EAU15: Residents Day: showing young specialists the EAU way
During the 30th Anniversary Congress in Madrid, Residents and Young Urologists Day provided young residents the opportunity to get acquainted with the EAU, encouraged to participate in organisational activities, and to take advantage of the opportunities the organisation provides. The European Society of Residents in Urology (ESRU) is now officially part of the EAU, under the Young Urologists Office (YUO).
Michiel Sedelaar (NL), Chairman of the YUO, and Juan Luis Vásquez (DK), Chairman of the ESRU, shared their insights on the future of this new development, and on the main challenges facing residents.
Q: What do you consider the most important message of the Resident’s and Young Urologists Day?
JLV: The most important thing for residents, beyond the content in the sessions, is the possibility to interact with colleagues and panel members. Resident’s day—and its social event—are really great opportunities to meet and establish collaborations for the future.
MS: From the Young Urologists Office, we would like to show residents that we are incorporating the needs of residents to the EAU, but also that we have opportunities to be involved in the EAU, either through courses, or through becoming part of the new talent that will work for the different offices.
Q: What are the main issues faced by residents and young urologists now and in the future?
MS: Past surveys have shown that residents don’t feel like they are yet qualified urologists. They perceive there isn’t enough training, and training facilities, and that there are gaps.
JLV: Indeed, many residents do not get enough surgeries to be able to confidently perform the procedures themselves. In some countries, they lack adequate supervision. So lack of surgical training is indeed a large problem.But there is also the problem of access to information, which is something we hope we can address with this new setup. For example, many residents cannot travel to the Congress due to lack of funding.
Q: How do you think the EAU can help improve access to information?
MS: One of the things we can do is encourage less travelling, by making use of new technologies, particularly e-courses, to disseminate knowledge. By implementing online tools more widely, we can have smaller sessions which are broadcast to a wider audience.
JV: Now that we are incorporated to the EAU, we can hopefully contribute to create workshops that we can distribute, so residents can access all the knowledge flowing from the EAU. Also, the Regional Office Meetings are another good way to bring that information closer to the residents.
Finally, Sedelaar reminded young urologists around Europe that “To be a successful urologist you need many things: intelligence, perseverance, excellent colleagues, a safe environment, mentors, diplomatic skills, but sometimes you also have to take one for the team. You need to be able to withstand criticism, and be there for your colleagues. But when you make it, the future is yours to take. The Young Urologists Office, the European Society of Residents in Urology, and the EAU would like to help.”