Fellowships

Our goal is to train physicians who will be leaders in both andrology and urology. As a department, we strive to train physicians who are superior clinical care providers and who pursue thoughtful research initiatives to help advance men’s health for the growing and aging male population.

By program completion, fellows will have the expertise needed to provide comprehensive, contemporary subspecialty care and to organize a multidisciplinary approach to male sexual dysfunction, endocrine dysfunction and male infertility care.

The fellow will participate in clinics and operative procedures with co-directors Robert Brannigan, MD, and Nelson Bennett, MD, FACS,and assist with office-based procedures, including:

• Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration
• Testicular biopsy
• Testicular sperm extraction
• Transrectal ultrasound of the prostate
• Seminal vesicle aspiration
• Vasectomy
• Duplex doppler penile ultrasound
• Testosterone pellet insertion
• Intercavernosal injections
• Intralesional injections (collagenase and verapamil)
• Penile deformity assessment
• Biothesiometry

Throughout the year, fellows will master the following the core andrology cases with incrementally increasing autonomy:

• Micro-TESE
• Microsurgical vasectomy reversal
• Vasectomy
• Microsurgical varicocelectomy
• Transurethral resection of the ejaculatory ducts
• Orchiectomy
• Orchiopoexy
• Hydrocelectomy
• Spermatocelectomy
• Penile fracture repair
• Plaque incision/excision and grafting
• Penile prosthesis insertion
• Penile plication
• Priapism shunting

Fellows are expected to attend weekly Andrology Conference, weekly departmental Urology Grand Rounds and weekly departmental Pre-Op Conference. Additionally, the fellow will attend multidisciplinary conferences for female and male reproductive specialists and collaborate with reproductive endocrinologists in a clinical setting. Fellows are encouraged to participate in research with opportunities to present abstracts at national conferences and publish in high-impact journals.

Our prior graduates have outstanding records of accomplishment during and after completion of their fellowship training. Over two-thirds of graduates from our program currently hold academic appointments as andrology subspecialists within their respective academic departments.

How to Apply

All applicants must have successfully completed a United States or Canadian five- or six-year accredited program in urology.

To apply, send your application, CV , a personal statement, and a copy of your USMLE transcripts via email to Julia Sarte

Please request three letters of recommendation to be sent via email to Julia Sarte by your references or their staff.

Applications accepted: January through March 

Interviews conducted: February through March

For more information, contact Julia Sarte at juliamae.sarte@northwestern.edu

The endourology fellowship is a program with clinical, operative and research components. Previous fellows have gone on to successful careers in both academic and specialized private practice settings.

The fellow will be trained in endoscopic and minimally invasive surgery for endourological conditions, stone disease, kidney cancer and prostate cancer. A strong emphasis is placed on ureteroscopic and percutaneous management of stone disease, as well as robotic prostatectomy, laparoscopic and robotic assisted partial nephrectomy and robotic cystectomy. Fellows will also participate in laparoscopic and robotic reconstructive cases, including pyeloplasty and ureteral reimplantation. A small component of the clinical experience will consist of office-based procedures in the urology clinic.

Fellows work primarily with Kent Perry, Jr., MD.

How to Apply

All applicants must have successfully completed a five- or six-year accredited program in urology. Applicants must register for the match through the American Urological Association. For more information and to apply, visit the Endourological Society website or contact Julia Sarte at juliamae.sarte@northwestern.edu.

The goal of the fellowship is to train endourologists to improve the care of patients with complex stone disease and BPH. During the fellowship year, trainees will master Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP), which is a state of the art minimally invasive procedure.

Fellowship faculty member Amy Krambeck, MD teaches the work up and medical management of stone disease, including significant surgical experience with percutaneous renal access, advanced percutaneous nephrolithotomy techniques, advanced ureteroscopy, and HoLEP.

The fellowship includes 20% research under the guidance of the faculty and with the resources at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

By program completion, fellows will have the expertise to independently provide expert-level endourological care to patients.

Fellows will join the urology housestaff at weekly didactic conferences, including urology grand rounds, pre-operative conference, and a fellowship-level endourology conference.

How to Apply

All applicants must have successfully completed a five- or six-year accredited program in urology in North America. Applicants must be eligible for permanent physician licensure in the State of Illinois.

All applicants must register for the AUA Endourology Match, and complete the Endourological Society application.

To apply, email application materials listed below to Julia Sarte.

• Endourological Society application
• CV
• Personal statement
• USMLE transcripts reflecting scores for Steps 1, 2 CS, 2 CK, and 3.
• Please request three letters of recommendation, and ask that your references email their letters to Julia Sarte. Letters emailed by applicants will not be accepted.

The ultimate goal of the fellowship is to train leaders in reconstructive urology through development of exceptional technical skills, critical analysis of complex clinical problems, mentorship, and scholarship.

The program focuses on urethral reconstruction, ureteral reconstruction, male urinary incontinence surgery, fistula repair (colovesical, vesicovaginal, rectourethral, and puboprostatic), appropriate utilization of pedicled flaps (omentum, rectus, gracilis), genital reconstruction (including skin grafting), and complex abdominopelvic urologic reconstruction. 

As one of the highest volume robotic reconstructive centers in the world, there is a special emphasis on advanced robotic urologic reconstruction of the upper and lower urinary tracts.  In particular, the fellow will gain extensive robotic experience in obtaining access in hostile abdomens, operating in reoperative and radiation damaged surgical fields, harvesting flaps, formation of intracorporal urinary diversions, and performing substitution urinary tract reconstruction with oral mucosa, rectal mucosa, and bowel.

The curriculum will include approximately 1 day per week for research under the guidance of fellowship faculty.  There will be ample resources for conducting research, including mentorship in ongoing and new projects, access to numerous Northwestern and multi-institutional databases, and collaboration with research coordinators, statisticians, and medical illustrators.  The fellow is expected to complete multiple research projects during fellowship. 

After completing the fellowship, graduates should demonstrate the ability to: 

• Perform complex reconstructive surgery with clear understanding of the risks and benefits of each procedure
• Understand key principles of reconstructive surgery, including biology of wound healing
• Critically analyze complex clinical scenarios and provide treatment plan based on sound reconstructive principles
• Provide collaborative care within a multidisciplinary management team
• Contribute significant research to field of reconstructive urology
• Build an advanced practice in reconstructive urology

Application Requirements: 

1. Completion of ACGME-accredited urology residency program
2. Eligible for Illinois State Medical License
3. Pass all 3 steps of USMLE 

To apply, please submit the following documents to Julia Sarte:

• CV
• Personal Statement
• 3 Letters of Recommendation

Applications Accepted:  September through October 2023. Decision made in early November 2023.   

Applications Due: October 27, 2023

Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about our program. 

Ziho Lee, MD
Assistant Professor
Director of Urologic Male Reconstruction and Robotic Reconstructive Surgery
Director of Genitourinary Reconstruction Surgery Fellowship
Department of Urology 
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Ziho.Lee@nm.org