Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery Fellowship Program Structure

The first and third years of the Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (URPS) Fellowship Program are spent in clinical activities, and the second year is spent in translational research under the supervision of Maria Florian-Rodriguez, M.D.

The two years of clinical training take place at Parkland Memorial Hospital, William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, and the Outpatient Building.

Involvement in research, education, and supervision is expected from the start and should continue throughout the three-year fellowship program. Fellows are expected to be effective teachers and supervisors of the residents.

First-Year Curriculum

The first year of the URPS Fellowship Program is spent in clinical activities.

The clinical URPS service is divided into the Parkland service and the private service. Fellows generally rotate in one-to two-month blocks between the two services.

Both clinical fellows attend at Parkland on Thursday. The Parkland fellow attends the Parkland pre-op clinic on Tuesday morning.

Third-Year Curriculum

During the third year of training, fellows do a one-month multidisciplinary rotation that includes urology, colorectal surgery, and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Fellows are expected to organize an elective month that allows additional learning in an area of their own interest. The rotation must be approved in advance by the Fellowship Director.

Responsibility and autonomy increase during the three-year fellowship program. These culminate when the fellow serves as a junior attending during the final two months of the fellowship.

During the months when one clinical fellow is participating in the outside rotation, the remaining fellow will cover both the Parkland and private services and will attend the Parkland and private clinics.

Sample Rotation Schedule

CRS: Colorectal surgery, Elec: Elective, PMH: Parkland service, Priv: Private service, Res: Basic science research, Uro: Urology service

Year	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun
Year 1	PMH	PMH	PMH	Priv	Priv	Priv	Priv	PMH	PMH	PMH	Priv	Priv
Year 2	Res	Res	Res	Res	Res	Res	Res	Res	Res	Res	Res	Res
Year 3	Priv	Priv	PMH	PMH	Priv	PMH	Priv	PMH	MDE	Elec	PMH	PMH

Rounds

Team members round each morning prior to the start of surgery and clinic work.

Students and residents are supervised by the fellow. Fellows are expected to see all patients and direct their care.

A clinical note documented by the fellow is expected each morning on all inpatient charts.

The two clinical fellows divide the weekend rounds so that each fellow rounds every other weekend. Fellows should be available for beeper call at all times.

Conferences

Each fellow is funded to attend the AUGS and SGS annual conferences each year. Fellows are expected to attend the full conference. They are encouraged to present their work annually at this meeting, in addition to producing manuscripts for publication each year of the program.

Attendance at other conferences and meetings may also be funded at the discretion of the Fellowship Program Director and Division Chief, particularly if research is being presented.

The Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery also has an active conference schedule in which all fellows are encouraged to participate.

A variety of conferences, journal clubs, grand rounds, and lectures are available. Daily lectures and grand rounds are also given by different UT Southwestern departments and are published in a monthly calendar of events.