Urology

The residency training program in Urology consists of a 2-year core surgery training period followed by a 3-year training period in urology. Applicants are accepted via CaRMS.

Two core years are spent in General Surgery, Surgical Intensive care, Emergency/Trauma, Pediatric Surgery, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Gynecology, and Urology.  Several of these rotations are mandatory and others are not.  In addition, in some rotations, the time periods spent can vary depending on individual needs.  Finally, during the Urology rotation, residents are encouraged to participate in laboratory – based research in one of 4 well- equipped and staffed laboratories.  Each resident is directly supervised by a clinician- scientist ensuring adequate exposure to research and completion of a project.  Successful residents are encouraged and supported in presenting their work at regional, national and international scientific meeting.

The 3-year urology training, under the supervision of Dr. Serge Carrier, is spent in 3 major teaching hospitals of the McGill University Health Center (MUHC) (The Montreal General Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal Children’s Hospital) the Jewish General and St. Mary’s Hospitals.  The McGill Division of Urology, under the direction of Dr. Armen Aprkian, functions as one integrated unit sharing in the teaching, research and clinical activities.  Each hospital has a urology service with an established and recognized clinical expertise coupled with a well- funded fundamental- based research laboratory on site. Major areas of clinical expertise are grouped together in a particular site, enhancing the residents’ exposure to state-of-the-art clinical care.  For example, (1) urologic oncology/major reconstructive surgery, (2) female urology/urinary incontinence/neurourology/andrology, (3) endourology/calculous disease, and (40 pediatric urology compose the 4 major clinical foci within the department.  In addition, a large volume of general urology is practiced in each site. Residents are exposed to several specialty clinics in these clinical areas, including the Prostate Centre, Stone Clinic, Urodynamics, Erectile Dysfunction, Infertility, Multi-disciplinary Urologic Oncology, Female Urology and Pediatric Urology.  Finally, laparoscopic surgery has been introduced in the clinical curriculum, with 5 laparoscopic surgeons.

Residents progress through the 3-year period with specific teaching objectives for each level, to ensure a proper acquisition of knowledge, technical skills and clinical responsibility.  The department holds many clinical and teaching rounds and the residents have ample exposure to structured teaching.  During each week, 6 individual teaching sessions and clinical rounds are held throughout the year.  Residents are evaluated twice a year via in-training written and oral examinations.  The program is designed to fulfill both Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and American Board of Urology requirements of certification.

The faculty members of the Department include 15 urologists, 1 pathologist, 6 Ph.D. scientists and a biostatistician.  Several of the faculty are fellowship-trained in either Urologic Oncology, Endourology, Erectile Dysfunction, Transplantation, and Female Urology/Incontinence and are actively involved in one-to-one teaching.

The goal of the McGill Urology Residency Training Program is to train competent urologists of high caliber with an emphasis on academic excellence.  Residents are encouraged and supported to pursue academic careers. Indeed, many graduates continue on to fellowships in other North American Centers and several have received awards and honors, including MRC scholarships, Kidney Foundation Scholarships, and American Foundation of Urologic Disease (AFUD) Awards.

Finally, Montreal is an exciting multi-cultural metropolis with the McGill Teaching Hospitals situated within walking distance of the heart of the city.

Requests for further information should be directed to the Program Director:

Dr. Wassim Kassouf,

c/o Urology Residency Training Program Office

Royal Victoria Hospital

687 Pine Avenue West, Rm A3.25

Montreal, QC, H3A 1A1

Tel: (514) 934-8209

Fax: (514) 843-2812

e-mail:  urology.residency@muhc.mcgill.ca

website: http://urology.mcgill.ca

rev: 01-2011