When I said, “Urology is the best field, ever!” speaking up at the 2024 AUA Advocacy Summit, the audience erupted in hoots and applause. Despite the challenges we face, it’s clear we love our specialty, patients, colleagues, and trainees. As urologists we all strive to improve health outcomes and patients’ satisfaction, and there is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates a diverse workforce improves health outcomes and drives organizational excellence.¹ The AUA Census illustrates that there is room for improvement in increasing representation in our workforce.² As I reflect on my own medical school experience, I recall a desire to become a surgeon, but my mentor was a pivotal magnetic figure that pulled me toward urology.

Undeniably, mentorship plays a role in attracting students to our specialty.³ Specifically, mentorship of students who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and from historically disadvantaged backgrounds may be an avenue to increase recruitment of diverse applicants.⁴

When I took my seat as the inaugural chief diversity officer and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee chair, I noted, “Persistent advocacy and activism, rather than persistent complaining, lead to positive changes,” in my very first AUANews Voices interview.⁵ Our committee’s unwavering collaboration with the AUA Public Policy Council illustrates that.

The FUTURE (Future Urology Talent from Underrepresented Entities) in Urology Mentorship event at the 2024 Advocacy Summit was a resounding success. This novel and inaugural effort engaged preclinical and clinical medical students in advocacy and provided exceptional opportunities to network with their peers, urologists, lawmakers, and AUA leadership. Each student was paired with a mentor to guide them through the conference and Capitol Hill visits and to help them with their career planning (Figure). Many mentors and mentees attending the Summit were immigrants from countries where it’s not safe to use their voices with lawmakers. As one of these individuals, I especially valued this unique opportunity to participate in the AUA advocacy efforts. FUTURE students embraced this opportunity as well and were not shy to speak up, especially in addressing our workforce issues. It was truly an honor walking Capitol Hill with the FUTURE students advocating for our patients, colleagues, and trainees.

The AUA’s FUTURE in Urology Program is a comprehensive incubator platform aiming to augment the urology pipeline by equipping URiM, URiU (underrepresented in urology), and other students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds with tools to achieve their career aspirations, including effective mentorship, networking, and skills development. We are bridging the gap between aspiring urologists and experienced professionals and fostering a vibrant ecosystem of learning, collaboration, and growth. The platform is not restricted to students; it also fosters mentorship and individual growth opportunities for all AUA members who join. We welcome urologists to join as mentors (virtually and/or in person) and mentees. For instance, I currently serve as a mentor for our young and aspiring urologists, but as the program expands, I’ll also seek mentorship for my own professional growth.

Mentorship is a key part in fostering AUA pipeline efforts and augmenting leadership opportunities for our members. The FUTURE Summit event mentors’ feedback was encouraging, indicating that the program was meaningful and that they were inspired by our URiM/URiU students’ enthusiasm flexing their “advocacy muscle.” Our committee is grateful to the AUA Public Policy team for their support of the FUTURE in Urology program at the 2024 Advocacy Summit and hope that we can continue this meaningful collaboration at many future Summits to come.