The OMI is thrilled that this year’s ESU/Weill Cornell Master Class in Urology could take place from July 11-17, since the 36th Annual EAU Congress and the EAU21 was held simultaneously and virtually from July 8-12, in which various OMI faculty were involved in giving lectures as well.
The ESU/Weill Cornell Master Class in Urology is a collaborative program between the European School of Urology and Weill Cornell Medicine. It is designed for young urologists with an academic profile and includes state-of-the-art lectures, case discussions, and a laparoscopic, hands-on training. The masterclass is organized by the European School of Urology (ESU) in collaboration with the American Austrian Foundation (AAF).
During the EAU Congress, OMI faculty member Dr. Joan Palou Redorta handed over the position of the ESU Chairman to Dr. Evangelos N. Liatsikos, after holding this title for nine years. We congratulate Dr. Liatsikos on his new role and wish him all the best for his future work there. He will lead the Salzburg ESU/Weill Cornell Master Class in Urology every three years from now on. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Liatsikos as our course director.
This year the course was led by Dr. Jonathan A. Coleman and co-directed by Dr. Joan Palou Redorta. The OMI faculty was completed by Dr. Piyush K. Agarwal, Dr. Maximilian Burger, Dr. Grace Hyun, Dr. Timothy A. Masterson, and Dr. Christian Radmayr. Dr. Chung-Han Lee held his lecture remotely via Zoom.
The laparoscopic hands-on training was held for six hours at five Olympus training stations. In order to give the 19 participating fellows the best training experience, two tutors, Dr. Tiago Ribeiro de Oliveira and Dr. Domenico Veneziano, were available to help them with any uncertainties or questions. Additionally, Olympus sent one of their team members to explain the different training models: the E-BLUS & Pyeloplasty model. There were two levels of training: basic and intermediate. In order to offer the fellows various levels of training suitable to their skills, they filled out a questionnaire beforehand regarding their current level of experience and, if already completed, their E-BLUS exam results were assessed. If not previously completed, the E-BLUS exam could also be taken on-site.
The highly interactive ESU/Weill Cornell Master Class in Urology is a major opportunity for the careers of young urologists because it enables them to make valuable contacts for the future.