology, cystoscopy, transrectal ultrasound, and endourology and residents begin to develop their open, endoscopic, and laparoscopic surgery skills.
  • 2 months on UCSF Health night rotation based at Parnassus covering care for UCSF Health inpatients, answering service calls, and emergency room consults.
  • 2 months on UCSF Health float rotation based at Parnassus, Mission Bay, and Bayfront where residents are exposed to subspecialty outpatient and operative care in infertility, endourology, and neuro-urology with one-on-one apprenticeship.
  • 2 months on UCSF Health pediatric urology rotation based at Mission Bay. The resident learns pediatric urology in the inpatient, outpatient, and operating room environments.

THE SECOND YEAR UROLOGY RESIDENT (PGY3)

  • 3 months at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC). Residents expand and refine their knowledge in general, oncologic, reconstructive, and endourology through outpatient, inpatient, and operating room experiences. During this rotation the resident will improve upon clinic-based procedures such as transrectal ultrasound, cystoscopy, and fluoroscopy imaging and interpretation. In the operating room they will refine their open, laparoscopic, robotic, and endourologic skills.
  • 3 months at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFGH). The resident focuses on trauma, general urology, cystoscopy, transrectal ultrasound, and endourology and residents work on refining their open, endoscopic, and laparoscopic surgery skills.
  • 1 month on UCSF Health night rotation based at Parnassus covering care for UCSF Health inpatients, answering service calls, and emergency room consults.
  • 1 month on UCSF Health float rotation based at Parnassus, Mission Bay, and Bayfront where residents are exposed to subspecialty outpatient and operative care in infertility, endourology, and neuro-urology with one-on-one apprenticeship.
  • 1 month on UCSF Health pediatric urology rotation based at Mission Bay. The resident expands upon pediatric urology knowledge in the inpatient, outpatient, and operating room environments.
  • 1 month on UCSF Health endourology rotation focused on learning sub-specialty care in the inpatient, outpatient, and operative settings including clinic-based care and procedures, laparoscopic skills and endourologic skills.
  • 1 month on the UCSF Health female/neuro-urology rotation focused on learning sub-specialty female pelvic medicine and neuro-urology related to both pediatrics and adults. This is a clinic and operative-based rotation.
  • 1 month on the UCSF Health male reconstruction rotation focused n learning sub-specialty male reconstructive care including clinic-based procedures and evaluation, inpatient care, and learning complex operative skills including genital and abdominal reconstruction and implants.

THE THIRD YEAR UROLOGY RESIDENT (PGY4)

  • 3 months on UCSF Health Chief rotation where they focus on running the inpatient/consult service and team at Parnassus, learning transgender outpatient, operative, and inpatient care, and refine their endourologic techniques.
  • 2 months on UCSF Health endourology rotation focused on refining sub-specialty care in the inpatient, outpatient, and operative settings including clinic-based care and procedures, laparoscopic skills and endourologic skills.
  • 2 months on the UCSF Health female/neuro-urology rotation focused on refining sub-specialty female pelvic medicine and neuro-urology related to both pediatrics and adults. This is a clinic and operative-based rotation.
  • 2 months on the UCSF Health male reconstruction rotation focused on refining sub-specialty male reconstructive care including clinic-based procedures and evaluation, inpatient care, and learning complex operative skills including genital and abdominal reconstruction and implants.
  • 3 months on the UCSF Health oncology rotation based at Mission Bay learning urologic oncology in the outpatient, inpatient, and operating room settings. During this rotation residents will learn sub-specialty care focusing on urothelial cancer, prostate cancer, renal cancer, and penile cancer.

 

THE FOURTH YEAR UROLOGY RESIDENT (PGY5)

  • Residents spend one year dedicated to research. This may include basic science, translational, clinical or outcomes research. Some residents elect to pursue advanced degrees during this year. Often residents explore advanced training in statistics, trial design, international and public health depending upon their interests and career goals. They lead the quality improvement initiatives for the department.

THE FIFTH YEAR RESIDENT (PGY6)

  • Chief resident. This year is dedicated to developing leadership skills, advancing surgical technique, perfecting patient care, and deciding upon future career goals. Further, the chief resident runs the service at each location, acts as a primary surgeon for major cases and as teaching surgeon for minor cases with junior residents. They direct management for inpatient and outpatient care and work with an increasing degree of independence throughout the year as they prepare for the transition to fellowship or independent practice
    • 3 months as chief resident at SFVAMC.
    • 3 months as chief resident at ZSFGH.
    • 3 months as chief resident at UCSF Health.