“Opinions don’t matter, data and evidence do.” We have all heard this phrase at one point or another during our medical training. There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates a diverse workforce improves health outcomes for urology patients and drives organizational excellence.¹ The AUA Census illustrates the significant room for improvement in increasing representation in our workforce.² Undoubtedly, mentorship plays a role in attracting students to our specialty.³ Specifically, mentorship of students who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and from historically disadvantaged backgrounds may be an avenue to increase recruitment of diverse applicants (Figure 1). Moreover, race-concordant mentorship plays a pivotal role in URiM trainees’ success in their pursuit of a urology career.⁴

Figure 1. 5 PM, Hines Veteran’s Affairs Hospital: All-female urology team taking care of business!

The AUA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee’s FUTURE in Urology (Future Urology Talent from Under-Represented Entities) program is a comprehensive incubator program managed by the Pipeline Workgroup of the DEI committee, led by Dr Denise Asafu-Adjei.

The program aims to augment the urology pipeline by:

1. Equipping URiM and underrepresented in urology (URiU) students with tools to achieve their career aspirations including effective mentorship, networking, and skills development.
2. Exposing students to a holistic urology experience each year at the AUA’s Advocacy Summit and Annual Meeting.
3. Providing a centralized resource library for mentees and mentors related to careers in urology in order to foster coordination, data exchange, and collaboration across established pipeline and mentorship programs.⁵
4. Applying for various industry grant programs to support the missions and growth of nonprofit urology pipeline programs across the US by creating a funding mechanism for these organizations. Once funds are secured, the recipients will be awarded grants based on defined criteria and will be required to report on their program results.

Urologists have always been trailblazers in adapting new technologies to improve surgical techniques and health outcomes. In this instance, we leveraged technology to build a multifunctional electronic platform designed to support the pipeline, mentorship, and promotion of urology trainees who self-identify as URiM and URiU. In addition to incubating mentorship efforts, the FUTURE program aims to cultivate leadership opportunities for urology trainees (students, residents, and early-career urologists) and support various AUA members’ affinity groups.

Two of the major facets of the FUTURE program in 2023 were to establish the framework for the FUTURE Mentorship Day and implementation of the online mentoring platform. Our inaugural FUTURE Mentorship Day was held at the AUA’s 2023 Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois (Figure 2). Mentees were paired with physician mentors from across all urological specialties. A total of 40 mentees spent the day with their mentor(s) to learn more about the practice of urology, specific urologic subspecialities, and the various research and educational offerings of the AUA Annual Meeting. It also provided networking opportunities crucial for budding urologists.⁶ Postmeeting surveys indicated the event was a resounding success with over 80% indicating they were strongly likely to pursue urology as an elective, and more than 90% would recommend the program to other URiM and URiU trainees.

Figure 2. FUTURE in Urology (Future Urology Talent from Under-Represented Entities) Mentorship Program mentors and mentees during the AUA’s 2023 Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

The other major element of the FUTURE program in 2023 was the implementation of an online, virtual mentorship platform through UpSquad. This platform aims to bridge the gap between aspiring urologists and experienced professionals, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of learning, collaboration, and growth. It is centered around mentor engagement and accessibility that underscores the platform’s goal to foster genuine and meaningful relationships and research collaborations. To this end, the platform will also house a repository of best practices, published resources, and toolkits for mentors, faculty, and affinity groups to ensure they are equipped to offer impactful guidance. The platform aims to support various affinity groups, offering them a dedicated space to converge and collaborate in various ways, including virtual roundtable events.

The DEI Committee is actively engaged in increasing participation and engagement on the UpSquad platform for both mentors and mentees. The second phase of the program implementation will include creating diverse affinity groups that offer a safe environment for cooperative idea sharing and networking.

In addition to the AUA’s Annual Meeting event, the DEI Committee held a FUTURE Mentorship Day for 18 attendees at the 2024 Annual Advocacy Summit in Washington, District of Columbia. This novel and inaugural effort engaged preclinical and clinical medical students in advocacy and provided unique opportunities to network with their peers, urologists, and AUA leadership.

The DEI Committee’s Unity and Collaboration Workgroup, led by Dr Simone Thavaseelan, held a virtual summit on February 29, 2024, that sought to increase synergies and collaboration among pipeline/pathway programs’ leaders and stakeholders.

Mentorship is a key part in fostering AUA pipeline efforts. The FUTURE in Urology program is leveraging technology and the collaborative spirit of our colleagues to attract students to urology, cultivate leadership opportunities, and support our diverse and vibrant urological community. The FUTURE in Urology is looking bright.