Ronald Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Urology, Medical Oncology,
Radiation Oncology & Molecular Radiation Sciences
Cellular & Molecular Medicine
Director, Urology Residency Program

Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in our training program. The Brady Urological Institute, which opened in 1915, was the first urology residency in the United States. From its inception, this Institute has been dedicated to the training of academic urologists. We have well-developed programs in all aspects of adult and pediatric urology including reconstructive surgery, urological oncology, male infertility and sexual dysfunction, urodynamics, female urology, endourology, laparoscopy, and stone disease. In addition to clinical training, residents spend 12 months in basic research working on projects of their own choosing. This basic science exposure coupled with 24 months of senior surgical experience in adult and pediatric urology prepares our residents well for their future career in academic urology.

Beginning with the 2008 academic year Urology/ERAS match, our program is recruiting three residents each year. The training program is six years in duration, including one year of surgery and five years of urology. There is extensive exposure to all aspects of adult and pediatric urology and one year of laboratory research. Our residency is officially listed as a 1+4 year program, as the one year of research is unaccredited. 

During the first two years residents rotate on the adult urology service at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the urology service at the Bayview Medical Center, and the pediatric urology service at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. In addition, they spend one month in the surgical intensive care unit, one month in nephrology, and three months in a structured outpatient experience. This in-depth exposure to urology provides an excellent background for residents to select the topic of their own choosing for their year of laboratory research.  Following this research experience, the program proceeds with both senior assistant resident and chief resident positions on the adult service at Johns Hopkins, at the Bayview Medical Center, and on the Pediatric Urology Service.

There are 22 full-time members of the faculty. Dr. Alan Partin is the Chairman of our department. Dr. Robert Getzenberg directs our research unit which has 4 full-time Ph.D. faculty members. Dr. John Gearhart is Director of Pediatric Urology. Dr. Ballentine Carter is Chief of Adult Urology and Dr. James Wright is the Chief of Urology at the Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. The other clinical faculty members include Dr. Mark Schoenberg, Dr. Jacek Mostwin, Dr. Jonathan Jarow, Dr. Patrick Walsh, Dr. Arthur Burnett, Dr. Christian Pavlovich, Dr. Mark Gonzalgo, Dr. Brian Matlaga, Dr. Misop Han, Dr. Mohamad Allaf, Dr. Edward Schaeffer, Dr. Ranjiv Mathews and myself. In addition, we have other part-time clinical urologists who add to the wealth of surgical material available at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Because Johns Hopkins is known as the center for the treatment of prostate cancer there is a misconception that this is the only emphasis in our department. As you can see from the above list of talented clinical faculty members, nothing could be further from the truth. We have in-depth programs in all areas of urology.

Some of the most important discoveries in urology have been made at the Brady Urological Institute. In recent years, these major contributions include nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy, laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, discovery of hereditary prostate cancer and linkage to the first susceptibility gene on chromosome 1, detailed characterization of the alpha- adrenergic receptors in the genitourinary tract and nitric oxide as the neurotransmitter responsible for penile erection, and the first gene therapy in urology. As a resident in our program, you will have the opportunity to share in making these discoveries, as all of our residents have done in the past.

All residency applications are made through ERAS - the Electronic Residency Application Service. If you would like to see our department up close, we would be happy to consider you for a 1 month subintemship. Interested individuals should write to Mary Foy, Registrar, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Room 119, Medical School Administration Bldg., 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, Maryland 21205-2196.

Thank you once again for your interest in our training program. I hope that I will have an opportunity to meet you and to describe our program to you more fully in a personal interview. Let me know if I can help in any way.

Sincerely Yours,

Ronald Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Urology Residency Program
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions