Program Details
Objectives
Our fellowship aims to provide comprehensive training in the evaluation and management of urologic malignancies, as well as the tools to evaluate and contribute to the research in this field.
Specifically, you will acquire advanced expertise in the multidisciplinary management of urologic cancers, including the ability to apply the critical principles of radiation oncology, medical oncology, urologic imaging and pathology.
You will also acquire advanced understanding of the biology of urologic malignancies through clinical experiences, self-directed learning, the urologic oncology curriculum and research endeavors.
Fellows will learn the important aspects of study design, biostatistics, clinical trials, data analysis, scientific methodology and laboratory research. These objectives are consistent with the goals of the SUO accrediting body
Structure
The fellowship is a minimum of two years, with the first year dedicated to research and the second year to clinical training.
Fellows are given junior faculty privileges and are extensively involved in the education of the residents part of Loyola Medicine's Urology Residency program.
First Year
In the first year, you will initiate a research project(s) under the guidance of a research mentor(s). The aims are to acquire research skills that can be applied to a career in academic urologic oncology and to make impactful contributions to the care of patients with urologic cancers. You will also have one day of clinical practice.
Second Year
The focus of the second year is development of surgical skills and clinical acumen. The surgical training is intensive and includes hands-on experience in open surgery, laparoscopy, robotic and energy-ablative techniques. One day each week is spent in the clinic, learning the intricacies of the multidisciplinary management of urologic cancers.
Throughout the two-year program, you will play an active role in tumor board conferences and the didactic lecture series, as well as the multidisciplinary cancer conference. These conferences provide a framework for learning the biology of urologic cancers and a stimulus for further investigation.
The fellowship's program director is Gopal N. Gupta, MD, FACS, who oversees the clinical and didactic components of the training program.
