Endourology and Minimally Invasive Urological Surgery Fellowship

At the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), we are proud to be a leading tertiary care academic institution committed to advancing clinical care, education, and research.

The UAB Department of Urology, established in 2012, has experienced consistent growth in both clinical and research domains, earning national recognition for excellence in patient care and ranking among the top 15 departments for NIH funding. Our department is repeatedly designated as “high performing” for clinical care and is dedicated to training the next generation of urologists through robust educational opportunities. This commitment is exemplified by our successful training of two endourology fellows—Dr. Kyle Wood and Dr. Joe Crivelli—who now serve as faculty members and mentors within the department.

The endourology fellowship at UAB is led by an esteemed team of NIH-funded surgeon-scientists. Dr. Kyle Wood, Vice Chair of Research., oversees the program and guides fellows in both clinical and research pursuits, with a focus on advanced kidney stone surgery and the comprehensive metabolic and genetic workup of stone disease, including rare conditions like primary hyperoxaluria. Dr. Thomas Chi, the newly appointed UAB Endowed Chair of Urology, brings national leadership experience and expertise in innovative kidney stone and BPH treatments, further enhancing the fellowship’s academic and surgical training. Dr. Joseph Crivelli, an Assistant Professor with a research focus on kidney stone epidemiology and clinical trials, collaborates closely with Drs. Wood and Chi to expand fellows' research acumen and surgical expertise. Together, this faculty team ensures that the fellowship provides a rich and comprehensive learning environment for future leaders in endourology.

The UAB Endourology Fellowship is funded in part with generous support from Novo Nordisk, Boston Scientific, and Calyxo.

Program Overview

Program Highlights

Duration: 1 year or 2 year 

Number of Fellows: 2

Accreditation: The Endourology Fellowship is accredited through the Endourological Society.

Curriculum Overview: Fellows will gain comprehensive training and hands-on experience in advanced endourologic and minimally invasive procedures, including ureteroscopic and percutaneous surgical management of urolithiasis. The curriculum also includes endoscopic and robotic surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, with dedicated exposure to holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). In addition, fellows will develop expertise in metabolic stone evaluation and long-term medical management to support effective, evidence-based prevention of recurrent kidney stone disease.

Regularly Performed Procedures:

• Percutaneous access techniques – ultrasound and fluoroscopic
• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (standard, mini PCNL, ECIRS)
• Complex/advanced ureteroscopy
• HoLEP
• Other BPH treatments

How to Apply

Our program participates in the Endourology Fellowship Match in collaboration with the American Urological Association (AUA). All applications must be submitted through the AUA’s online match system, available at: https://medmatch.auanet.org/

In addition to completing the online match application, applicants are required to submit the following materials:

• Three letters of recommendation
• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Endourology AUA Match Application (PDF format)
• Headshot photograph (JPEG format)

All required documents should be submitted after completing the application through the match system.

Please submit all materials to the program coordinator, Jordan Favors, at jordanfavors@uabmc.edu

Certification

Applicants may choose between the following two program options, each culminating in a certificate awarded by the Endourological Society upon completion:

• A one-year Advanced Clinical Training Certificate
• A two-year Advanced Clinical and Research Training Certificate

Curriculum

Clinical Training

Clinical training is designed to provide comprehensive exposure to advanced endourologic care within a high‑volume academic medical center. Fellows develop expertise across the full spectrum of stone disease and benign urologic conditions through a combination of operative experience, ambulatory clinic exposure, and multidisciplinary collaboration. The program emphasizes technical proficiency, clinical judgment, and patient-centered communication to prepare fellows for independent practice.

• Includes ureteroscopic and percutaneous surgery for urolithiasis, as well as endoscopic and robotic procedures for benign prostatic hyperplasia, including holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP)
• Stone disease training emphasizes comprehensive metabolic and genetic evaluation and longitudinal management
• Ambulatory experience focuses on advanced history-taking and physical examination skills for complex stone patients
• Procedural and perioperative training includes renal ultrasound, cystoscopy, ureteral stent and nephrostomy tube management, and perioperative risk assessment
• Patient communication training emphasizes clear, effective counseling regarding risks, benefits, and potential complications as part of the informed consent process
• Training occurs within a high‑volume academic health system offering exposure to complex referrals and multidisciplinary care

Research Training

At the completion of fellowship, the fellow will be able to demonstrate knowledge of scientific methodology, design, biostatistical analysis, and reporting of basic, translational, and clinical/epidemiologic urinary stone research. The fellow will demonstrate the integration of these techniques through the presentation of his or her work at scientific meetings and the publication of the work in reputable journals.

• Research design skills are demonstrated during research meetings and observed through the observation and critique of presented research at local, regional and international scientific meetings;
• Study design and biostatistics is demonstrated as an integral portion of the research experience and is discussed during protocol review meetings. Biostatistical support is available at the program, as are resources for protocol development and grant writing; and
• The thoughtful critique of scientific grants and manuscripts will be demonstrated by fellows through protocol review conferences as well as the initial review of selected manuscripts from their research mentor.

Conferences and Didactics

Academic and didactic education is a core component of the Endourology and Minimally Invasive Urological Surgery Fellowship. The program offers a structured and comprehensive curriculum that includes weekly lectures, multidisciplinary case conferences, departmental Grand Rounds, and Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conferences. These educational activities are designed to foster a rigorous academic environment that emphasizes guideline‑based practice, critical appraisal of the medical literature, and evidence synthesis.

Departmental Grand Rounds are held every Tuesday morning and provide exposure to a broad range of urologic topics, visiting faculty lectures, and institutional updates. Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conferences are conducted monthly and focus on case review, quality improvement, and patient safety, with active trainee participation. Fellows also participate in monthly journal club sessions, during which a selected peer‑reviewed scientific article is critically analyzed and discussed with faculty, emphasizing study design, methodology, and clinical applicability.

Through regular participation in these didactic forums, fellows are encouraged to integrate evidence‑based principles into the management of complex endourologic conditions. Discussions frequently highlight multimodal treatment strategies, clinical decision‑making, and continuous quality improvement. These activities support the development of advanced clinical reasoning skills and ensure fellows remain current with evolving standards of care in endourology.

Program Directors

Fellowship Program Co-Director

Kyle Wood, M.D.
Associate ProfessorVice Chair of Research

Fellowship Program Co-Director

Joe Crivelli, M.D., MSPH
Assistant Professor

Endourology Instructor Fellow

Hannah V. Jarvis, M.D.

Contact Us

Jordan Favors, MSProgram Manager IPhone: 205-975-5604Email: jordanfavors@uabmc.edu