What did you look for when picking a Residency Program?

• A program that provides high-volume operative experience in all aspects of urology, with a balance of robotic and open surgery, so that you can leave residency feeling like a confident and capable surgeon
• The interactions between residents and faculty is one of camaraderie and encouragement.
• A program in a city/region where we can enjoy all the benefits of culture, good food, and outdoor recreation (all within a short distance)
• Good balance of work and home life

What do you like about your program?

• Amazing operative experience starting from Day 1!
• We have the luxury of working with only one fellow (the first transgender reconstructive fellow will start July 2020)
• All areas/subspecialties of urology are represented so you can be confident operating in every sub-specialty upon graduation
• Our high-volume VA provides extra open operative experience, above and beyond the norm
• A reasonable and safe gradation in resident autonomy as you move from intern to chief
• Faculty are AMAZING teachers, mentors, and people that you want to get a beer with after a long day of operating or clinic (and we do!)
• Awesome camaraderie between the residents. We laugh together, work together, cover that extra shift or case, and don't take ourselves too seriously
• The VA, Children’s Hospital, and University Hospital are all in one location, making call MUCH easier. There is no need to drive between hospitals. Those extra minutes of your life not being stuck in traffic cannot be under-estimated!!
• Our Kaiser experience provides a high volume, autonomous rotation, where you are the only resident and can pick whatever cases you want to do each week

A typical day:

• It usually starts with in-patient rounds (~0600/0630) at either the OHSU University Hospital, the VA, Doernbecher Children's Hospital, or Kaiser (two four-month rotations).
• Take in the breathtaking sunrise over Mt. Hood during AM rounds.
• Operate, operate, operate...and then operate some more. This is usually done by 5 or 6pm, so the rest of the evening is free (unless you’re on call).
• Clinic exposure is primarily during the VA rotation, on Mondays and Thursdays, where you run your own clinic and are responsible for your patients and their follow up.
• By chief year, the senior residents will electively take a half-day to join one of the attendings in the clinic - they've mastered the OR, and now they want to learn the nuanced art and management of diagnosing and counseling a patient for surgery.
• Call can be busy, but it is front-loaded, and starts with roughly 1.5 weekends per month for PGY2s and decreases to about 1-2 weekends every other month as a PGY5. All other weekends, you are off!
• The Kaiser call schedule is slightly different (feel free to ask us details about Kaiser rotations, call, hospitals, etc.)

Culture of the program?

• Opposite of malignant. The goal is to help each and every resident succeed.
• We work together, cover each other's backs, check-in with each other when times are tough or stressful.
• The attendings are our strongest advocates - they embrace the role of teacher and mentor, and they would feel like they had failed if any resident did not feel comfortable approaching them with concerns, questions, or suggestions on how to better build-up and improve the resident experience.
• We always try to grab a drink after work or hang out on weekends (we truly enjoy spending time with each other outside of work!)

What do residents do for fun?

• Portland is an amazing and affordable city to be a resident!
• It is unique in that we have both mountains and beaches within an hour's drive
• We love going to the beach, hiking, skiing/snowboarding, camping, hunting/fishing, hanging with family, rock climbing, going to concerts, Wilamette Valley wine country, going to breweries, enjoying the eclectic cuisine that Portland offers!
• Also, the airport is a mere 25-minute drive away, with many international flight options (direct to Tokyo!)
• Pictures speak more than words (see the photos below).