“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.”

—Theodore Levitt

The AUA Office of Education is committed to serving our members and all those who are part of the urological health care team. As we conclude 2022, we are excited to use our needs assessment surveys and pilot programs to build a foundation of new and innovative educational opportunities.

Residents are the future of our profession. As such, we are continually looking for ways to support our residents as well as residency training programs. In 2023, we are excited to offer our residents a variety of programs (both new and existing) to enhance their knowledge base and support their education.

On June 10-11, 2023, the Office of Education will launch the inaugural AUA Intern Academy. This course is designed to meet the needs of postgraduate year 1 residents entering into our field and includes both an in-person hands-on skills experience (June) as well as a weekly series of didactic virtual lectures (July-September). The aim of the lecture series is to evolve the former Fundamentals in Urology course into a 3-month instructional academy focusing on clinical scenarios that interns will encounter as they embark on their careers. Leading this initiative are 4 Course Co-Directors: Sammy Elsamra, MD, FACS, and Ahmed Ghazi, MD, FEBU, MHPE, who will lead the hands-on training, while Lindsay Hampson, MD, MAS, and Gina Badalato, MD, will build on their experience from the COViD and EMPIRE programs to develop the didactic curriculum.

For the senior residents approaching graduation, the Annual Review course will once again be held in Austin, Texas, June 2-4, 2023. We are very thankful for the continued leadership of Howard Goldman, MD, FACS, and Kristen Scarpato, MD, MPH, FACS, as our Course Co-Directors.

Our programming is certainly not restricted to residents! For those practicing urologists who are preparing for the American Board of Urology Certifying Examination (Part II), the AUA Oral Board Review Course will be offered virtually on January 21-22, 2023. In addition, an updated and redesigned Oral Board Study Guide app has been launched with new protocols and a new upgraded technology interface.

Beyond these stand-alone courses, AUA2023 in Chicago promises to be innovative with our educational offerings. Specifically, 20% of AUA2023 courses are new, thereby exposing our audience to a more diverse array of clinical content and speakers. Furthermore, as the Institute for Leadership and Business moves forward, we are excited to announce that a new Leadership and Business Track will also be offered during AUA2023. This track will include a 4-hour course on Thursday afternoon and six 2-hour courses Friday-Sunday. This new track will cover topics on personal finance, compensation models, teleurology, clinic efficiency, time management, and medical malpractice with applications to urological professionals at any career stage.

Each of these new initiatives was developed based on feedback from you, our members. We will continue to listen to you to allow us to serve your needs. As always, I welcome your feedback. Please feel free to contact us at education@auanet.org.