Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship

Overview

This two-year fellowship program in pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery accepts urology residents who have graduated from an ACGME-accredited urology program. The program is jointly accredited by the American Board of Urology, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Society for Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction.

Fellows are given intensive and broad-based clinical, surgical and research experiences with progressive autonomy. They obtain in-depth familiarity with clinical and investigative work that enables them to pursue productive careers in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, specializing in voiding dysfunction, neurourology, female pelvic floor reconstructive surgery and urodynamics. Fellows also gain experience in writing scientific proposals, grants and manuscripts.

Curriculum/Training

Clinical Training

Fellows spend time on clinical rotations, participating in outpatient clinics, office procedures and surgery. There are also months dedicated to rotations with urogynecology and colorectal surgery.  Fellows also learn the fundamentals of research. They also have access to the Cleveland Clinic Simulation and Advanced Skills Center, and participate in several advanced wet lab exercises focusing on pelvic anatomy and reconstructive surgical techniques.

Surgical Training

The program offers exposure to a wide spectrum of female and male surgical procedures. On average, fellows perform a total of 300 surgeries per year including:

• Female and male incontinence
• Female pelvic organ prolapse repair
• Transvaginal reconstructive surgery
• Open abdominal reconstructive surgery
• Laparoscopic and robotic pelvic reconstructive surgery
• Complex female urethral reconstruction
• Neurourology

Didactic Activities

Fellows participate in the following didactic activities:

• Journal club
• Urodynamic conference
• Staff lectures
• Research reviews
• M&M
• Joint Center of FPM&RS meetings with Urogynecology and Colorectal Surgery, which includes journal club, case presentations and research studies
• Opportunity to participate in most of the general urology departmental educational activities 

Research

Fellows receive training in clinical research with the opportunity for basic science research if desired.  During their first year of training, fellows develop a portfolio of research projects and present their work at SUFU and the AUA. During their second year they finish work on their primary research thesis, which is also presented at local and national meetings.

Fellows have the opportunity to work with clinicians as well as researchers investigating urinary incontinence, lower urinary tract disorders, neurogenic bladder, neuromodulation and stem cell research using animal and other models.

Since 2002, the fellows have initiated and participated in more than 85 IRB-approved studies.  In recent years fellows have been awarded multiple SUFU and AUA grants.

Finally, as part of the fellowship training, fellows are mentored in authoring peer-reviewed and invited publications and presenting their work at national meetings

Regularly Performed Procedures

Surgical Procedures

• Injectable therapy for SUI
• Neuromodulation
• Midurethral and fascial slings
• Transvaginal prolapse repairs
• Abdominal prolapse repairs
• Robotic prolapse repairs
• Transvaginal urethrolysis
• Urogenital fistula repairs
• Urethral reconstructions
• Urinary augmentations
• Complex mesh repairs

Faculty

Howard Goldman, MD

Staff

Raymond Rackley, MD

Staff

Emily Slopnick, MD

Staff

Sandip Vasavada, MD

Department Vice Chair

Amy Park, MD

Staff

Margot Damaser, PhD

Staff

Ly Hoang Roberts, MD

Associate Staff

How to Apply

Up to two fellows are accepted per year. 

Interested applicants must electronically submit applications to the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Information about the application and Match process can be found at clevelandclinic.org/education/gme and Applying to Residencies with ERAS website.

Contact Information

Howard Goldman, MD
Fellowship Program Director, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery
Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute
9500 Euclid Ave.,Q10-1
Cleveland, OH 44195
216.445.2267

For any further questions or details, please email the Urology Fellowship Coordinator at UrologyFellowship@ccf.org.

Alumni

Fellowship alumni