Urologic Oncology Fellowship

Urologic Oncology

A two-year fellowship program to continue a urologist's training in the management, researching and teaching of urologic malignancies.

The section of Urologic Oncology within the Department of Urology at Weill Cornell Medical College offers a two-year fellowship for urologists who have completed a general urology residency program. The Weill Cornell Medical College Urologic Oncology Fellowship is accredited by the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) and was established in 2010. The fellowship is designed to prepare selected candidates for careers as leaders in academic Urologic Oncology. Weill Cornell Medical College is a high-volume regional and national referral center for all types of urologic malignancies.

The overall goal of this program is to train academic urologic oncologists who are skilled surgeons and knowledgeable clinicians who desire to establish comprehensive academic urologic oncology programs at other teaching institutions. The training program focuses on developing basic academic, technical and judgmental skills, and a framework necessary for conducting effective cancer management, research and teaching. The goal of the program is to provide comprehensive training in the management of all aspects of urologic oncology, covering fully the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of all types of genitourinary cancer. We believe graduates of the program will be not only clinical specialists of urologic oncology, but aim to be leaders in the field, striving to improve the outcomes of urologic cancers and to advance the understanding of their biology.

The two years of the fellowship are separated into two components: clinical and research.

Clinical Component

The clinical component provides fellows with a well-rounded experience in the multi-disciplinary management of urologic cancers, with an emphasis on surgical management of complex cancers, including risk adapted implementation of minimally invasive techniques. This in-depth clinical experience provides extensive operative training in minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery, as well as in standard open surgical approaches. Additional rotations in genitourinary medical oncology and genitourinary radiation oncology will provide important experience regarding non-surgical interventions.

Research Component

The research component is accounted for during one year of fellowship that is devoted to basic and/or clinical research. It allows the fellow to study under experts in the field and develop expertise in the basic, translational and outcomes sciences. Didactic teaching conferences will expose the fellow to biostatistics, epidemiology, tumor biology, research methodology and clinical trial design and implementation. Fellows are expected to generate and submit original research for presentation and publication. Resources to assist in academic work include clinical kidney, prostate and bladder cancer databases, a biospecimen tissue repository and tumor registry and numerous institutional core facilities.

How to Apply

Our fellowship program accepts applications and reviews candidates in accordance with the guidelines and policies of the Society of Urologic Oncology Fellowship Match Program. Please refer to the SUO website to view the Fellowship Match Application, along with registration instructions and the timeline for the match.

In general, the application for the Fellowship in Urologic Oncology should be submitted at least 19 months prior to the completion of residency (i.e., by December 1 of the year preceding the chief residency year). Candidates for our fellowship program must have completed an approved general urology residency and be eligible to hold a New York State medical license. Foreign medical school graduates need to have a valid ECFMG certificate and complete all three parts of the USMLE.

Candidates will be contacted regarding an interview date. Interviews are conducted in the spring of the year preceding the appointment year and are arranged on an individual basis with those candidates deemed most competitive. Positions are offered after the SUO Fellowship Match results are announced.

The following items should be incorporated into your packet prior to the fellowship year you are interested in:

  • SUO Match Program - Registration
  • SUO Application
  • Most current curriculum vitae
  • Three letters of recommendation including a letter of support from your program director and an additional letter from a faculty member recommending the candidate for the fellowship and attesting to the candidate's successful completion of the urology training program.

If you are recommended for a fellowship appointment, we will need the following:

  • Medical school diploma
  • Official medical school transcript (English translation required for foreign graduates)
  • Certificates of completion from ALL residencies or fellowships
  • Letter of good standing from your current program director
  • Official USMLE transcript
  • Valid ECFMG certificate (for foreign medical school graduates)
  • Photo (not required, but beneficial)

To send application materials and to request additional information:

Douglas Scherr, MD
Weill Cornell Medical College
525 East 68th Street, Starr 900
New York, NY 10065
Office: (212) 746-5788
Fax: (212) 746-0975
Email: dss2001@med.cornell.edu

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