The University of Chicago is one of the leading academic institutions in the United States, designated a ‘Top Teaching Hospital’ by leading industry watchdog Leapfrog Group. The Section of Urology shares in this heritage as a result of the work of Dr. Charles Huggins, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1966 for his discovery of hormone therapy for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. The section continues this commitment to excellence in clinical practice.
The goals of our residency program are to provide excellent comprehensive clinical training in all aspects of urology and to create an atmosphere for discovery. Thus, we endeavor to provide our residents with the best training in clinical urology while enabling them to advance the science of urology through investigation.
To apply for the Urology Residency training program position at the University of Chicago Medicine, applicants must have one of the following qualifications:
Be a graduate of a United States or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
Be a graduate of United States osteopathic medicine college accredited by the American Osteopathic Association
Be a graduate of medical school located outside the United States or Canada
Applicants must also have one of the following:
Current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical
Graduated prior to appointment
Full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the State of Illinois
Be a graduate of medical school outside the United States who has completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME accredited medical school
Applications are accepted through ERAS every September. Each application is rigorously reviewed by faculty members of the resident selection committee. Selected applicants are invited to virtual interviews.
2024 Resident Interviews will be taking place on Thursday, December 12th and Friday, December 13th.
Applicants are chosen according to criteria established by the program. These criteria include, but are not limited to:
Ability
Aptitude
Academic credentials/scholarly activity
Communication skills
Personal qualities
The Section of Urology shall not discriminate against any person in the selection or promotion process because of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, civil union status, national origin, ancestry, age, parental status, disabled status, veteran status, or any other legally protected classification, in accordance with applicable law.
Hernan Lescay, MD (Chief)
PGY-5
Undergraduate: Andrews University
Medical School: Central Michigan University
Kristina Gam, MD (Chief)
PGY-5
Undergraduate: University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
David Nusbaum, MD (Chief)
PGY-5
Undergraduate: University of California, Los Angeles
Medical School: University of Southern California
Anjali Shekar, MD (Chief)
PGY-5
Undergraduate: University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University
Margaret Gannon, MD
PGY-4
Undergraduate: Iowa State University
Medical School: University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
Adrianna Lee, MD
PGY-4
Undergraduate: Rice University
Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Devki Shukla, MD
PGY-4
Undergraduate: Indiana University
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Joshua Cabral, MD
PGY-3
Undergraduate: University of Miami
Medical School: Howard University College of Medicine
David Kim, MD
PGY-3
Undergraduate: Cornell University
Medical School: Yale University School of Medicine
Gregory Raster, MD
PGY-3
Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame
Medical School: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine
Safiya-Hana Belbina, MD
PGY-2
Undergraduate: University of Arkansas
Medical School: University of Texas at Austin Dell
Nathan Graham, MD
PGY-2
Undergraduate: University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Medical School: University of Michigan
Alexandra Hernandez Perez, MD
PGY-2
Undergraduate: University of Florida Gainesville
Medical School: University of Florida
Erin Hurley, MD
PGY-1
Undergraduate: Syracuse University
Medical School: Tufts University
Juan Ramirez, MD
PGY-1
Undergraduate: University of Southern California
Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles
Quinnlyn Walcott, MD
PGY-1
Undergraduate: Pittsburg State University
Medical School: University of Kansas
Urology Residency Rotation Schedule
Year in Residency
Rotation
PGY-1
During intern year, 4 months are spent on the adult urology service at the main campus, 1 month at the Jesse Brown VA Hospital, and 7 months are spent rotating through various general surgery services. The focus of this year is the management of the admitted patient.
PGY-2
The second year of residency (first year of junior residency) is spent at the main campus. The focus of training during this year is basic endoscopic and laparoscopic, robotic, and open procedures on the adult service. Junior residents also learn the basic management of intra-operative and hospital consults.
PGY-3
The third year is split between the main campus, the Jesse Brown VA, and NorthShore Hospital. The focus of training is honing skills in more advanced surgical procedures and the development of increasing independence in caring for patients both in and outside the operating room.
PGY-4
Senior residents spend 4 months on pediatric urology at Comer, 4 months at the main campus and 4 months at the Jesse Brown VA. The focus of training during this year is learning how to perform more advanced robotic, laparoscopic, and open surgical procedures, as well as continued independence in the management of patients.
PGY-5
Chief residents spend 8 months at the main campus and 4 months at NorthShore where they are responsible for overseeing all aspects of the urology service and become proficient in the most complex urologic procedures.
Throughout the residency, you will be rotating between 4 campuses:
UChicago Medicine Hyde Park Campus
Comer Children's Hospital
NorthShore Hospital System
Jesse Brown VA Hospital
In fiscal year 2023, the Section of Urology has:
Performed 3,149 surgical cases
Held 17,763 clinic appointments
The University of Chicago accepts 4th year visiting medical students. Applications for the Urology Sub-Internship will open on the VSLO portal on March 8, 2024.
The Underrepresented in Medicine Visiting Clerkship Program (UiMVCP) is co-sponsored by the Pritzker School of Medicine and the UChicago Medicine Office of Graduate Medical Education.
This competitive program provides mentoring, networking, and stipend support for fourth-year medical students who are underrepresented in medicine as defined by the AAMC or are interested in addressing health inequities and social determinants of health.
Program overview
Stipend of up to $2,000 to support costs associated with participation in the visiting rotation (participants receive their stipend after they complete the visiting rotation)
Clerkship rotation at UChicago Medicine
Opportunities to network with University of Chicago faculty, interns, residents, and students
Welcome session with representatives from GME, Housestaff Diversity Committee, and Co-Directors of GME Diversity Equity & Inclusion
Eligibility Criteria
Full-time, fourth-year medical students in good standing at LCME-accredited US medical schools.
Fourth-year US medical students who are under- represented in medicine, have demonstrated
a commitment to working with underserved populations, OR have demonstrated a commitment to working with issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, social determinants of health, and health inequities.
Application Process
Apply through VSLO for your clinical rotation(s) at UChicago Medicine
Download the UiMVCP application, complete, and upload as part of your application in VSLO to UiMVCP 99000—Underrepresented in Medicine Visiting Clerkship Program—this is in addition to your clerkship application(s).
Students can start applying through the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) system on April 1, 2023. Submissions prior to April 15, 2023 will be considered for a priority notification on May 1, 2023.
Residents are encouraged to pursue projects early on with faculty members and submit work to present at regional, national, and international conferences. Residents also participate in the annual Schoenberg research competition every May. If a resident's abstract is accepted to a conference, the section will provide financial support and time off to attend the conference.
Improvement of clinical care at U of C (and elsewhere)
Trainee Education
Opportunity for cost saving at U of C (and elsewhere) by implementing RCT findings
Clinical Trials
The Section of Urology currently have active clinical trials in bladder and prostate cancer. Please click here for more information.
The University of Chicago Urology Residents will be hosting a virtual meet and greet at 7:30pm CST. Sign up here for one of the following dates:
August 29, 2024
September 5, 2024
In our Section of Urology within the Department of Surgery, we have developed a training program that draws from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We believe that in order to effectively serve the broad patient population of Chicagoland and particularly the southside of Chicago, that understanding the inequalities in care and perceptions of health and illness of our patients has a real impact on their individual health care outcomes. Our section values and welcomes the opportunity to continue to grow the diversity of our faculty and trainees that will only help serve our patients.
Our core faculty attend annual implicit bias training workshops before interview season, adopt fair practices in recruitment and retention, and encourage our trainees to engage with our Department’s and Division’s programming and wellness support in the realms of diversity and inclusion. Our DEI Steering Committee hosts a number of events for faculty and trainees throughout the year to promote examination of implicit bias and conversation surrounding structural racism; these efforts include a monthly Cultural Competencies discussion, promotion of events for specific identity groups, and sponsored lectures that bring topics in health justice to our department.
The Department of Surgery has initiated in 2022 the Ulysses Grant Dailey Surgical Society. The mission of this society, named after the great African-American surgeon, writer and scholar who greatly impacted South Side Chicago Medicine, is to foster meaningful mentorship opportunities for our URiM trainees and thus promote career success through active engagement, improved access, and professional support within the Department’s GME programs. The Section of Urology looks forward to participating and encourages our trainees and faculty to explore this great opportunity.
Ulysses Grant Dailey Mentorship Society
•We have created a new society, named after the great African-American surgeon, writer and scholar, who greatly impacted the South Side Chicago Medicine
•The goal of the society is to foster meaningful mentor-mentee relationships between our faculty and URiM trainees in the Department of Surgery to promote career success through active engagement, improved access, and professional support
•Any interested residents/fellows should contact Claire Stone (Education and Communications manager) by email no later than September 1, 2022 (cstone@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu)
Joseph Rodriguez III, MD - Urologic Oncology Fellow, Oklahoma University
Wellness is taken very seriously in the Section of Urology. Wellness doesn't just mean adequate time to rest, but includes ways to actively improve the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of our team. We launched a new wellness curriculum, which focuses on strengthening resident camaraderie through social events, thoughtfulness and mindfulness activities, and community service; all designed to address a specific aspect of wellness. Examples of past events include:
Boat cruise on Lake Michigan
Post-interview outing
Life Coach sessions
Holiday parties
Half-marathon/10K/bike races
Annual section retreat
Bowling
Cubs/Blackhawks game
Wellness also means ensuring that the residents feel cared for and that their voices are being heard, To that end, Drs. Faris and Reynolds meet every month with the resident cohort to address any concerns in the program. Additionally, each resident meets privately multiple times with both program directors throughout the year. The associate program director also acts as the unofficial mentor for all junior residents. At the start of PGY-3, each resident will choose a faculty mentor who can provide both career and life guidance.
Every year, the program recognizes and honors a PGY-2 to PGY-4 resident selected by their peers with the UChicago Urology Mensch Award to someone who exemplifies selflessness, integrity, courage, hard work, kindness, consideration and compassion, one that genuinely cares about others. This individual is recognized at the Chief residents' graduation.
The residency program values and prioritizes a robust and engaging educational curriculum that maximizes the time that the residents have in a busy day. To that end, the program has tailored education to be as applicable to urologic practice as possible. Residents attend Wednesday morning Grand Rounds, Wednesday afternoon genitourinary oncology tumor board (with radiology, pathology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology), and Thursday afternoon core conference.
The program supplies each resident with a copy of the most recent edition of Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology, High-Yield Urology review for the in-service, board, and recertification exams, and Weider's Pocket Guide to Urology.
Every other month, an attending hosts a journal club or discussion related to the current practice of urology (e.g., dealing with surgical complications, statistical analysis in urologic research).
Six months of the year, the Chicago Urologic Society (CUS) hosts monthly conferences in downtown Chicago where urologists across the Chicagoland come to network, discuss controversial topics in Urology, present research, and receive updates on the latest technological advances in urologic surgery. Residents are typically given at least a half day to attend the conference.
Each newly matched resident will receive:
Personally fitted Surgitel loupes in monogrammed cases
Personalized thyroid shield
AUA membership
Access to SASP question bank and AUA update series
Financial coverage for AUA Intern Academy (PGY-1 only)
Board Review Course and $1000 for ABU application (PGY-5 only)
FreedomPay funds for any UChicago cafeteria (based on number of call shifts)
Light breakfast and coffee every Wednesday morning for Grand Rounds
Dinner provided at every Thursday afternoon conference
