Medical students, residents and fellows are invited to participate in the eighth annual AUA Residents and Fellows Committee essay contest.

Contest Theme: Embracing Failure and Building Resilience: How Setbacks in Training Lead to Success in Urology

Urology training is a demanding journey filled with both achievements and obstacles. The ability to navigate and learn from personal and professional setbacks plays a vital role. Whether it is managing difficult surgical complications, the emotional weight of patient care, or personal struggles outside of medicine, these challenging moments often become pivotal in shaping a trainee's growth. This essay contest encourages trainees to reflect on how overcoming setbacks has fostered resilience and contributed to their professional and personal growth as urologists.  

Requirements and Deadline

Essays should be no more than 500 words and will be judged on clarity and impact of the writing, relevance to the theme and applicability to urologists and urology trainees. Submissions should be emailed to ResCommittee@AUAnet.org and should also include: 

• Name
• Bio with headshot
• Email address
• Mailing address
• Name and location of your medical school or training program

 The deadline to submit is January 19, 2025.

The winning essay will be:

• Submitted for publication in AUANews
• Recognized at the AUA2025 Residents Forum program in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Published on the AUA website
• Awarded a $150 USD monetary prize

Past AUA Residents and Fellows Committee Essay Contest Winners

2024

Courtney Yong, MD - 2024 Grand Prize Winner
Fellow, Indiana University
Read Dr. Yong's winning essay.

Rebecca Howland, MD - 2024 Honorable Mention
Resident, University of Michigan
Read Dr. Howland’s essay.

Kiran Sury, MD - 2024 Honorable Mention
Fellow, Duke University
Read Dr. Sury's essay.

Jonathan Xu, MD – 2024 Honorable Mention
Resident, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center
Read Dr. Xu's essay.

2023

Nicolas Seranio, MD - 2023 Grand Prize Winner
Resident, Stanford University
Read Dr. Seranio's winning essay.

Madeleine Ball, BS - 2023 Honorable Mention
Medical Student, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Read Madeleine Ball’s essay.

Baine Herrera, MD - 2023 Honorable Mention
Resident, Texas ATM/Baylor Scott and White Temple Memorial
Read Dr. Herrera's essay.

Hannah Kay, MD – 2023 Honorable Mention
Resident, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Read Dr. Kay's essay.

2022

Avi Baskin, MD - 2022 Grand Prize Winner
Resident, University of California, San Francisco
Read Dr. Baskin's winning essay.

Laurence Hou, MD - 2022 Honorable Mention
Resident, Hackensack University Medical Center
Read Dr. Hou's essay.

Utsav S. Shah - 2022 Honorable Mention
Fellow, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences
Read Dr. Shah's essay.

Kiran Sury, MD – 2022 Honorable Mention
Resident, University of Pennsylvania
Read Dr. Sury's essay.

2021

Courtney Yong, MD - 2021 Grand Prize Winner
Resident, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Read Dr. Yong's winning essay.

Kiran Sury, MD - 2021 Honorable Mention
Resident, University of Pennsylvania
Read Dr. Sury's essay.

Esther Nivasch Turner, MD - 2021 Honorable Mention
Resident, University of Pennsylvania
Read Dr. Nivasch Turner's essay.

Wesley Yip, MD – 2021 Honorable Mention
Resident, University of Southern California
Read Dr. Yip's essay.

2020

Meghan A. Cooper, DO, MA - 2020 Grand Prize Winner
Resident, University of South Florida
Read Dr. Cooper's winning essay.

Paulette C. Dreher, DO - 2020 Honorable Mention
Resident, Main Line Health
Read Dr. Dreher's essay.

Lauren Poniatowski, MD, MS - 2020 Honorable Mention
Resident, University of Washington
Read Dr. Poniatowski's essay.

Blair Townsend, MD, MBA - 2020 Honorable Mention
Resident, Carolinas Medical Center at Atrium Health
Read Dr. Townsend's essay.

2019

Karen Wheeler, MD, PhD - 2019 Grand Prize Winner
Fellow, University of Texas Health Center San Antonio
Read Dr. Wheeler's winning essay.

George Goucher, MD - 2019 Honorable Mention
Resident, McMaster University
Read Dr. Goucher's essay.

Blair Townsend, MD, MBA - 2019 Honorable Mention
Resident, Carolinas Medical Center at Atrium Health
Read Dr. Townsend's essay.

JJ Zhang, MD- 2019 Honorable Mention
Resident, Cleveland Clinic
Read Dr. Zhang's essay.

2018

Unwanaobong Nseyo, MD - 2018 Grand Prize Winner
Resident, University of California, San Diego
Read Dr. Nseyo's winning essay.

Julia Fiuk, MD - 2018 Honorable Mention
Resident, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Read Dr. Fiuk's essay.

Natalie Hartman - 2018 Honorable Mention
Medical Student, University of Southern California
Read Natalie Hartman's essay.

Ramphis Morales-López, MD - 2018 Honorable Mention
Resident, University of Puerto Rico
Read Dr. Morales-López's essay.

Nathan Wong, MD - 2018 Honorable Mention
Resident, McMaster University
Read Dr. Wong's essay.