Fellowship Details & Requirements

Our GME Office has preliminary eligibility requirements that all prospective trainees must meet before applying for a training program at our institution. In addition to these criteria, our program also has the following requirements: 

• A qualified applicant must have completed an ACMGE-approved residency in Urology or a foreign equivalent with appropriate documentation.  
• Fellows eligible for the Clinical Associate category must obtain a Texas license prior to initiating clinical activity in the fellowship.

Our program is not currently involved in the match program. Therefore, applicants must complete the attached program application.

All applications and required documents must be submitted to Christina Rocha – cimedina@mdanderson.org on or before Feb. 14, 2028 to be considered for an interview for the 2028-2029 academic year. Candidates will be contacted regarding an interview date.

For your application to be reviewed, we will need the following:

• Program Application
• Most current curriculum vitae
• Three letters of recommendation (one must be from your program director)
• Personal Statement
• Photo

If you are recommended for a fellowship appointment, the following are required:

• Medical school diploma
• Official medical school transcript (English translation required for foreign graduates)
• Certificates of completion from all residencies or fellowships
• Letter of good standing from current program director
• Official USMLE transcript

Additional documents required for foreign medical school applicants:

• Valid ECFMG certificate

Letters should be addressed to:

Run Wang, M.D., FACS  
Professor and Director, Sexual Medicine Fellowship 
Department of Urology 
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 
1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 1373 
Houston, TX 77030

Please refer to the GME Eligibility Requirements for a complete list and additional information. 

I. Patient Care

Evaluate and manage patients referred to the Sexual Medicine Service in Urology for complaints related to erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, Peyronie’s disease, hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in men, soft glans syndrome, anorgasmia, penile pain, post finasteride syndrome (PFS), androgen deficiency and priapism. Special focus will be on those disorders related to cancer treatment: Onco-sexual dysfunctions. 

The fellow will: 

• Understand and manage the impact of cancer treatment (any type) on male sexual function. 
• Use validated instruments including the IIEF and SHIM to evaluate sexual function.
• Choose appropriate indications and perform penile duplex Doppler ultrasound testing.
• Counsel patients regarding the options for medical and surgical treatments for erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s, disease, soft glans syndrome, androgen deficiency and priapism. 
• Perform and teach patients intracavernosal injection therapy. 
• Educate patients about vacuum erectile device use. 
• Understand and manage the complex oncological conditions for patients receiving penile prosthesis implantation, including device selection, reservoir placement, implant infection, and salvage procedure for prosthetic infection or erosion. 
• Discuss the medical and reconstructive surgical procedures to correct penile deformities due to Peyronie’s disease. 

II. Interpersonal Communication

The fellow will learn to deal with complexities of patients with sexual disorders associated with pelvic malignancies and their treatments. Additionally, there will be patients with urologic or sexual problems occurring during or after treatment from wide ranges of types of malignancies. This care frequently requires coordination with multiple services including medical and radiation oncology.  The fellow will become familiar with and empathize with patients who are at times frustrated by permanent sexual side effects from cancer treatments.  

The fellow will:

• Communicate with residents, other clinical fellows, attendings and consultants.
• Obtain and organize information from multiple sources with the intent of summarizing the prior treatment received by the patient.
• Communicate with the patient plans regarding evaluation, medical or surgical plans, and/or post-operative course of surgical treatment for erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease, climacturia and priapism.  
• Document detailed discussions with patients regarding diagnostic and treatment plans. 
• Preparation of summary detailing post operative care following discharge from hospital.

III. Professionalism

Sexual dysfunctions are sensitive issues and are stressful for patients undergoing or after cancer treatment. 

The fellow will:

• Demonstrate sensitivity when dealing with sexual dysfunctions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ethical concepts of confidentiality and informed consent including adherence to the Health Information Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA).
• Demonstrate maturity and professional behavior when interacting with patients and peers.
• Treat peers, attendings, clinic staff and hospital personality with respect.

IV. Medical knowledge

The fellow will participate fully in the conferences during the assigned rotation. Additionally, attendance is required at: the quarterly Houston Reginal Interest Group for Sexual Medicine Seminars, monthly online course for fellows by the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA), and biannual meetings of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA). 

The fellow will:

• Understand the physiology of erections.
• Understand the impact of cancer treatment (any type) on male sexual function. 
• Understand benefits and limits of validated instruments including the IIEF, SHIM.
• Understand diagnostic value and limitation of duplex Doppler ultrasound testing.
• Understand the process of care for erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, Peyronie’s disease, hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in men, soft glans syndrome, anorgasmia, penile pain, post finasteride syndrome (PFS), androgen deficiency and priapism.
• Know the options with label medications for ED, Peyronie’s disease, androgen deficiency.
• Know the options with off label medications for premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, Peyronie’s disease, HSDD in men, soft glans syndrome, anorgasmia, penile pain, androgen deficiency and priapism.
• Understand the benefits and risks of intracavernosal injection therapy. 
• Improve the knowledge of penile prosthesis implantation surgery and be competent to manage the complex penile implantation cases.
• Improve the knowledge of penile reconstructive surgeries including surgeries for complex Peyronie’s disease. 

V. Practice Based Learning

The fellow will:

• Obtain relevant information from critical literature reviews and apply these to patient care decisions.
• Know the innovative development in sexual medicine by attending the SMSNA spring program during the AUA Annual Meeting and the SMSNA Fall Scientific Meeting.

VI. Systems Based Practice

The fellow will:

• Compare and contrast the role of a tertiary referral cancer center to that of other hospitals in the health care system.
• Discuss the appropriate indications for a higher level of care in patients with Genitourinary (GU) cancer.
• Utilize consultants and discuss the necessary criteria for using consultants.

The fellowship is designed to provide comprehensive clinical, surgical, and academic training in sexual medicine and reconstructive urology.

Fellows spend two days each week in the outpatient clinic with the program director and reconstructive faculty, participating in patient evaluation, treatment planning and office-based procedures. An additional two days are dedicated to operative training, during which fellows perform surgical procedures under faculty supervision.One day each week is protected for research activities, literature review, academic study and professional development.

Fellows are continuously evaluated by the program director and reconstructive faculty according to the curriculum and competency-based training milestones, with progressive advancement toward greater clinical and surgical independence throughout the fellowship year.

The detailed curricula:

• Understand the physiology of erections
• Understand validated instruments, including the IIEF and SHIM
• Understand diagnostic value and limitation of duplex Doppler ultrasound testing
• Understand the process of care for erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, Peyronie’s disease, hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in men, soft glans syndrome, anorgasmia, penile pain, post finasteride syndrome (PFS), androgen deficiency and priapism
• Know the options with label medications for ED, Peyronie’s disease and androgen deficiency
• Know the options with off label medications for premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, Peyronie’s disease, HSDD in men, soft glans syndrome, anorgasmia, penile pain, androgen deficiency and priapism
• Understand the benefits and risks of intracavernosal injection therapy
• Improve the knowledge of penile prosthesis implantation surgery and be competent to manage the complex penile implantation cases
• Improve the knowledge of penile reconstructive surgeries, including surgeries for complex Peyronie’s disease
• Improve the knowledge related to research by critical literature review, conducting clinic research projects, and participating in journal club and case conferences.
• Know the innovative development in sexual medicine by attending the SMSNA Annual Scientific Program, the AUA Annual Meeting and the SMSNA Annual Fall Scientific Meeting.

Over the past eight years, eight fellows have successfully completed training through the program.

Academic Career Placement

• Four graduates currently serve as assistant or associate professors in Urology at academic medical centers.
• One graduate holds an adjunct assistant professor appointment.

Private Practice

• Three graduates have entered private practice specializing in sexual medicine and reconstructive urology.

Leadership Development

Two graduates were selected for the Future Leaders Program of the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM), reflecting the program’s strong commitment to developing future leaders in sexual medicine. They are: Kareim Khalafalla, M.D., CAUB, FECSM, associate professor at Qatar University and Thairo Pereira, M.D., assistant professor at University of Rochester. 

Clavell-Hernandez J, Wang R. The controversy surrounding penile rehabilitation after radical prostatectomy. Transl Androl Urol 6: 2-11, 2017. 

Clavell-Hernandez J, Wang R. PDE-5 inhibitors should be used post radical prostatectomy as erection function rehabilitation? | Opinion: No. Int Braz J Urol 43: 390-393; 2017. 

Benson CR, Hoang L, Clavell-Hernández J, Wang R. Sexual Dysfunction in Urethral Reconstruction: A Review of the Literature. Sex Med Rev. 6 (3):492-503; 2018. 

Clavell-Hernández J, Martin C, Wang R. Orgasmic dysfunction following radical prostatectomy: review of current literature. Sex Med Rev. 6(1):124-134, 2018. 

Clavell-Hernandez J, Wang R. Emerging Evidences in the Long Standing Controversy Regarding Testosterone Replacement Therapy and Cardiovascular Events. World J Mens Health 36 (2):92-102; 2018. 

Clavell-Hernandez J, Wang R. Penile size restoration with nondegloving approach for Peyronie’s disease: initial experience. J Sex Med 15(10): 1506-1513; 2018.  

Huang YP, Lu MJ, Clavell-Hernandez J, Wang R. The development of rat models induced by cavernous nerve injury. J Integr Nephrol Androl 5:85-92, 2018. 

Clavell Hernández J, Trost L, Köhler T, Ring J, Traweek R, Alom M, Wang R. Emerging complications following alternative reservoir placement during inflatable penile prosthesis placement: a 5-year multi-institutional experience. J Urol 201 (3):581-586, 2019. 

Barrett-Harlow B, Clavell-Hernandez J, Wang R. New Developments in Surgical Treatment for Penile Size Preservation in Peyronie's Disease. Sex Med Rev. 7(1): 156-166; 2019. 

Clavell-Hernandez J, Ermec B, Kadioglu A, Wang R. The perplexity of penile rehabilitation following radical prostatectomy. Turk J Urol 45(2): 77-82, 2019. 

Clavell-Hernandez J, Aly SG, Wang R, Sadeghi-Nejad H. Penile prosthesis reservoir removal: surgical description and patient outcomes. J Sex Med 16(1): 146-152, 2019. 

Clavell-Hernandez J, Shah A, Wang R. Non-infectious reservoir-related complications during and after penile prosthesis placement. Sex Med Rev 7(3): 521-529, 2019.  

Green TP, Saavedra-Belaunde J, Wang R. Ejaculatory and orgasmic dysfunction following prostate cancer therapy: clinical management. Med Sci (Basel) 7 (12): 109 doi:10.3390, 2019. 

Saavedra-Belaunde JA, Clavell-Hernandez J, Wang R. Epidemiology regarding penile prosthetic surgery. Asian J Androl. 22(1):2-7, 2020 

Mai Y, Kannady C, Wang R. Using portable ultrasound guidance and direct incision as reliable technique for retrieval of retained hypodermic needle: a rare complication of intracavernosal injection. Ann Case Report 2020; 14: 367.  

Srinivasan A, Wang R. An Update on Minimally Invasive Surgery for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Techniques, Risks, and Efficacy. The World Journal of Men's Health 38(4): 402-411, 2020.  

Borregales LD, Saavedra-Belaunde J, Wang R, Clavell-Hernández J. Novel protective penile collar following inflatable penile prosthesis placement: the “Wang Collar”. Asian J Androl. 22, 481–484; 2020 

Panuganti S, Dhanji S, Wang R. Erosion of Inflatable Penile Prosthesis with Prolonged Foley Catheterization in the COVID-19 Era. Sex Med 9(3): 100371, 2021. 

Howell S, Palasi S, Green T, Kannady C, Panuganti S, Slaughter K, Blum K, Yang B, Saavedra JA, Wang R. Comparison of Satisfaction with Penile Prosthesis Implantation in Patients with Radical Prostatectomy or Radical Cystoprostatectomy to the General Population. Sex Med 9(1): 100300; 2021. 

Panuganti S, Kannady C R. Wang R. Expanding the limits-improving penile length with inflatable penile prosthesis implantation. Sex Med Rev 9: 498-506, 2021. 

Palasi S, Howell S, Green TR, Kannady C, Slaughter KB, Yang B, Pannuganti S, Saavendra-Belaunde JA, Clavell-Hernandez J, Wang R. Does knowing pre-operative penile length influence patient satisfaction post penile prosthesis implantation? Int J Impot Res 2022; 34(8):776-780.  

Mehr J, Santarelli S, Green T, BeetzJ, Panuganti S. Wang R. Emerging Roles of Penile Traction Therapy and Vacuum Erectile Devices. Sex Med Rev 2022; 10(3):421-433. 

Blum K, Mehr J, Green T, Conroy L, Marino V, Kim D, Panchapakesan K, Murphy L, Panuganti S, Wang R. Complication rates in patients using intracavernosal injection therapy for erectile dysfunction with or without concurrent anticoagulant use – a single-center, retrospective pilot study. Sex Med 2022; 3:10(4): 100535.   

Mehr JP, Blum KA, Green T, Howell S, Palasi S, Sullivan AT, Kim B, Kannady C, Wang R. Comparison of satisfaction with penile prosthesis implantation in patients with prostate cancer radiation therapy versus radical prostatectomy. Transl Androl Urol 2023: 31;12(5):690-699 

Mehr J, Blum, K, Green T, Panchapakesan K, Freet D, Wang R. A Pilot Study of Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Placement in Transgender Neophallus using Tutoplast® Pericardium Graft Sock Technique. Transl Androl Urol. 2023; 12 (8): 1326-1335. 

Thompson L, Khalafalla K, Wang R. Penile mass formation after neglected penile fracture:Surgical management with pericardial graft reinforcement. UroPrecision. 2023;1:45–47. 

Wang R, Khalafalla K, Howell S. Excision and grafting with concomitant dorsal plication for ventral plaque with urethral tethering. VJSM 1: 003, 2023.  

Khalafalla K, Ammar L, Wang R. Precise review of a male's infertility assessment from a men'shealth specialist prospective. UroPrecision. 2023; 1:116-127. 

Slovacek H, Khalafalla K, Wang R. Age is not a number when it comes to penile prosthesissurgery: A case series and mini literature review. UroPrecision. 2023; 1:179-184. 

Blum KA, Jones W, Conroy L, Mehr J, Green T, Wang R. Complex reimplantation of an inflatable penile prosthesis with scar tissue excision and distal corporal defect repair with Tutoplast® pericardium allograft. UroPrecision 2023; 1:80-83. 

Blum K, Mehr J, Green T, Macharia K, Kim D, Westney O, Wang R. Complication rates in concurrent inflatable penile prosthesis and incontinence surgery: comparing the penoscrotal versus perineal incision approach. Int J Impot Res 2024, 36 (1): 89-93. 

Owen CK, Khalafalla K, Wang R. Value of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors as a combination therapy for treating erectile dysfunction: A literature review. Uroprecision 2024 2: 9-15.  

Mahdi M, Leung S, Pettaway C, Wang R. Ventral corporal reinforcement using a pericardium allograft (Tutoplast®) in a patient undergoing urethrectomy procedure with an inflatable penile prosthesis in place: A case report. UroPrecision, 2024, 2: 58-61.   

Mahdi M, Westney OL, Gamal A, Howell S, Wang R. A novel technique of corporal repair using allogenic pericardial graft (Tutoplast) during trans-corporeal artificial urinary sphincter cuff placement with an inflatable penile prosthesis in place. Video J Sex Med 2024; 1 088.   

Mahdi M, Khalafalla K, Gamal A, Pereira T, Wang R. Modified double distal corporal anchoring stitch for lateral penile prosthesis cylinder extrusion: a glans-sparing approach. Video J Sex Med  2025, 1:153 

Oscar LN, Zhang K. Wang R. Erectile dysfunction in the young and restless: rethinking rise of erectile dysfunction in young men: perspective on “erectile prevalence in the United States: report from the 2021 National Survey of Sexual Wellbeing”. J Sex Med. 2026, 7:23(2): qdaf394

In addition to gaining unparalleled education and training experience, UT MD Anderson trainees have access to exceptional resources and benefits to help them build meaningful careers and lead fulfilling lives.

Institutional benefits and support

GME trainees’ salary stipends are updated every year based on the ACGME’s recommendations, and because our trainees are considered workforce members, they also enjoy UT MD Anderson’s employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement planning, disability insurance and six weeks of parental leave.

Our GME House Staff Senate offers trainees the opportunity to experience a leadership role in a medical field career, and the institution’s Academic Mentoring Council provides avenues to secure tailored academic mentoring from faculty. Our GME trainees benefit from the extensive support offered to our research trainees, too; they are invited to participate in grant application workshops, apply for pilot grants to support their research ideas and receive monetary awards for securing extramural grant funding.

Trainee wellness is also of utmost importance at UT MD Anderson.

Our trainees have access to UT MD Anderson’s employee networks, fitness center and other wellness resources provided by the institution. Additionally, our Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), which provides oversight of our accredited programs, regularly assess our trainees’ needs and implements various initiatives, such as providing free call meals and discounted parking to GME House Staff, to address those gaps. The committee even has a subcommittee entirely dedicated to supporting the wellness of our trainees.

Our efforts to ensure a welcoming and supportive education and training experience have been commended nationally. In 2023, the Office of Graduate Medical Education received the DeWitt C. Baldwin, Jr. Award, a prestigious national award that recognizes our institution for its respectful and supportive environment for delivering medical education and patient care.

Beyond UT MD Anderson

UT MD Anderson’s location has many benefits, too. Our main campus is nestled inside the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical center which boasts about 10 million patient encounters each year. Many of our faculty are involved in interorganizational research collaborations, both within the TMC and across the nation, exposing trainees to groundbreaking advancements in medical care in real time.

Most importantly, the city of Houston is a great place to call home and raise a family. We are one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation. More than 145 different languages are spoken across the city, placing us behind only New York and Los Angeles. In fact, about 30% of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home. And, paychecks here stretch farther than most U.S. metro areas, thanks to our low cost of living.

Visit our Why Houston page to learn more about our city’s affordable housing, fine dining, entertainment scene, nationally renowned museums and other great attributes.