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Celebration and Send-Off 2023

June 21, 2023

Family.

It often incorporates fun times, hard work, growth, and transition.

As the department recently celebrated and sent off its graduating fellows and residents, it was clear Yale Urology had become family for many of them.

Yale has been an integral part of Katelyn Johnson’s life for 13 years. She became both an MD and a urologist here.

... Yale not only cares about producing stellar surgeons, but also successful people.

Graduating Chief Resident Katelyn Johnson, MD

“What makes this place shine is the way Yale not only cares about producing stellar surgeons, but also successful people. My life inside and outside of residency was truly supported” says Johnson.

She is married with two boys and will serve as a urologist with South County Health in Rhode Island.

One of her co-chief residents, Daniel Segal, MD, will continue his education for at least one more year. He’ll go on to a robotics fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and says Yale laid the foundation for a future full of options.

“Yale provides excellent training, mentorship, and friendships. I’m proud to say I’m a Yale trainee!”

The third and final member of Johnson and Segal’s resident class was Justin Nguyen, MD, who describes much of his time at Yale as a cutting-edge training ground with guardrails.

“It’s such a proactive environment. [Faculty/administrative leaders] recognize problems before they’re problems… they really care about your well-being and growth. They invest in you. I never felt unsupported. These were some incredible years.”

Nguyen will be practicing at WakeMed Health in North Carolina.

Also heading south will be Gregory Lacy II, MD, Yale Urology’s 2022-23 endourology fellow. The New Orleans area has been home and the heart of Lacy’s thriving urology practice for more than 10 years.

... It's a huge America. We need urologists everywhere...

Graduating Endourology Fellow Gregory Lacy II, MD

“I’m not the ‘typical’ fellow, but I’m driven by the same thing I hope all of you are – giving the best care to our patients,” said Lacy at the recent graduation dinner. “Most of the people in southeastern Louisiana are impoverished,” he continued. “I still have several patients who sign their consent forms with an ‘x,’ because they’re illiterate … It’s a huge America. We need urologists everywhere … Yale found value in me and what I gained here will help me serve some very genuine people that much better.”

Daniel Halstuch, MD, was this year’s graduating oncology fellow. He’ll return to his native Israel as a faculty member in the Department of Urology at the Rabin Medical Center. He described Yale as warm and welcoming, a home away from home. He says he especially appreciated the resources and academic caliber.

"As a uro-oncologist, I want to give my future patients state-of-the-art care. I’ll be able to do that through the advanced specialty training offered to me at Yale … It was truly a privilege to wake up and go on grand rounds, sit in on and prepare for journal clubs… I’ll be forever grateful.”

Yale Urology Chair Isaac Y. Kim, MD, PhD, MBA, says each one of these experiences, each one of these reflections, solidifies a fundamental goal he has for the department.

“When we work toward being a family, we’ll see each other as family, and truly experience family. That sets the tone for broader benefits for all. I could not be more proud.”



Two research post doc associates also graduated. Ghazal Khajir, MD, who served as the urologic oncology research fellow for several years, will go on to Pennsylvania, participating in a few observerships/short term fellowships and eventually hopes to pursue a residency in pathology. Michael Jalfon, MD, was the quality improvement research fellow and matched as a resident with Yale Urology.