Fellowship Programs
NATIONAL KIDNEY AND TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP IN UROLOGIC ONCOLOGY
Accredited Training Institutions
NATIONAL KIDNEY AND TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP IN UROLOGIC ONCOLOGY
ABOUT/HISTORY
The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) was established in 1983 with the goal of becoming a center of excellence for kidney diseases and renal transplantation. Today, 38 years into its journey, this standard of excellence is still upheld – with NKTI having been ISO reaccredited last 2020 by TUV Rheinland (ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management Systems, ISO 14001:2015 – Environmental Management Systems, ISO 45001:2018 – Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems). On top of that, NKTI is also acknowledged by the Department of Health and Philhealth as a Center of Excellence. Even more, the hospital has consistently been reinvesting in its own facilities and workforce to ensure that the latest cutting edge equipment are available and that its professionals are up to date on the best practices and current knowledge.
DEPARTMENT OF UROLOGY
The Department of Urology was founded in 1983 by ‘triumvirate’ of the country’s top Urologists – Dr. Abelardo Prodigalidad, Dr. Genaro Yusi and Dr. Benjamin Magsino envisioning the premiere Urologic Training Institution. Subsequently, Dr. Dante Dator would eventually become the first Urologist – Medical Director of NKTI.
The NKTI Department of Urology boasts the highest number of Urologic cases in the country encompassing open, endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures – leading the country in the greatest number of minimally invasive procedures. Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, the census of the department for Service/Charity cases and admissions was still maintained despite the overall drop in compliance of patients. Priority was given to those with emergent and non-deferrable diseases, most especially cancer cases.
The department also enjoined the other divisions in manning “hot zones” or COVID-19 areas with separate teams in rotation providing medical care at all times. On top of this, personal protective equipment was acquired by the department, through the concerted effort of its members, to provide not just for its constituents but for the general manpower of the hospital as well.
At the Department’s disposal is the most advanced laboratory unit and a diagnostic center that are highly acclaimed as one of the best in the country. These two centers complement the training program by providing the residents access to all the recent and most up-to-date diagnostic tools in diagnosing and treating urologic conditions. An extension of the Operating Room Complex has also been constructed with two additional rooms dedicated for endoscopic procedures, a unit for the ESWL machine, a room for prostate biopsy and brachytherapy, a unit for Urodynamics and Female Urology, additional rooms for ambulatory minor urologic procedures, and highly specialized operating rooms adopting the latest technology for minimally invasive urologic procedures, the modular OR 1 by Storz. The Radiotherapy Section, together with the recent NKTI government private-public partnership project (PPP) with the introduction of a Cyclotron PET-CT Scan unit, provides treatment for a multitude of both urologic and non-urologic oncologic cases.
The Department holds weekly academic conferences, Journal Clubs, annual Urology Week Conventions to keep abreast of the latest developments in Urology. Regular monthly interhospital conferences are also being held to learn from and impart knowledge to our fellow institutions. These conferences are well attended by our consultant staff that supervises our service cases and gives guidance to the trainees. Alongside this, the department participates in all PUA events including those that nurture the social side that Urologists are known for. For the year 2020, the Department of Urology successfully adapted to the pandemic social restrictions by bringing all these activities to an online platform so that all regular conferences were not at all halted and even added some new perspectives on how current technology could improve upon the conduct of these activities even after the pandemic restrictions are lifted.
The Department, through its constant efforts, is committed in the training of highly competent and well-rounded urologists of the future who are destined to provide quality healthcare to all Filipinos, COVID-19 pandemic notwithstanding.
OFFERS/TRAINING SPECIFICATIONS
In year 2021, the Department of Urology of NKTI applied for Level 5 Accreditation to the Philippine Board of Urology. This level of accreditation is for General Urology Training Programs with Subspecialty Fellowship. NKTI is the first institution in country to be eligible for this level of accreditation.
Presently, the department is has been awarded a Level 4 Accreditation status based on the 2021 PBU Accreditation. The current accreditation status is valid from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2024.
The NKTI Urology offers three training programs – G
- 6-Year Straight General Surgery-Urology Residency Program
A straight Urology training program consisting of a two-year general surgery rotation within NKTI, another brainchild of Dr. Dator, was created to streamline the preparation of prospective residents for Urology. Approved by the Philippine Board of Urology in 2013, the program, serving as a model, has been fully adopted by most of the other training institutions in Urology.
- 2-Year Urologic Oncology Fellowship Program
The Clinical Fellowship Program in Urologic Oncology was the brainchild of Dr. Reynaldo Dela Cruz and Dr. Abelardo Prodigalidad, who envisioned the need to train experts who will be competent heads of multidisciplinary teams, able to manage the different urologic cancers from early-stage to metastatic disease with focus on the surgical management of complex cases as well as in-depth knowledge of adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment modalities. The ultimate goal of the program was to field experts who will be able to strengthen training programs in Urology and serve as a resource person for Urologic cancer in any multidisciplinary meeting or scientific forum. This concept came to fruition in 2009 when the very first clinical fellowship program in Urology was born, Urologic Oncology. The program has since graduated 5 fellows who are currently serving as able mentors and heads in existing residency and fellowship programs. As the management of cancer continually evolves, so too will the program and its mantra of producing and fielding experts and future mentors with the ultimate goal of improving cancer care in the country.
Laparoscopic Urology in the Philippines was born in the Department of Urology of NKTI in 2001 with the formation of the Section of Laparoscopic Urology. The specialty progressed and flourished and was gradually incorporated into the residency training program providing the basic skills needed to perform basic urologic laparoscopic procedures.
With the development of minimally invasive surgery and endourology progressing at a very rapid rate, the Sections of Laparoscopic Urology and Endourology at the NKTI were then merged into the Section of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Endourology. Its goals of educating and training residents and consultants in MIS/Endourology had inspired them to create the first comprehensive Laparoscopic and Endourologic Fellowship Training Program in the country in 2019. The large volume of patients at NKTI ensures Urology residents that they are not deprived of their share of cases and this allows the fellow to handle more difficult and complex cases. To date, the Section has graduated its first fellow and currently training its second. It is the Section’s goal to produce experts in Endourology who will share their expertise and help other urologists in honing their own skills in the future with its reach felt in all regions of the country.
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