Medical College of Georgia Program

The Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University offers a comprehensive and fully accredited Urology Residency Training Program aimed at preparing selected physicians to effectively evaluate, understand, and manage both medical and surgical aspects of genitourinary disorders. This rigorous clinical training program promotes an atmosphere rich in scientific inquiry and curiosity, essential for developing future leaders in Urology.

Each year, the program selects three applicants through the residency match process, with these applicants also securing positions for their internship and first-year residency training in general surgery at the Augusta University Medical Center.

Curriculum Overview

The residency is structured into five postgraduate years (PGY), allowing for increasingly complex and responsible training in various domains of Urology.

PGY-1

In the first year, residents undergo general surgical training, which lays the foundational principles necessary for surgical practice. This includes comprehensive pre-operative and post-operative care protocols, surgical intensive care, and the development of technical surgical skills, along with the initial exposure to Urology.

PGY-2

The second year focuses on Urology, with training divided between Augusta University Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. Residents spend four months at each, with an additional three months focusing on pediatric urology at the Children's Hospital of Georgia. A significant emphasis is placed on history and physical examinations, assisting in surgical cases, and caring for a diverse spectrum of urological patients. The curriculum is designed to deepen the residents' understanding of diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic management of genitourinary disorders.

PGY-3 & PGY-4

During these years, residents take on more responsibility, including serving as acting chief residents during a six-month rotation at the VA Medical Center. Additionally, they rotate through the pediatric urology service and the adult urology service at Augusta University Medical Center, which allows them to engage actively in more complex surgical procedures, such as endourology, major oncology surgeries, and renal transplantations. These years also include dedicated research time and targeted training in female urology.

PGY-5

The final year is primarily spent acting as chief residents at Augusta University Medical Center. They play a crucial role in managing patient care, performing advanced surgical procedures, teaching junior residents and medical students, and participating in educational conferences, solidifying their expertise and leadership in Urology.

Clinical Rotations

This training includes rotations across multiple settings, including both academic and veteran hospitals, providing a unique breadth and depth that is comparable to a chief resident year at many other programs. Residents also engage in consultation roles for other specialties, contributing to their overall training and experience.

Call Schedule

Nights on call are structured to occur every third to fourth night and can be taken from home when there are no acute cases necessitating close monitoring. Weekend calls occur every third to fourth weekend as well. Importantly, the Urology residency program adheres strictly to an 80-hour work week policy, ensuring an optimal work-life balance for trainees.

Visa Support

The Urology Residency Program at the Medical College of Georgia offers visa support for international medical graduates. Types of visas that the program can sponsor include J-1 and H-1B visas, facilitating the opportunity for non-U.S. citizen residents to receive training.

Competitiveness and Application Requirements

This program is known to be quite competitive, typically favoring U.S. medical school graduates, but it is also friendly to international medical graduates (IMGs) and graduates from osteopathic (DO) programs. Specific application requirements vary, but generally, the program expects candidates to have graduated within a specified timeframe and to meet defined performance criteria on standardized examinations.