Background:
In 2014, the chairs of the departments of family medicine and urology for Northwell Health decided to create an innovative educational model to help fill the gap of needed urologic services. This model would emulate what had been done for orthopedics with the creation of a sports medicine fellowship.
Objectives:
The objective was to create a fellowship training for family medicine graduates in advanced urology to allow them fill a clinical gap that had been observed within the system. The secondary objective was to allow a process for family medicine residents to partake in urology tracks.
Methods:
We reviewed what the gap was for our health system and nationwide with the number of urologists available to provide this care to the population served. It was determined that there would be an advantage to having family medicine physicians participate in this training as they had been Curricula were reviewed from various sources.
Curricula were reviewed from various sources and the final curriculum created for a 12 month period. Health system and academic resources were delineated and a formal application to the graduate medical education council (GMEC) was submitted and approved in 2016.
Results/Outcomes/Improvements:
The 2017-18 fellow completed his training and went on to practice in the at need region. The 2018-19 fellow secured a position out of state at a system that is looking to replicate this training program. The 2019-2020 fellow has a job in one of our region. For the 2020-2021 academic year we have taken in two fellows and a formal 12 week urology track for family medicine residents began in the 2018-2019 academic year resulting in applicants for the fellowship program.
Significance/Implications/Relevance:
The 5 year journey to create a urology fellowship for family medicine residents has shown that we could address the need for someone with this special added training to help fill a gap within a certain region of our health system. It has also allowed for the family medicine residents currently in training to have a venue for added exposure to advanced urology with the hopes they can utilize these skills in their primary care practice or, should they desire, to obtain a fellowship in this new specialty.
This is a viable option for other sites to emulate in order to address their own workforce shortages and an option for family physicians to have an expanded scope of practice that helps care for communities in need.