Selecting an Endourology Society Fellowship Program: The Candidates' Perspectives.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Education
• Medical Fellowships

Background:

• Understanding factors influencing urology resident fellowship choices is crucial for optimizing the match process.
• Endourology Society (ES) fellowships aim to enhance specialized surgical skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the motivations of urology residents pursuing ES fellowships.
• To identify the key criteria residents use when ranking fellowship programs.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to current ES fellows across various subspecialties (Endourology and Stone Disease, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Combined).
• The survey utilized a Likert scale to gather data on demographics, reasons for fellowship, program selection criteria, and perceived skill improvement.

Main Results:

• Forty out of sixty (66.7%) ES fellows responded to the survey.
• The primary motivation for pursuing fellowship was to improve surgical skills; earning potential and research were least important.
• Gaining operative experience was the most significant factor in program selection, leading to increased confidence in performing endourological surgeries post-fellowship.

Conclusions:

• ES fellowships are valuable for honing surgical skills and improving job competitiveness.
• Operative experience is paramount when selecting an endourology fellowship program.
• Fellowship training demonstrably enhances surgical confidence and competence in endourology.