Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute*

Fellowship Overview
As one of the first institutions in the United States to offer a clinical fellowship in male infertility and andrology, Cleveland Clinic has been training clinical and research fellows in for more than 20 years. The fellowship has been highly successful at fostering future academic leaders, and more than 60% of our graduates have gone on to academic positions.

This one-year program provides graduates of urology residency with the opportunity to develop clinical excellence in all aspects of clinical male fertility and men’s health. The clinical fellow will spend the majority of his or her time in the clinic and in the operating room evaluating and managing patients with infertility and men’s health.

The fellowship provides a well-rounded experience in all aspects of male infertility. In addition, medical and surgical management of prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain, and orchalgia is covered. At the start of the fellowship, the fellow completes a comprehensive one-week in vivo microsurgery training course through by the Department of Plastic Surgery. In addition, he or she will have an opportunity to rotate with the reproductive endocrinology, genetics, and endocrine services at Cleveland Clinic. Fellows may also spend time in the andrology lab learning basic and advanced semen analysis skills if desired.

The fellowship staff have expertise in erectile dysfunction, complex Peyronie’s disease, and urinary incontinence. Fellows will spend time performing office-based procedures including penile duplex Doppler ultrasonography, Xiaflex injections, testopel implantation, and minimally-invasive prostate procedures such as Rezum and Urolift. Operative management of erectile dysfunction and Peyronie’s is also emphasized, with fellows performing a high volume of complex penile prosthesis implantation and plaque incision/excision and grafting.  Surgical management of chronic orchialgia with microsurgical spermatic cord denervation is performed in high volume.

Fellows are expected to participate in education and didactic opportunities during their tenure at CCF. These include quarterly men’s health journal clubs with staff (usually held at a local restaurant), regular multidisciplinary conferences with the reproductive endocrinology team to discuss difficult fertility cases, and Urology Department grand rounds conference. Fellows will also provide guidance and hands-on education to residents and medical students in the operating room and via regular didactic sessions (e.g. vasectomy training using a dedicated trainer).

At the conclusion of the program, graduates will have the expertise needed to investigate and treat all aspects of male infertility and men’s health, the ability to critically appraise state-of-the-art scientific literature and integrate this knowledge into his or her practice, and an extensive network of contacts and colleagues in infertility and sexual health to rely upon for further professional development.

Fellowship Faculty:

• Sarah Vij, MD (Program Director)
• Petar Bajic, MD
• Scott Lundy, MD, PhD
• Neel Parekh, MD

Research Focus
Research plays an integral role in the fellowship. The fellow has opportunities to conduct clinical and basic science research on a variety of topics and is expected to publish original manuscripts during the fellowship. For candidates interested in additional rigorous scientific training, there is also an opportunity for a second-year or research fellowship.

Office Procedures Performed
Penile Doppler
Xiaflex
Testopel
Vasectomy
Hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy
Circumcision
Dorsal Slit
Rezum
Urolift
Biothesiometry

Surgical Procedures Performed
Microsurgical reconstructions

• Vasovasostomy/Vasoepididymostomy
• Crossover and inguinal reconstructions

Surgical sperm harvest techniques

• Micro-TESE
• TESE
• Percutaneous epididymal sperm extraction

Microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy
Microsurgical spermatic cord denervation
Transurethral resection of ejaculatory ducts
Scrotal Surgery
Penile Prosthesis Implantation and Removal/Replacement, with or without straightening maneuvers
Penile Plication
Plaque Incision or Partial Excision and Grafting for Peyronie's Disease
Glanspexy
Buried Penis Repair
Complex Scrotoplasty
Male Urethral Sling (including mini-Jupette)
Artificial Urinary Sphincter
Benign Prostate Surgery (PVP, TURP)

Fellowship position open for 2025-2026

Primary Institution
Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Department of Urology
Cleveland, OH - USA

Fellowship Director
Sarah Coleman Vij, MD

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Fellowship Administrator
Melanie Symons, Education Program Coordinator

Candidate Citizenship Requirement
US and Canada and International

Fellowship Duration
12 months

Type of Fellowship
Clinical Practice
Research Available

Conference Schedule

Interview Schedule

Fellowship Website
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/urology-kidney/medical-professionals/urology-fellowships/male-infertility

Fellowship Application
Interested applicants should contact the education team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Application must include a curriculum vitae along with three letters of reference (preferably one from the residency program director). 
Prior Fellows
Aaron Smith, MD 2023-2024