UCI/CHOC Pediatric Urology Fellowship Program

Year 1

The first year of fellowship is primarily a clinical year. Our fellows operate three to four days per week and typically perform 900 cases during their first year. We offer a well-rounded surgical experience, including robotic-assisted and pure laparoscopic surgeries, in addition to complex reconstructive cases. Our fellows participate in multi-disciplinary academic conferences including disorders of sexual development, tumor board, and urology/nephrology/radiology conference. Fellows also participate in our multidisciplinary spina bifida clinic and are actively involved with our video urodynamic studies. In addition, weekly Grand Rounds are held in conjunction with our UCI adult colleagues where many pediatric lecturers are highlighted. Our monthly Quality Assurance and Peer Review and journal club is also held in coordination with the UCI residency program.

The first-year fellow works closely with UCI urology residents to manage our pediatric urology service. Currently, there is one resident on the service with the fellow. Beginning in 2021, there will be two residents on the service, a junior and senior resident. Residents take all primary call; with the fellow serving as back-up to the junior resident on call.

Year 2

We offer a fully funded research year in which our fellows can pursue basic science or clinical research. We have a robust clinical research team at CHOC led by a full-time clinical epidemiologist, Carol Davis-Dao, Ph.D. In addition, many UCI medical and undergraduate students assist in database management and data entry. Our group also participates in multi-institutional research studies, as well as clinical trials.

For fellows interested in basic science research, we have opportunities with the UCI School of Medicine. We collaborate with Joshua Mauney, Ph.D., a faculty member in our UCI Urology department, who focuses on tissue engineering with the development of silk biomaterials for repair of visceral hollow organs. Dr. Mauney has a productive basic science laboratory with NIH grant funding.

During the second year, the fellow will continue to have clinical accreditation and be involved in complex reconstruction cases. The second-year fellow will also learn how to guide junior residents through surgical cases. An additional global health rotation is offered to the second-year fellow where the fellow can travel with Dr. Heidi Stephany on one of her semi-annual mission trips through the non-profit organization of International Volunteers in Urology Med (IVUMed).