Stakeholder perspectives on undergraduate urology education in Canada

The roles of urology and surgery interest groups and the Canadian Urology Student Interest Group

Authors

  • Hyunwoong Harry Chae Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • Nicole Acupinpin Department of Urology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
  • David-Dan Nguyen Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
  • Stacy de Lima Department of Urology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
  • David Bouhadana Division of Urology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
  • Katherine Anderson Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada
  • Jason Y. Lee Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
  • Dawn L. MacLellan Department of Urology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.9668

Keywords:

Interest groups, Medical education, Urology, Survey

Abstract

Introduction: Medical school interest groups (IGs) can provide exposure to specialties beyond formal curricula. The Canadian Urology Student Interest Group (CUSIG) is a novel, national model of IG aiming to advance Canadian urology education. To inform CUSIG’s ongoing development and collaborations with the Canadian Undergraduate Urology Committee (CanUUC) and the Canadian Urological Association (CUA), Canadian urologists involved in education were surveyed on their perspectives on the role of urology/surgery IGs in undergraduate urology education.

Methods: A survey assessing demographics, perceptions of IGs and CUSIG, and involvement with IGs was developed, reviewed by Canadian urology educators, and distributed to CanUUC members, urology program directors, and other staff urologists at Canadian medical schools. Data were summarized descriptively.

Results: Forty-three urologists responded. Shadowing (37/43, 86.0%), mentorship (29/43, 67.4%), and research opportunities (25/43, 58.1%) were believed to be the most effective initiatives. While 28/43 (65.1%) respondents were not previously aware of CUSIG, they believed CUSIG could help advance Canadian urology education (3.69±0.80). Key priorities highlighted for CUSIG were increasing exposure (37/43, 86.0%), student-resident-staff collaborations (27/43, 62.8%), and access to research (23/43, 53.5%). Barriers to staff involvement with IGs and CUSIG were lack of awareness (22/43, 51.2%) and time (17/43, 39.5%).

Conclusions: Canadian urology education stakeholders endorsed CUSIG’s national IG model and identified clear priorities, including increasing clinical and research exposure, facilitating mentorship, raising staff awareness, and delivering feasible, low-burden initiatives. These findings can guide CUSIG’s development and collaborations with CanUUC and the CUA to address gaps in Canadian undergraduate urology curricula.

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Published

2026-08-20

How to Cite

Chae, H. H., Acupinpin, N., Nguyen, D.-D., de Lima, S., Bouhadana, D., Anderson, K., … MacLellan, D. L. (2026). Stakeholder perspectives on undergraduate urology education in Canada: The roles of urology and surgery interest groups and the Canadian Urology Student Interest Group. Canadian Urological Association Journal, 20(12). https://doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.9668

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 12 (2026): CUAJ December

Section

Original Research

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