Description of the Endourology Fellowship

The Endourology Fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center is a one-year fellowship program focused on endourology and stone disease under the mentorship of three fellowship-trained endourology faculty: Drs. Ojas Shah, Michael Schulster, and Ezra Margolin. The faculty aim to teach fellows the clinical, surgical, investigative, and educational skills to succeed as leaders in the field.

The Department of Urology will not sponsor H1-B or O-1 visa applications for fellows. All applicants must be able to obtain a full medical license in the state of New York.

Clinical Experience

The fellowship offers specialized training in both the medical and surgical treatment of stones, emphasizing understanding of pathophysiology, metabolic evaluation, individualized treatment plans, and complex surgical stone removal. Fellows will have extensive exposure to endoscopic surgery for stone disease including percutaneous nephrolithotomy, ureteroscopy, and shockwave lithotripsy. Fellows will be taught percutaneous renal access techniques, including both prone and supine approaches. They learn to navigate anatomical challenges and manage complications. Additionally, they spend time learning the outpatient management of stone disease with an emphasis on metabolic management and prevention. The fellowship fosters a multidisciplinary approach, collaborating with radiology, nephrology, endocrinology and nutrition experts to ensure comprehensive care.  Fellows will also gain experience with the evaluation and management of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma and ureteral strictures/obstruction. 

The fellowship also includes state-of-the-art training in management of benign prostatic hyperplasia, with a focus on holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). With prostate enucleation, fellows will be able to offer maximal long-term symptomatic relief to patients who suffer from BPH while minimizing morbidity. 

Graduates of the program are well-prepared to lead stone and BPH programs in academic or high-volume clinical settings, combining technical proficiency with a holistic understanding of patient care.

Academic Experience

In addition to clinical responsibilities, fellows actively participate in research and scholarly activities. They will be engaged in departmental journal clubs and conferences, and they will have opportunities to present at national meetings. Fellows will be mentored to publish manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals as well as clinical studies in stone disease and BPH. They will play an integral role in teaching residents, both in the operating room and through clinical cases.

Schedule and Case Numbers

Fellows will typically spend 3 days per week in the operating room, 1 day per week in the outpatient clinic, and 0.5-1 day per week for research activity. Anticipated surgical case volume includes 50 to 75 PCNLs, 200-300+ ureteroscopies, 10-30 SWLs, and 80-100 HoLEPs.  Fellows also participate in our urology access clinic and/or their own endourology clinic.

Past Fellows