Urologic Surgery Residency Program

The primary objective of the Department of Urologic Surgery's residency program is to prepare future urologists for their chosen career in either academic or community urology. This process involves a comprehensive education in all areas of urology. Research is encouraged for all residents, especially those interested in a career in academics. Residents gain exposure and acquire increasing responsibility during their five years of urological training.

Upon completing residency, residents will be competent in treating patients with all types of urologic conditions. This includes all sub-specialty areas in urology, including urologic oncology, neurourology/reconstruction, endourology/laparoscopy, robotic surgery, impotence/infertility and pediatrics. Additionally, trainees will be prepared to complete the required board examinations to practice the specialty of urology. For those interested in pursuing further specialization within urology, efforts will be made to provide research opportunities that facilitate entry into their chosen sub-specialty.

The UC Davis Department of Urologic Surgery is accredited for 13 positions, and designed to provide trainees with increasing clinical responsibility in patient care and surgical experience. Training culminates in a final year as chief resident, where residents function more autonomously and take responsibility for supervising junior residents. Upon completion of the program, residents will have experience and confidence in all aspects of both adult and pediatric urology, including urologic oncology, neurourology/reconstruction, endourology/laparoscopy, robotic surgery, infertility/impotence and pediatric urology.

A total of 11 Urologic Surgery Residents rotate through the UC Davis Health, Kaiser Permanente hospitals and Sacramento VA Medical Center facilities.

As a PGY-1, residents rotate with general surgery at various hospitals and with Urology.  During the PGY-2-3 years, residents rotate through UC Davis Health, Kaiser Permanente hospitals, and the Sacramento VA Medical Center. During PGY-4 year, residents receive time to pursue research interests. In the PGY-5 year, residents act as chiefs and have responsibility for organizing conferences and supervising junior residents and medical students.

There are seven residents who will be at the UC Davis Health location at any given time. These residents rotate on individual services including urologic oncology, neurourology/ reconstruction, endourology, pediatric urology, sexual medicine and infertility, and as a consultant.

Resident Schedule

PGY-1: General Surgery at UC Davis Health and affiliated hospitals, with 4-6 months spent on urology.
PGY-2-3: Urology at UC Davis Health, Kaiser Permanente hospitals, Sacramento VA Medical Center and Shriners Children's Northern California.
PGY-4: A total of 4 months dedicated research, 2 months blended clinical and research and rotations at UC Davis Health, Kaiser Permanente hospitals and Sacramento VA Medical Center.
PGY-5: Urology at UC Davis Health, Kaiser Permanente hospitals and Sacramento VA Medical Center.

Urologic Surgery residents are allotted a total of 32 days a year which are to be utilized for both vacation and educational leave. It is department policy that four separate seven-day vacations be taken once every three months. The additional four days are used for educational leave to attend conferences of the resident's choice. The Department of Urologic Surgery encourages research and academic pursuits, including attending scientific meetings. Senior residents are allowed to attend up to two scientific meetings per year.

The Urologic Surgery Residency is based on integrated health care. UC Davis Health, the major teaching hospital for the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, is located at 2315 Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento, California. The hospital is licensed for 613 beds. UC Davis Health (which includes the UC Davis Medical Center, UC Davis School of Medicine and UC Davis Medical Group) has undergone a dramatic expansion over the past 10 years. The expansion includes incorporating several primary care practice groups to create our own HMO. The hospital's complex expansion also includes the addition of a new hospital wing, surgery and emergency services pavilion, and the educational building. Research facilities have been expanded, too. The main operating room has expanded to 18 operating suites. In addition, there are two outpatient surgical centers.

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center houses all oncologic specialties including radiation oncology. It is located on the UC Davis Health campus within walking distance of the main hospital. A complex of three research buildings house laboratory facilities for faculty and research staff.

Adjacent to the main hospital is the Shriners Children's Northern California. This hospital is the largest pediatric referral center for both pediatric burn patients and patients with severe orthopedic and spinal cord deformities. Urologic Surgery residents rotate through the Shriners Children's hospital while on the pediatric urology service.

Kaiser Permanente has three major medical centers and multiple satellite clinics in the Sacramento area. Residents rotate through Kaiser North and Roseville hospitals during their urologic training. These hospitals provide residents with exposure to patients with all types of urologic conditions. Hospitals are located within a 20-minute driving radius from UC Davis Health. Clinical faculty at Kaiser Permanente are active in our residency training program.

The VA Northern California Health Care System rotation offers residents a broad spectrum of urological pathology, an opportunity for hands-on problem-solving and patient assessment in a structured and well-supervised environment. Areas of exposure include general urology, urological oncology, erectile dysfunction, stone disease, some robotics and neurourology. Since the outpatient clinics are adjacent to inpatient wards and operating suites, residents have a unique opportunity to be involved with all aspects of pre-, post-, and intra-operative patient care. The hospital offers a wide range of diagnostic services, including MRI, CT and PET scanning.

Opportunities for a career in Urology have never been better and demand for recent graduates remains high. There is an increasing number of applicants who identify as women entering urology and half of matched applicants this year identify as female. We seek an ever more diverse resident program to match the rich diversity of the California population. There is a very high satisfaction rate for those entering urology, especially compared to surgery and surgical subspecialties. Securing a urology residency spot is challenging due to the highly competitive nature of the program. Some parameters to keep in mind include:

• There are limited positions nationally and about 15% of applicants fail to match
• There is an early match in urology, typically held in January
• We have many opportunities to rotate with our department as a visiting medical student, which is highly encouraged.  Please contact our program administrative assistant to get more information
• Program signaling is a highly effective strategy to show your interest in our program
• Research is highly desirable and most invited for interview are involved in research or have involvement in past publications
• Students should seek advice on residency from our faculty beginning in their M2 year
• The program seeks candidates who are deeply committed to their education and training, and who demonstrate personality traits that align well with the current team of residents and faculty

For more information about our residency program, visit the FREIDA residency and fellowship database or contact our Program Coordinator Mireya Montelongo at mmontelongo@health.ucdavis.edu.

The Department of Urologic Surgery at UC Davis Health participates in the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS). Applicants will receive instructions and an electronic access key from their dean's office. Please check with your institution for information on this program.

If you need any further assistance, please contact:

Mireya Montelongo
Residency Coordinator
Department of Urologic Surgery
University of California, Davis
4860 Y St., Suite 3500
Sacramento, CA 95817
916-734-2893 (Phone)
916-734-8094 (Fax)
mmontelongo@health.ucdavis.edu