First Urology Resident Graduates from Hackensack University Medical Center Program

Nizar Bou Diab, M.D., is the first physician to complete residency training through the Department of Urology program

Nizar Bou Diab, M.D., became the first resident to graduate from the Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center Department of Urology residency program, marking an important milestone in the residency program’s history.

Accredited since 2017, the Department of Urology residency program provides five years of urology training — including access to state-of-the-art facilities and technology, instructional and mentorship excellence, subspecialty training and research opportunities through its affiliation with Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. The program consists of 6 months of general surgical training and 4 ½ years of clinical urology training. 

Throughout the program, residents have access to one-on-one mentoring by supportive, experienced attending physicians across a variety of subspecialty areas. Residents also benefit from a collaborative learning environment that allows them to not only learn from world-class attending urologists at a high-volume department in a renowned research hospital but also from senior residents and interdisciplinary health care providers. 

The Department of Urology received approval from the national Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Review Committee to add a second urology resident position beginning in 2022 — doubling the size of the department’s residency program, which previously recruited one resident per year. 

“Our entire team is proud of Dr. Diab and is looking forward to providing best-in-class training for future urologists,” said Michael D. Stifelman, M.D., Chair of Urology and Director of Robotic Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center and Professor and Founding Chair of Urology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “Our residency program is successful because we value and incorporate resident feedback and provide a range of opportunities that allow residents to select the learning experiences that will best prepare them for their future career.”

“My urology residency program provided a top-quality training experience in a great work environment,” said Dr. Diab. “The program had a diverse faculty from each of the subspecialties, tremendous research opportunities, a culture of inclusion and a collegial environment with emphasis on resident well-being. It was an honor to be part of this program.”

“Our residency program provides an outstanding educational opportunity for tomorrow’s urologists,” said Ihor S. Sawczuk, MD, FACS, the president of Academics, Research and Innovation at Hackensack Meridian Health, and the associate dean of Clinical Integration and professor and Chair Emeritus of Urology at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “We look forward to the contributions Dr. Diab will make in the field of urology, and we hope to continue to grow and enhance our residency program for future residents.”