Short-term impact of a robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy 'mini-residency' experience on postgraduate urologists' practice patterns.

Introduction: To assist practising urologists acquire and incorporate robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) into their practice, a 5 day mini-residency (M-R) programme with a mentor, preceptor and potential proctor experience was established at the University of California, Irvine, Yamanouchi Center for Urological Education. The follow-up results from the initial 21 RALP M-R participants are presented.

Methods: Between September 2003 and September 2004, 21 urologists from six states and four countries underwent a RALP M-R.

Short-term impact of a laparoscopic "mini-residency" experience on postgraduate urologists' practice patterns.

Background: To assist practicing urologists incorporate laparoscopic urology into their practice, a 5-day mini-residency (M-R) program with a mentor, preceptor, and proctor experience was established at the University of California, Irvine, and we report the initial results.

Study Design: Thirty-two urologists underwent laparoscopic ablative (n=17) or laparoscopic reconstructive (n=15) training, including inanimate model skills training, animal laboratory, and operating room observation. A questionnaire was mailed 1 to 15 months (mean, 8 months) after their M-R program, and responses were reviewed.