AUA annual meeting offers early career urologists specialized career programming

The AUA’s annual meeting is a perfect time for early career urologists to brush up on course work, focus on specialty science advancements, interact with colleagues and mentors and generally work their professional networks, according to Sammy E. Elsamra, MD, chair-elect of the AUA Young Urologists Committee.

Starting with the May Kick-off Weekend through the September in-person meeting, there are specialized events designed to help young urologist attendees successfully transition from residents to practicing urologists and from mentees to mentors.

“The AUA Young Urologists Committee has a number of virtual and physical activities that should not be missed by any young urologist,” said Dr. Elsamra, who is also associate professor of surgery (urology) at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey. 

The “First Year Dilemmas Panel,” scheduled 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Sunday, May 23, will allow attendees to envision navigating from training to practice. Leading urologists will explore common dilemmas that have created stumbling blocks for other young urologists, including issues related to referrals, confidence and interpersonal relationships.

The AUA Virtual Career & Resources Fair, which is scheduled 1-5 p.m. EST on Sunday, May 23, will connect young urologists with a multitude of hiring employers. It will offer valuable access to career development materials, including helpful webinars, podcasts and other resources (see “Make a Connection at the Career & Resources Fair” for more information).

These two virtual events are included as part of the main registration fee.

In September, look for more programming tailor-made for early career urologists. These opportunities are included in the premium registration packages.

New for AUA2021 is “Meet the AUA Leaders,” a 60-minute event that will connect young urologists with AUA leaders, including current and former board members, committee and council chairs and AUA leadership program graduates. With seating limited to about 40 attendees maximum, the small group setting lends itself to more focused and directed conversations. Each small group will meet with two AUA leaders at a time for 20 minutes each to discuss leadership prospects, career strategies and more.

Another career advancement opportunity that should not be missed, according to Dr. Elsamra, is the Speed Mentoring Program. Residents and fellows will meet with practicing urologists for five separate 10-minute chats. Early career urologists will be able to connect with senior urologists to make important contacts and receive career planning information. Other points of discussion will include surgical education, best practices for finding jobs and negotiating a contract.

Finally, the Young Urologists Forum will feature expert panelists led in discussion by Kyle A. Richards, MD, chair of the AUA Young Urologists Committee, who will explore “Top 10 Things I Learned from the Pandemic.”

Dr. Elsamra encourages attendees to “really get a handle on the program ahead of time and preplan because there is so much going on at the AUA that it is easy to get pulled into different directions.”  He also advises attendees to investigate interest areas, such as sessions on robotics, ureteral stricture disease, kidney stones or bladder or prostate cancer. The plenaries, courses and hands-on sessions are all so valuable, he said, “you do not want to miss out.” 

Visit AUA2021 Daily News Online for more articles.