As I reflect upon my year as president of the AUA, it is with a sense of tremendous gratitude and admiration for my fellow board members, AUA staff, and hundreds of member volunteers who worked together to achieve so much this past year. It is easy to be discouraged–there seem to be calamities around every corner, from natural disasters to economic failures. There are also challenges and uncertainties facing us as urologists. What do we do about artificial intelligence? What about the workforce shortage? What about health care reform? This last year taught me that we can do extraordinary things—and have achieved extraordinary things together.

I have had a front-row seat to countless accomplishments by the AUA. What struck me most was the community and the collaboration behind these accomplishments. We are the AUA—more than 25,000 members strong, from more than 130 countries across the world, rich in our diversity across nationalities, genders, races, ages, and subspecialties—working together to advance our specialty and improve care for our patients.

Together We Educate

Over 100 volunteers serve on the Education Council and committees to bring our members the latest advances in our field. From the Update Series and hands-on skills training to podcasts and courses, the AUA accredited more than 100 educational activities over the past year, ensuring that we stay at the forefront of advances in our field.

Together We Innovate

More than 50 volunteers worked on programs that drive innovation in our specialty. This year marks a decade for the AUA Census and the AQUA Registry, the only registry dedicated to urology. These programs propel data-driven research and initiatives that will continue to grow for future generations. The AUA has also launched new programs like Innovation Nexus, which connects urologists, researchers, industry partners, and investors to ignite discoveries.

Together We Advocate

This past February I joined more than 300 members in Washington, DC, for the Annual Urology Advocacy Summit. Together, we learned about the policies and laws impacting our practices, and together we took to Capitol Hill and advocated for our profession and patients on issues like telehealth, Medicare reform, and the workforce shortage. We represented 39 states and took part in more than 200 meetings with congressional leaders and their staffs.

Together We Lead

This year I had the privilege of graduating the 10th class of the AUA Leadership Program. Bringing together young urologists from all sections and an all-star cast of mentors, the program represents the pride and possibility of our specialty and the AUA. The connections made and the collaboration to support our specialty and nurture the next generation of leaders are hallmarks of that program and another example of what we can achieve together.

As I pass the torch to Dr Stephen Nakada, I am humbled at the honor of serving this esteemed organization, and I look forward to my continued engagement with you, my valued colleagues. I am confident that together we can overcome any obstacle, and together, we can continue to do extraordinary things.

This is only the beginning of what we can achieve. Together, we can do this!