This June, Michael Chevinsky, MD, Bryan Pham, MD, and James Thu, MD, all graduated from the Urologic Surgery Residency Training Program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
The Urologic Surgery Residency is a fully accredited training program that offers clinical education and basic research in numerous urologic specialties, including urologic oncology, minimally invasive urology, endourology, laparoscopy, stone disease, female urology, reconstructive urology, pediatric urology, and infertility. Expert faculty members train residents at Barnes-Jewish Hospital (ranked High Performing in Urology by U.S. News & World Report), St. Louis Children’s Hospital (ranked #15 in the nation for Children’s Urology Hospitals, and Best Children’s Hospital for Pediatric Urology in Missouri), St. Louis VA Medical Center and Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital.
Chevinsky, Pham and Thu will each go on to private practice or fellowship training, applying the skills and operative experiences they gained in the residency program as they advance their careers in urologic surgery. These three Chief Residents shared their wisdom and insights on the Urology Residency Program prior to graduation.
Michael Chevinsky, MD
What are your plans for life after residency?
I will be doing a fellowship in robotic surgery, and then plan to practice on the East Coast. Even if I were to go into practice right now, I would feel very comfortable with seeing patients and operating independently. The residency has been a great experience and preparation for my future.
What is the biggest strength of the Urology Residency Program?
The cohesiveness of the residents. We all work together and support each other every step of the way. The operative training is another great strength of the program.
What pearl of wisdom are you taking with you from residency?
Patient selection is the silent partner of the surgeon.
What have you enjoyed most about St. Louis?
I have enjoyed how easy it is to live in St. Louis as a resident—and the lack of traffic.
What advice do you have for future residents?
The time goes by very quickly. Make sure to pause and appreciate what you are doing and where you are.
What legacy do you hope you have left with the Urology Residency Program?
I hope that people remember me as a hard-working, good-natured person who always put patient care first. I have always known I wanted to be a surgeon. During medical school, I did a year of research in kidney cancer and fell in love with the field. The patient is always top priority.
What is your favorite memory from residency?
My favorite memory was when we played Human Foosball as a department. Something I’ll never forget!
Bryan Pham, MD
What are your plans for life after residency?
I plan to go into private practice as a urologist. The residency program has prepared me well with both clinical and operative knowledge I will put to use every day.
What is the biggest strength of the Urology Residency Program?
This is an operative heavy program with plenty of opportunities to practice urologic surgery. Working at the St. Louis VA Medical Center provides an excellent resource for resident autonomy. No matter what interests you, the program has all of the subspecialties. This is a very resident-run program, where you have strong mentors but also the autonomy to grow and develop your skills.
What pearl of wisdom are you taking with you from residency?
There is always more to learn.
What have you enjoyed most about St. Louis?
There are a lot of things to do! More than I have time for. There’s a lot of good food. My favorite Chinese restaurant, Cate Zone, is here.
What advice do you have for future residents?
You get what you want out of residency. Washington University School of Medicine offers tremendous opportunities. It’s up to you to put in the work and utilize those opportunities.
What legacy do you hope you have left with the Urology Residency Program?
Operating is serious business, but you should be having fun when you do it. That’s why I chose a career in urology. You are making a difference in peoples’ lives, but you can still have a fun experience in clinic.
What is the funniest memory you have from residency?
Michael Chevinsky is my funniest memory. He’s a character.
James Thu, MD
What are your plans for life after residency?
I will be a community urologist. I have learned a lot from the program—from the bread and butter of urology to complex cases—and look forward to putting what I’ve learned to practice in my community.
What is the biggest strength of the Urology Residency Program?
There are so many strengths, but the top four, for me, are:
- Camaraderie
- Autonomy
- Clinical Volume
- Strong relationships with attendings
What pearl of wisdom are you taking with you from residency?
Do the right thing, even when things are hard.
What have you enjoyed most about St. Louis?
The food scene here is very underrated, but great. Forest Park is amazing, and it’s right across the street from the hospital. The city is very affordable and livable for residents.
What advice do you have for future residents?
“Do the best you can, then do better when you know better.”
What legacy do you hope you have left with the Urology Residency Program?
I hope that my hard work has left the program even stronger than when I arrived.
What is your favorite memory from residency?
One of my co residents and I went to Nashville to record a Backstreet Boys cover. We named ourselves Eaststreet Boys. That was a blast.
We also made videos to roast our chiefs, which took a long time, but we thoroughly enjoyed the process.
Why did you choose a career in urology?
I like urology jokes. Urology personalities strongly attract me to the specialty. I like the dual nature of medicine and surgery aspects of urology. For me, it was really a perfect fit.