In this series, the Column editors will interview urology residents about their experiences pursuing the field and advice they have for medical students. Kicking off the series are Asia Matthew-Onabanjo, MD, PhD and Hannah Kay, MD, third-year residents at the University of North Carolina.

EDITORS: THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SIT DOWN WITH US! TO KICK THINGS OFF, WOULD YOU MIND TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?

Dr Matthew-Onabanjo: I’m originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and went to Xavier University in Louisiana. I then did my MD/PhD at the University of Massachusetts. I started exploring urology by working with pediatric urologists, and I fell in love with it.

Dr Kay: I was born and raised in San Diego. I went to college in Houston and medical school in Austin, Texas. My medical school actually didn’t have a urology residency, but I became interested in urology through a two-week rotation offered by two wonderful attendings there. This brought me across the country to Chapel Hill for residency. I didn’t have many connections to the area when I got here, so it’s been a new, exciting adventure.

EDITORS: HOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND STUDENTS EXPLORE AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN UROLOGY?

Dr Matthew-Onabanjo: I think the best way to get into urology is to explore both the clinical and research sides. The clinical part is important to help you see if you’re actually interested in the field. From there, you can also build research relationships. Most urologists are very happy to have medical students work with them—urologists really love their field and want to get everyone interested.

Dr Kay: It is valuable if you have mentors who are willing to make that first connection for you. Once you get that first meeting with someone, one, always send a thank you email, and two, ideally schedule your next meeting. If you’re trying to build a mentorship relationship, it’s good to try to make it continuous.

There’s a common misconception among medical students and young residents that you have to have a lot of numbers in your network. I think it’s much more about building stronger, longitudinal connections with fewer people.

EDITORS: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS IN THINKING ABOUT CHOOSING LOCATIONS FOR AWAY ROTATIONS?

Dr Matthew-Onabanjo: I was in the COVID batch, so we couldn’t do away rotations. The advice I’d initially received was to try a variety of places. Try a place with many residents to see if you feel like you can thrive there, and try a place with two residents a year to understand how it might feel if it was just you and someone else. But remember, each rotation is a month-long interview, so you have to consistently be on your best behavior.

Dr Kay: Before COVID shut down aways, I applied to regions of the country that I hadn’t lived in to show interest, since I personally wanted to go somewhere new. If I could really do aways, I would do one big academic center and one smaller community program to understand what each could look like. Every program is different, but that would have given a feel for two ends of the spectrum.

EDITORS: HOW DID YOU APPROACH CRAFTING YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR UROLOGY RESIDENCY APPLICATIONS?

Dr Matthew-Onabanjo: As the applications become more uniform with step 1 becoming pass/fail, the personal statement becomes more important. The advice I got was that only 10% of the personal statements are going to be super catchy, 10% might not be great, and the other 80% are going to be in-between. I aimed for the in-between. [laughs] I know that sounds like crazy advice. But, I encourage students to tell a story about who you are, why you are interested in urology, and what you can bring to a program.

EDITORS: DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR STANDING OUT DURING AWAY ROTATIONS?

Dr Matthew-Onabanjo: Show up on time, really know your patients, and follow up on them. Writing that progress note, following up on that outside hospital urine culture… Those actions do go a long way. Also, having good OR awareness—it’s important to read the room and know appropriate times to ask questions.

Dr Kay: Always be on time, be early, and be enthusiastic about being there. Even if you’re tired, if you can be enthusiastic and punctual, the team is going to like you. You don’t have to know everything, but just have a good attitude.

I also encourage students to not feel stressed out if they don’t feel like they fit in with a program. Fifty percent of the reason you’re there is to make sure you like being there. If you feel stressed out about changing your personality to fit in with people, imagine how 5 years of doing that is going to feel. Just be yourself, and you’ll find out if it is a good fit or not.

EDITORS: ARE THERE ANY MISTAKES THAT YOU FEEL YOU MADE OR COMMON MISTAKES THAT APPLICANTS MAKE DURING THE RESIDENCY APPLICATION PROCESS?

Dr Matthew-Onabanjo: A common mistake is padding your application to the point where we ask you a question about it, and you’re not even sure what you wrote about, and it is very evident. If you’re going to write about an experience, make sure that it is completely true and that you’re well versed in speaking about it.

Dr Kay: I think not following up with people. This goes back to what I said earlier: always send a thank you email and close loops with people. You don’t want to come across as someone who just expects these things to happen to you. Showing gratitude is an important sign of a strong work ethic.

PART 2 OF OUR INTERVIEWS WITH DR MATTHEW-ONABANJO AND DR KAY WILL BE FEATURED IN THE NEXT EDITION OF THE AUANEWS MEDICAL STUDENT COLUMN

The responses presented here are compiled from individual interviews with each participant.