Our program offers two pathways so residents can match their training to their career goals: a 5-year Clinical Track and a 6-year Surgeon Scientist Track, which includes a full dedicated research year during PGY-4. We maintain a robust research program spanning basic, translational, and clinical science, including:
- Urology Health Services Research Lab (PI: Bruce L. Jacobs, MD, MPH; Benjamin Davies, MD, MBA)
- Genitourinary Reconstruction and Prosthetics Education/Scholarship (PI: Paul Rusilko DO, FACS)
- Neurourology Lab (PI: Naoki Yoshimura, MD, PhD; Pradeep Tyagi, PhD): a well-established, highly productive lab studying urinary tract physiology
For more details, please see: Urology Resident Research Opportunities
1. Why PGY-4 is the ideal research year (Surgeon Scientist Track)
- You know enough urology to ask meaningful questions
- Your surgical skills are directly useful in several of our labs
- It’s a natural point to step back and plan your future course
- A full year allows for substantial, independent projects that set you up for an academic career
2. Two tracks for residents with different goals
- Clinical Track: five years of continuous clinical training with no dedicated lab time, maximizing operative experience with our high volume of complex patients
- Surgeon Scientist Track: 12 protected months in affiliated labs and programs in oncology, neurourology, immunology, health services research, reconstructive urology, and global health
- Residents in both tracks are encouraged to begin scholarly activity from day 1 of PGY-1 and are productive throughout their clinical years
3. Additional opportunities
- University of Pittsburgh partnerships offer coursework through the School of Public Health and the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
- Global health experiences
- Health Care Leadership Program
4. Academic productivity
In the last 2 years, the average graduating resident had to their credit:
- 18 peer-reviewed publications
- 18.5 conference abstracts or presentations
- 1.5 book chapters
5. Surgical training
Clinical Track residents spend all five years in clinical training, and Surgeon Scientist Track residents return from their research year to complete the full clinical curriculum, so every graduate receives comprehensive training in advanced urologic surgery from the expanding faculty and high volume of complex cases we see.