The George Washington University Urology Residency Program is currently an integrated 5 year program, with the residents completing one year of general surgery at The George Washington University Hospital prior to beginning the 4 years within the George Washington Urology Department. The program accepts 2 residents each year.
Internship (PGY 1):
The intern year consists of 12-one month rotations at The George Washington University. This includes two months of urology, one month of ICU, one month of ED, one month of pediatric surgery at Children’s National Medical Center, five months of general surgery, and the two months on surgical subspecialties. This year provides the learning foundation of inpatient care of surgical patients and critically ill patients. There is ample opportunity for surgical cases within the general surgery and urology experience.
PGY2/Uro1:
The PGY2/Uro1 year consists of 6 months at George Washington University and 6 months at INOVA Fairfax Hospital. The junior resident is responsible for learning and becoming proficient at junior level cases including cystoscopy, ureteroscopy and open scrotal cases. The average case load for this year is 900-1000 cases including 500 cystoscopies, 200 ureteroscopies, 70 TURBT’s, and 70 TURP/PVP’s. In addition, the junior resident learns to assist on robotic cases. The junior resident shares responsibility for running the inpatient service and the consult service and is in charge of all medical students. He/she also must attend one clinic day a week under the supervision of the faculty. At The George Washington University, call is divided among the junior and senior residents (every other night during the week and every other weekend) with the chief resident on backup call. At INOVA Fairfax Hospital call is divided among the junior, and senior resident during the week and divided between the junior, senior and chief residents during the weekends (every other day during the week and every 3rd weekend).
Residents are given three one-week vacations every year.
PGY3/Uro 2:
The PGY3/URO2 year consists of 6 months at George Washington University and 6 months at INOVA Fairfax Hospital. The senior resident becomes proficient in higher level ureteroscopy and TURP/TURBT cases, learns laparoscopic surgery, and begins to operate behind the surgical console during robotic surgeries. The senior resident shares responsibility for running the inpatient service and the consult service with the junior resident and is the acting chief when the chief resident is on vacation.
He/she also must attend one clinic day a week under the supervision of the clinical faculty. At The George Washington University, call is divided among the junior and senior residents (every other night during the week and every other weekend) with the chief resident on backup call. At INOVA Fairfax Hospital call is divided among the junior, and senior resident during the week and divided between the junior, senior and chief residents during the weekends (every other day during the week and every 3rd weekend). Residents are given three one-week vacations every year.
PGY4/Uro3:
The PGY4/Uro3 year consists of 6 months of pediatric urology at Children’s National Medical Center as well as 6 months of research at both The George Washington University and at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institute of Health. While on the pediatric rotation, the resident shares call (1 week at a time, every other week, and every 3rd weekend) with the other two pediatric residents. While on research, the resident is not on the call schedule; however, he/she is responsible for a resident clinic one afternoon a week and is in charge of the prostate cancer screening every Friday morning, performing PSA blood draws and DRE’s.
PGY5/Uro4:
The Chief (PGY5/Uro4) year consists of 6 months at The George Washington University and 6 months at INOVA Fairfax Hospital. The Chief resident becomes proficient in laparoscopic and robotic surgery as well as major open cases, in order to be an autonomous surgeon at the completion of his/her training. The chief resident is ultimately responsible for the entire inpatient service and consult service as well as the daily activity of the OR schedule and residency program. This includes teaching and instructing medical students, residents and all planning and leading all conferences. While at The George Washington University the chief resident takes backup call to the junior and senior resident and is not in the primary call schedule. While at INOVA Fairfax Hospital, the chief resident is included in the primary call schedule on the weekends and is not responsible for backup call at other times. The on-call resident is solely under the guidance of the covering attending physician.