Message from the Chief

Joseph Barone, MD, MBA, FAAP
Chief

Thank you for your interest in the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Division of Urology.  Established in 1987, the Division of Urology has experienced significant growth and expansion.  Our Division spans across both the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) with nearly every subspecialty within urology covered by fellowship trained attendings.  Specialized care is offered in urologic oncology, andrology, endourology/stone disease, voiding dysfunction/pelvic floor medicine and surgery, pediatric urology, and general urology. 

Our Division offers the latest in robotic, laparoscopic, and endoscopic surgery while still providing outstanding training in open surgery.  

• Our CINJ faculty perform all major oncologic surgeries via open and robotic approaches including radical cystectomy, radical/partial nephrectomy (including cytoreduction/metastasectomy), nephroueterectomy, radical prostatectomy (including cytoreduction), post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, and inguinal lymphadenectomy for penile cancer. 
• Our pediatric urologists also perform minimally invasive surgery as well as complex reconstruction. 
• The Andrology service offers a full range of services to men with infertility and erectile dysfunction. 
• Our Stone Center performs complex percutaneous and endoscopic stone surgery in addition to comprehensive metabolic evaluations. 
•  The Voiding Dysfunction/Pelvic Floor service treats men and women with urinary tract issues in a holistic and collaborative approach.
• Our General Urology providers are excellent mentors for our residents and staff the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital clinic

The Division’s research enterprise is robust with all faculty contributing.  Our research portfolio covers basic/translational science, clinical trials, and health services/outcomes research.  This research is supported by extramural grants, institutional funds, industry, and philanthropy.  Residents have the opportunity to be involved in the research process from conceptualizing a hypothesis, study design, scientific review board/institutional review board approval, implementation, analysis, and reporting of the findings.  These experiences will serve our trainees well regardless of one’s future career path.

Residents regularly submit abstracts with under faculty guidance and make presentations at national meetings such as the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, American Urological Association Annual Meeting, Society of Urologic Oncology Annual Meeting, Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (GU ASCO), World Congress of Endourology, and the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons Annual Meeting.  

Trainees participate in weekly Grand Round presentations/discussions, monthly Journal Clubs, and fall/spring Visiting Professors.  Urology residents have a dedicated 6 month research rotation, which is uncommon in a 5 year training program. The research rotation involves and involves close mentoring from faculty members.  Residents present their research to our Visiting Professors and also at a meeting of New York Section of the AUA on an annual basis.

Urology residents (PGY-2) attend the American Urological Association’s “Fundamentals in Urology” course each year.  This is a 3 day intensive course taught by expert faculty from around the country.  Urology residents are also encouraged to participate in the NIH’s Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research course with additional mentoring provided by Division faculty.

Our dedication to residency training and education is reflected by our 100% American Board of Urology pass rate.  Our residents have access to multiple robotic systems across all of training sites, a teaching console, single port robotic system, and two robotic simulators.  All residents benefit from a core training program centered at RWJMS, CINJ, and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital.  Our children's hospital also recently opened the Center for Advanced Pediatric Surgery, a 17,000 square-foot facility dedicated to pediatric surgical care. When not based at our home campus, our residents rotate at Princeton University Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset. Both of these teaching hospitals are under the directorships of dedicated clinical faculty with expertise in general, robotic and female urology.

For general information about the Division please call 732-235-7775.