Description of Urogynecology Fellowships
The Division of Urogynecology at the University of Toronto is also known as the Program in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (FPMRS).
The program teaches and trains both core and elective medical students, residents and clinical fellows in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Urology from the University of Toronto and other national and international universities.
There are 3 Urogynecology Fellowships offered:
1) University of Toronto Urogynecology Joint Fellowship: is a joint 2-year fellowship program between Mount Sinai Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
2) Mount Sinai Hospital Urogynecology Fellowship: offers a 2 or 3-year postgraduate fellowship training program with two clinical years of training and one year of basic science and clinical research training.
3) Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Urogynecology Fellowship: offers a 2-year clinical and research fellowship training program.
The Division leads practice in advanced laparoscopic and reconstructive pelvic surgery and receives local, province-wide, Canada-wide and international referrals.
University of Toronto Fellowship (joint Mount Sinai Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre)
Program Directors:
Dr. Patricia Lee (urogynecology@sunnybrook.ca) and
Dr. Danny Lovatsis (Danny.Lovatsis@sinaihealthsystem.ca)
Application Deadline: Please submit an Application Form by June 1st of each year.
Program Information
We are offering a University of Toronto Urogynecology Joint Fellowship. This fellowship program entails one year of clinical training at the Mount Sinai Hospital site and one year training at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre site. The core faculty will include: the Mount Sinai Hospital 3 full-time academic Urogynecologists (Drs. May Alarab, Danny Lovatsis, and Colleen McDermott) and the 4 full-time academic urogynecologists at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Drs Janet Bodley and Louise Gagnon, Rose Kung and Patricia Lee).
This is a tertiary level 2 year fellowship training program within university hospital settings. Training will include clinical exposure in the ambulatory clinic, cystoscopy suite, and operating room. Educational activities include didactic teaching at Urogynecology Rounds and critical appraisal at Journal Clubs. An opportunity for elective time in other disciplines will be offered. The fellow will spend 12 months at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre followed by 12 months at Mount Sinai Hospital.
The fellow will be provided with opportunities to be actively involved in clinical research and/or basic science research. Mentorship will be provided to plan and conduct research projects, with protected research time. It is expected that the fellow design, complete, and submit for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, at least one investigator originated research project. The Program places a strong emphasis on training individuals considering an academic career after completion of the fellowship. There is a guaranteed annual salary and supported academic travel. Protected time and funding is available for an approved Masters degree training.
Potential applicants must have completed their basic core training in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and have successfully passed the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada examinations. Only Canadian-trained applicants will be eligible for this fellowship program. It is preferred that new fellows have had at least a 6-week to 3-month rotation in Urogynecology during their core training at their own university centre, or, have taken an elective rotation offered through our University of Toronto program to external residents.
The members of the Division of Urogynecology will evaluate fellows every 3-6 months. The fellow must successfully complete the first year of training to proceed to the second year.
The Setting: Mount Sinai Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
The Urogynecology Units at Mount Sinai Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre are busy clinical investigative and research units involved in caring for women with complex genitourinary and pelvic floor problems. The units are referral centers for complex pelvic floor dysfunction, many of the patients having had previous pelvic floor surgery and other genitourinary procedures. Please see the individual hospital descriptions below for more detailed information.
Mount Sinai Hospital Fellowship
Program Director:
Dr. Danny Lovatsis
Division of Urogynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto
Tel: (416) 586-4566
Email: Danny.Lovatsis@sinaihealthsystem.ca
Application Deadline: Submit Application Form by June 1st of each year.
Program Information
The fellowship program includes the Unit at Mount Sinai Hospital with three full-time academic Urogynaecologists, Drs. Danny Lovatsis, May Alarab, and Colleen McDermott. Dr. Nucelio Lemos is also part of the Urogynaecology staff with additional expertise in Minimally Invasive Gynaecologic Surgery (MIGS) and Neuropelveology. Dr. Phaedra Diamond is also part of the Urogynaecology Program and is located at Rough Valley Health System (Centenary Site).
The University of Toronto Postgraduate Training Program in Urogynaecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery collaborates with the academic departments of:
- Urology – Drs. Sender Herschorn and Leslie Carr at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Drs. Sidney Radomski, Magdy Hassouna and Dean Elterman at the University Health Network (Western Division);
- Colo-Rectal Surgery – Dr. Marcus Burnstein at St. Michael’s Hospital;
- Gastroenterology – Dr. Louis Liu at the University Health Network (Western Division);
- Chronic Pain
- Pediatric Gynecology – Dr. Lisa Allen at Hospital for Sick Children;
- Sexual Medicine: Dr. Stephen Holzapfel at Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre
This is a tertiary level program within a university hospital setting. This is a 2 year fellowship, with the option of a third year depending on the clinical needs and academic plans of the trainee. A Master of Science degree may be incorporated into a third year of training. Areas of special interest are: laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy, mid-urethral slings, laparoscopic Burch, revision of mesh complications, urodynamics, intravesical Botox (and exposure to neurostimulation), anorectal dysfunction including a Post-Partum Perineal Clinic, geriatric Urogynaecology, chronic pain syndromes, pessary fitting, clinical research and basic science research (with protected research time).
Training begins with clinical exposure in the ambulatory clinic, cystoscopy suite, and operating room. Educational activities include didactic teaching at Urogynaecology Rounds and critical appraisal at Journal Clubs, together with residents and medical students. Training continues with performance of surgery in complex cases, and subspecialty exposure to colorectal surgery, anorectal motility, neurostimulation, etc.
The program is actively involved in clinical research, as well basic science research regarding the genetic etiology of pelvic floor dysfunction. Mentorship is provided to plan and conduct research projects, with protected research time. It is expected that each fellow design, complete, and submit for publication in a peer reviewed journal, at least one investigator originated research project. Fellows coming from other university training programs and/or foreign countries, to which they will return following completion of their fellowship, are encouraged to have funding from their core university program or government sponsorship.
Potential fellows must have completed their basic core training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and have successfully passed the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada examinations. Equal qualifications would include successful examinations from the United Kingdom or the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (candidates who are board eligible are also acceptable for our program).
It is preferred that new fellows have had at least a 6-week to 3-month rotation on the Urogynaecology service during their core training at their own university centre, or have taken an elective rotation offered through our own program to outside residents. Our core residency training program in Obstetrics and Gynaecology accepts qualified residents from acceptable training programs for a 4-6 week elective.
The members of the Division of Urogynaecology evaluate fellows every 6 months. The fellow must have successfully completed the first year of training in order to proceed to the subsequent year. Foreign trained residents must complete a 12 week PEAP assessment (Pre-Entry Assessment Program) at the beginning of the fellowship.
The Urogynaecology program has regularly scheduled educational activities, which include bi-monthly Urogynaecology Rounds, and monthly Journal Clubs for critical appraisal of evidence based literature. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has weekly Grand Rounds as well as evening Journal Clubs. Fellows are involved in teaching of medical students and residents. As well, fellows participate in a postgraduate course in Critical Appraisal and Biostatistics.
The Setting: Mount Sinai Hospital
The Urogynaecology Unit at Mount Sinai Hospital is a busy clinical investigative and research unit involved in caring for women with complex genitourinary and pelvic floor problems. Approximately 2000 new consultations are seen per year; with follow-up visits, approximately 6000 women with pelvic floor disorders are assessed per year. The unit is a referral center for interesting surgical problems, many of which involve previous failed continence and pelvic floor operations, and other genitourinary procedures. In the combined units, approximately 500 major genitourinary surgical cases are performed annually.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Fellowship
Program Director:
Dr Patricia Lee
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto
Tel: (416) 480-6740
Site: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Application Deadline: Please submit an Application Form by June 1st of each year.
Program Information
The Urogynecology Fellowship program is a 2-year program based at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a full-service tertiary care academic health science centre.
Over the 24 months, an equivalent of 9 months per year will be spent concentrating on urogynecology (with 3 days of surgery per week) and 3 months in advanced laparoscopic surgery (complex endometriosis, fibroids, difficult hysterectomy and other advanced gynecologic procedures: 3-4 days of surgery per week). Approximately, 2 days per week are allotted to office urogynecology. There is the option to spend the equivalent of 1-2 months with an ambulatory urology /cystoscopy clinic; and/or ambulatory geriatric urogynecology.
There is a robust clinical research program and mentorship will be provided to assist the fellow in developing at least 1 research project to be presented at an (inter)national meeting and with manuscript preparation for journal submission.
The Program places a strong emphasis on training individuals considering an academic career after completion of the fellowship.
There is a guaranteed annual salary and supported academic travel.
Protected time and funding is available for an approved Masters degree training.
Potential applicants must have completed their basic core training in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and have successfully passed the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada examinations. Consideration will be given to those with the equivalent of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada certification. It is preferred that new fellows have had at least a 6-week to 3-month rotation in Urogynecology during their core training at their own university centre, or, have taken an elective rotation offered through our University of Toronto program to external residents.
The members of the Division of Urogynecology will evaluate fellows every 3-6 months. The fellow must successfully complete the first year of training to proceed to the second year.
The Setting: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Our surgical faculty consists of: 4 fully trained full-time urogynecologists and 4 full-time AAGL certified gynecologists with subspecialty training in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. There is a strong collaborative association with our on-site urologists (who have a special interest in female urology).
We have about 1000 cases in the main operating room annually. Our main surgical focus is in advanced minimally invasive surgery in urogynecology, infertility, pelvic pain and general gynecology. The typical surgical procedures performed at our centre include laparoscopic Burch, laparoscopic suburethral sling, laparoscopic colposacropexy, Laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy, vaginal hysterectomy and repairs, vaginal vault suspensions, fistula repair, Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, laparoscopic myomectomy, laparoscopic cerclage, laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy, mid-urethral slings and operative hysteroscopy.
The Urogynecology Clinic is a tertiary/quaternary referral centre with many referrals coming from province-wide for complex care and surgical management of patients with significant co-morbidities. We have combined surgical cases that involve our Urology, General Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery colleagues.