The Department of Urology coordinates an extensive academic program. The Postgraduate Program Coordinator prepares a weekly notice, called "Urology This Week", which outlines all weekly activities as well as staff absences and on-call. This notice is distributed to all residents and attending staff. In addition to attending activities at Queen's, residents are generally sent to at least one educational conference annually as dictated by their level of training.
Rounds
Residents participate in Urological Professor Rounds on a weekly basis, with a different topic presented each week. As well as the Professor Rounds the residents will participate in specialty rounds, involving the Departments of Pathology, Radiology and Oncology.
Academic Half-Day
Academic half-day is held weekly and focus on examination preparation. They consist of Book Rounds (specific topics chosen by the Residency Training Committee), oral examinations and multiple choice review.
Journal Club: Monthly, September to June with mandatory attendance. Urology residents on off service rotations are welcome to attend but are not assigned articles. Responsibility for choosing articles to review assigned to teaching faculty on a rotating basis. Each resident is typically responsible for presenting and critiquing one article at each journal club. The Journal Club time is also used for other modalities of learning including resident debates on advocacy and other topics, in depth review of controversial topics in Urology etc.
Multidisciplinary GU Oncology Rounds: Held on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Thursday of the month from 16:30-17:30. Case rounds as per Cancer Care Ontario mandate. Discussion surrounding complex genitourinary cancer cases with resident participation.
Visiting Professors: Approximately three or four times per year. Involves formal lectures as well as informal case discussions with the residents and staff.
Annual course in research methodology and critical appraisal: A course is run in conjunction with the departments of Obs/Gyn, Surgery and Radiology. Trainees usually take it during their core PGY-1 or 2 years
Canadian Senior Urology Residents’ Course: Held at the beginning of the Canadian Urological Association (CUA) annual meeting, with mandatory attendance from PGY-4 residents. The course component focuses on functional urology, voiding dysfunction and urodynamics.
Center for Minimal Access Surgery Urology Resident Laparoscopic Surgery Course: Held annually at McMaster University, with funded attendance for PGY1 and PGY2 residents. Introduces basic principles of laparoscopy with dedicated skills training in dry and wet labs.
Annual Surgical Prosthetics Course: Held Annually at Western University, with funded attendance for PGY4 residents. Involves instruction and surgical experience with urologic prosthetics, including urinary sphincters and penile prosthesis surgery.
Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course and the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) are expected to complete course during their residency training if they have not already done so. The department subsidizes these courses.
National Urology Meetings: Residents are encouraged to attend the CUA Annual Meeting as well as the Northeastern Section of the American Urological Association at least once during their residency and often attend on multiple occasions, particularly if presenting a paper or poster. Support for resident attendance is offered.
QUEST Program: (Queen’s Urology Exam Skills Training) Queen’s Urology hosts and runs an annual mock examination and review course for all Canadian residents intending to sit the Royal College Qualifying Examination. The PGY4 from Queen’s also participates, and all residents from Queen’s are encouraged to attend the course component.
Upstate New York Urological Association Resident Research Meeting: This is in Skaneateles, New York in conjunction with urology programs from Syracuse Upstate University, the University of Albany Medical Center, the University of Buffalo and the University of Rochester. All residents are encouraged to present their research annually.
Montreal Cancer Course: Annual two-day course focusing on urologic oncology. Lectures by Canadian urologic oncologists and faculty members, with a visiting professor and resident case presentations.
Practice Management/Financial Planning: Yearly, consultants from the BMO Nesbitt Burns provide seminars to the urology residents on financial planning for practice, retirement and debt management.