Curriculum

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 to the residents.

First Year

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 two-month blocks between the two services.

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

Both private and Parkland fellows attend the private clinic on Wednesday mornings.

Second Year

Laboratories in the Department include those of the Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences as well as the laboratories of Clifford Wai, M.D. and Maria Florian-Rodriguez, M.D..

Fellows spend the entire second year in the research lab, but are also encouraged to continue clinical research pursuits. A primary goal of the Fellowship Program is the training of productive researchers. 

Fellows are expected to present abstracts at national meetings and produce manuscripts for publication each year of the Fellowship Program.

Areas of research interest within the Division include:

• Childbirth-related pelvic floor injury
• Pathophysiology of prolapse and incontinence
• Outcome of treatments for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse
• Animal models of pelvic floor injury
• Anatomy of the pelvic floor

Third Year

During the third year of training, fellows spend a one-month rotation on the Urology Service and one month working with the Colorectal Surgery Service.

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

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.