Student News

Pre-Medicine Enrichment Program

During the summer of 2022, Jefferson Urology participated in the Mid-Atlantic American Urologic Association (MAAUA) Pre-Medicine Enrichment Program (PEP). This program was developed to support an underrepresented minority undergraduate student to shadow in the Department of Urology for eight weeks. Students received a stipend of $5,000 through the MAAUA, and six of these scholarships were offered in total. PEP was funded through a competitive award to our Department from the Mid-Atlantic AUA (our regional section of the AUA). A careful program schedule was developed for these students to maximize their experience as part of the application process. Ten local institutions (including Historically Black Colleges and Universities) were contacted about the program to see if they had qualified interested URM students. Through this process, we chose an underrepresented minority student from Haverford College, Fadumo (Famo) Haji.

Famo is a sophomore student at Haverford, who immigrated to the United States from Somalia when she was eight years old. Famo had a very successful and impactful two months experience, joining various members of the Department in clinic and in the operating room. She attended all educational conferences and resident didactics and participated in a research project with Famo Haji, Haverford College student, receiving the departmental research a certificate of completion on the Pre-Medicine scholars. The faculty and Program Enrichment (PEP) course from Drs. Costas residents in the Department of Lallas and Pat Shenot. Urology were so pleased with the success of the experience that we will reapply for the program next year. We are committing to self-fund the next student if not selected by the MAAUA for two consecutive years. This underscores the commitment to DEI that both the Department of Urology and Jefferson Health Enterprise are promoting and extends the reach of Jefferson Urology educational programs to undergraduate students.

International Student Rotation

Luca Cerri recently completed a clinical observership rotation in the Department of Urology. Luca is currently a 4th year medical student at Humanitas University in Milan, Italy. His visit was facilitated by Dr. Ignazio Marino, EVP for International Strategic Clinical Ventures and Professor of Surgery at Jefferson. Luca is no stranger to the US medical system having previously completed observership in Neurology and Orthopedic surgery in Providence and Hartford. He is interested in training in Urology. He shadowed with our current PGY 3’s, Drs. Maria D’Amico, Courtney Capella, and JY Leong.

According to Dr. Marino, who helped in securing Luca’s international rotation spot, “Jefferson Urology is recognized internationally as a top training program with outstanding faculty and facilities. It is a dream of many students interested in the field to spend time with the Department of Urology at Jefferson.”

SKMC 2022 Urology Match Results

Charles Pohl, MD, Vice Provost, Student Affairs, Thomas Jefferson University Vice Dean, Student Affairs & Career Counseling, SKMC

Urology match results were announced in February, ahead of the major match program. This early match allows for students interested in Urology to secure a spot in a general surgery preliminary year.

According to Dr. Charles Pohl, Vice Provost, Student Affairs, Thomas Jefferson University Vice Dean, Student Affairs & Career Counseling, Sidney Kimmel Medical College: “The number of interviews granted to our SKMC students was remarkable and above national statistics. Another great urology match with 100% (5/5) SKMC students matching into this very competitive specialty. Most SKMC students got one of their preferred choices and all of them matched into great programs. Congratulations to the department of Urology on another successful SKMC Urology match.” According to Dr. Pat Shenot, Jefferson Residency Program Director, there is a 70% Urology match rate nationally for United States senior medical students.

SKMC Class of 2023 Urology Match Results Kaitlin Berry Southern Illinois University Cassra Clark Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Andrea Quinn UPMC Jared Raikin Cooper University Hospital Bowen Yao University of Minnesota

Jefferson Urology Society

The Jefferson Urology Society holds an annual robotic lecture and demonstration by Dr. Costas Lallas, Society advisor.

The Jefferson Urology Society (JUS) is a student-run organization that works to increase medical student exposure to the field of urology. Dr. Costas Lallas serves as the faculty advisor to the society. Throughout the academic year, JUS hosts several events that promote mentorship, early clinical experiences, and research opportunities that are tailored to bolster urologic exposure across all phases of the JeffMD curriculum. Preclinical students benefit from a number of lectures, journal clubs, and our annual winter externship, which provides 1st and 2nd year medical students with robust clinical exposure to urology prior to the start of their clinical rotations. Students in their clerkship years are provided additional robotics exposure through our annual robotics demonstration as well as ample opportunities to network with Jefferson urology faculty. In an effort to further garner interest in urology, JUS recently established a formal mentorship program. Through this initiative, medical students are encouraged to engage with those actively applying to urology residency so that they may learn more about how best to approach topics such as CV development, away rotations, and the ERAS application. JUS continues to play a critical role in providing medical students with early exposure to urology. The organization is growing and well positioned to continue to serve the Jefferson student body in 2023. Any questions or comments may be directed to urology. society@students.jefferson.edu

The following activities represent some of the major JUS programs conducted throughout 2022.

JUS Annual Robotics Lecture and Demonstration

The annual robotics lecture and demonstration is an incredibly popular event every year. Despite the event being canceled in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions, students were able to attend the event in person this year. With over 30 students in attendance, Dr. Costas Lallas provided a lecture on the history of robotic surgery in urology followed by a demonstration of the Da Vinci robot in an operating room. Students were also provided the unique opportunity to practice specific surgical skills with the robotic simulator.

JUS Journal Club

JUS hosted its first entirely student-run journal club this year. The event began with loweryear medical students providing an overview of anatomy and physiology that was relevant to the articles being discussed. Following this introduction, upper-year medical students presented notable and controversial articles pertaining to an interesting topic in urology. With guidance from Dr. Thenappan Chandrasekar, articles selected this year focused on outcomes from the RAZOR trial.

Fall Career Fair

The Fall Career Fair is an event hosted by Jefferson’s MD Compass, which is an organization that provides medical students with additional opportunities to help clarify specialty choice. At the Career Fair, members of JUS were present at a table to answer questions and educate students regarding the benefits of pursuing a career in urology.

JUS Annual Introduction to Urology Meeting

The annual introduction to urology meeting is one of the first events JUS holds during the academic year. The event consists of a series

Jefferson Urology Society members participating in their Society curated 4th year sub-internship at Jefferson. (left to right) Jessica Bulafka, Connor McPartland, Daniel Stirt (visiting student), Adam Schneider and Meher Pandher (visiting student).

of lectures delivered by JUS members which provides students with a brief overview of urologic subspecialties as well as exposure to the diversity of urologic pathology and treatment options. Students are also provided a general introduction to the ways in which urology is incorporated into both the preclinical and clinical curriculums at Jefferson. Other topics discussed include compensation, specialty lifestyle, and the residency application process.

JUS Annual Winter Externship

The annual externship was an initiative started in 2021 to increase clinical exposure to urology for interested preclinical students. In its inaugural year, 4 students participated in the program after being selected from a competitive applicant pool. Students spent 2-weeks of their winter break interacting with Jefferson urology faculty and residents in the clinic, ORs, and floors. Students learned basic skills such as knot tying and foley catheter placement as well as general OR etiquette. Feedback from students that completed the externship was incredibly positive, thus, the externship has returned for 2022. The externship will continue to be a 2-week experience over winter break with the goal of providing early exposure to encourage more students to consider pursuing a career in urology. The externship will be expanding this year to include both TJUH and Methodist Hospital as rotation sites to maximize the number of students that can participate in the program.

JUS Mentoring Program

The mentoring program is a new initiative established in 2022 to provide 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students with additional opportunities to connect with 4th year students actively applying to urology residency. Through this formal program, JUS members believe students will benefit from the knowledge and advice of students that are familiar with topics such as away rotation applications and navigating social media as a urology applicant. The urology application process continues to change and evolve year by year, and JUS believes a formal mentorship program will serve to ensure Jefferson students continue to excel in the match.

A Zoom shot of a recent Jefferson Urology Society Board meeting (left to right): Jessica Bulafka, Vice President for Research, Connor McPartland, President, Yash Shah, Treasurer and Xiya Wu, Lower Class liaison.

Jefferson Urology Society Officers 2022-2023

President Connor McPartland (‘23)

VP Clinical Adam Schneider (‘23)

VP Research Jessica Bulafka (‘23)

Secretary Joseph Schultz (‘23)

Treasurer Yash Shah (‘25)

Event Coordinator Amit Syal (’25)

Upper-class Liaison Eshika Agarwal (’24)

Lower-class Liaisons Xiya Wu (’25) Emily Yanoshak (’25)