Program History & Highlights

Our GME Office has preliminary eligibility requirements that all prospective trainees must meet before applying for a training program at our institution. In addition to these criteria, our program also has the following requirements: 

• A qualified applicant must have completed an ACMGE approved residency in Urology or a foreign equivalent with appropriate documentation.  

• Fellows eligible for the Clinical Associate category must obtain a Texas license prior to initiating clinical activity in the fellowship.

How to apply

Our program is not currently involved in the match program. Therefore, applicants must complete the attached program application.

All applications and required documents must be submitted on or before December 20, 2024, to be considered for an interview for the 2025-2026 academic year. Candidates will be contacted regarding an interview date.

For your application to be ,reviewed, we will needplease submit the following:

• Medical school diploma

• Official medical school transcript (English translation required for foreign graduates)

• Certificates of completion from all residencies or fellowships

• Letter of good standing from current program director

• Official USMLE transcript

• Valid ECFMG certificate (for foreign medical school graduates)
  

Letters should be addressed to:

O. Lenaine Westney, M.D. 
Director, Urinary Tract and Pelvic Reconstruction Fellowship Professor
Department of Urology
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 1373
Houston, TX 77030

Please refer to the GME Eligibility Requirements for a complete list and additional information. 

The fellowship aims to produce a reconstructive surgeon uniquely qualified to lead and participate in the multidisciplinary reconstructive treatment of the oncology patient undergoing treatment for pelvic malignancy or attempting to achieve functional status after such therapy. 

The clinical experience will include the evaluation, management and long-term treatment of oncology patients with genitourinary dysfunction, primarily urinary. These principles will be learned through a full range of patient contact: outpatient clinic (E&M and clinic procedures), operative management, in-patient rounding, post-operative evaluation and long-term follow-up visits. Though most patients will have a diagnosis of a GU primary, the fellow will have a high level of exposure to patients with other pelvic primaries (colorectal, cervical, uterine and pelvic sarcoma) requiring pre-operative assessment, collaborative operative management and long-term care to reduce genitourinary morbidity and improve quality of life in the survivorship phase. The fellow will be able to apply their knowledge of neurogenic voiding to patients with neurological dysfunction secondary to disease or incident to surgical resection/radiation treatment effect.  

The fellow also will participate in a wide range of urinary diversion procedures with emphasis on appropriate selection of diversion types based on patient characteristics and prevention of post-operative complications.  

The fellow also will learn the assessment and treatment of patients with a wide range of non-operative voiding symptomatology in the setting of active treatment or survivorship for non-pelvic malignancies. They will gain an appreciation of the intricacies of optimally and responsibly managing a urological bothersome complaint while acting in coordination with overall oncologic care. 

Program Structure: 

The program consists of two years of clinical activity integrated with clinical research, including formal research didactics. Master’s level courses in epidemiology, statistics and clinical trial design are required for successful completion of the fellowship. For highly motivated applicants, a certificate or degree programs in clinical research are available through The University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center.

Pelvic and Urinary Tract Reconstruction Fellowship - 1 year program

Pelvic and Urinary Tract Reconstruction Fellowship – 2-year program

Selection Criteria for 2nd Year Candidates:

1) Initial plans to pursue a master’s in Clinical Research (2 year program) during the fellowship, or:

2) Trainees in good standing through the first six months of the Year 1 and  express the desire to pursue further training in minimally invasive robotic reconstruction and additional focus on more complex urinary diversion.

Recent Faculty and Fellow Publications

Complication rates in concurrent inflatable penile prosthesis and incontinence surgery: Comparing the penoscrotal versus perineal incision approach

Publication: Int J Impot Res

Authors: Kyle A Blum, Justin P Mehr, Travis P Green, Kirema Macharia, Daniel Kim, O Lenaine Westney, Run Wang

Case of the Month' from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA: ependymoma of the urinary bladder

Publication: BJU Int

Authors: Amanda A Myers, Wei Shen Tan, John de Groot, Ouida Lenaine Westney, Ashish M Kamat

Ileal Interposition for Ureteral Reconstruction Following Treatment for Abdominopelvic Malignancy: Complications and Outcomes From a Comprehensive Cancer Center

Publications: Urology

Authors: Jas Singh, Lin Wang, Thomas G Smith 3rd, William Graber, Surena Matin, Louis Pisters, O Lenaine Westney

Surgeons in the Urology department, in collaboration with colleagues from other specialties, manage one of the largest genitourinary cancer patient populations in the country. All types of genitourinary cancer as well as nonmalignant tumors of the urinary tract and male reproductive system are evaluated and treated. 

In addition to gaining unparalleled education and training experience, MD Anderson trainees have access to exceptional resources and benefits to help them build meaningful careers and lead fulfilling lives.

Institutional benefits and support

GME trainees’ salary stipends are updated every year based on the ACGME’s recommendations, and because our trainees are considered workforce members, they also enjoy MD Anderson’s employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement planning, disability insurance and six weeks of parental leave.

Our GME House Staff Senate offers trainees the opportunity to experience a leadership role in a medical field career, and the institution’s Academic Mentoring Council provides avenues to secure tailored academic mentoring from faculty. Our GME trainees benefit from the extensive support offered to our research trainees, too; they are invited to participate in grant application workshops, apply for pilot grants to support their research ideas and receive monetary awards for securing extramural grant funding.

Trainee wellness is also of utmost importance at MD Anderson.

Our trainees have access to MD Anderson’s employee networks, fitness center and other wellness resources provided by the institution. Additionally, our Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), which provides oversight of our accredited programs, regularly assess our trainees’ needs and implements various initiatives, such as providing free call meals and discounted parking to GME House Staff, to address those gaps. The committee even has a subcommittee entirely dedicated to supporting the wellness of our trainees.

Our efforts to ensure a welcoming and supportive education and training experience have been commended nationally. In 2023, the Office of Graduate Medical Education received the DeWitt C. Baldwin, Jr. Award, a prestigious national award that recognizes our institution for its respectful and supportive environment for delivering medical education and patient care.

Beyond MD Anderson

MD Anderson’s location has many benefits, too. Our main campus is nestled inside the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical center which boasts about 10 million patient encounters each year. Many of our faculty are involved in interorganizational research collaborations, both within the TMC and across the nation, exposing trainees to groundbreaking advancements in medical care in real time.

Most importantly, the city of Houston is a great place to call home and raise a family. We are one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation. More than 145 different languages are spoken across the city, placing us behind only New York and Los Angeles. In fact, about 30% of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home. And, paychecks here stretch farther than most U.S. metro areas, thanks to our low cost of living.

Visit our Why Houston page to learn more about our city’s affordable housing, fine dining, entertainment scene, nationally renowned museums and other great attributes.