Global Urologic Surgery Program

This opportunity provides our residents with exposure to different cultures and healthcare systems and to see uncommon urological conditions.

VCU Urology established a formal collaboration between the VCU School of Medicine and Hue University School of Medicine and Pharmacy in 2009, the third largest medical school in Vietnam.

This program is exclusively for VCU residents and faculty, but is affiliated with IVUmed, a non-profit organization that focuses on training urologic health providers in low-resource areas of the world.

A robust operative experience on these trips provide residents with an invaluable surgical opportunity. Past surgical trips have performed treatments for BPH, bladder cancer, endoscopic/percutaneous and open stone procedures, advanced laparoscopy, and complex pediatric operations.

During these week-long surgical experiences, residents are actively involved in educational lectures, clinical case discussions, and surgical participation with local medical staff.

As part of the most recent trip in 2019, Drs. Herndon, Zee, and Swavely performed 20 hypospadias surgeries, the majority of which were penoscrotal hypospadias.

Past Program Participants

• 2019

• Tony Herndon (faculty)
• Rebecca Zee (faculty)
• Natalie Swavely (resident) 

• 2018
• Riccardo Autorino (faculty)
• Andrew Tracey (resident) 

• 2017
• Tony Herndon (faculty)
• Andrea Balthazar (resident) 

• 2016
• Tyler Roseman (faculty)
• Sarah Krzastek (resident)

• 2015
• Lance Hampton (faculty)
• MaryEllen Dolat (resident)
• Collier Pace (resident)