The Great Debate is designed to encourage a spirit of camaraderie and showcase the art of persuasion. Selected residents from each AUA Section will participate in a series of eight 10-minute debates on designated topics from different fields of interest submitted by recognized experts.
Witness influential and skilled rhetoric in action, and cheer on your Section representatives!
Saturday, April 29
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Residents Pavilion (Booth #3203), Science & Technology Hall
Learn more about The Great Debate game format.
Read FAQs about The Great Debate.
The Residents and Fellows Committee would like to extend a special thank you to this year’s judges as well as the question writers who worked to create challenging and thoughtful debate cases for this year's event. View a full list of this year's Great Debate Judges and Question Writers.
Check out pictures from the 2022 Great Debate.
Mid-Atlantic Section
Alexander Birk, MD
Penn State Hershey
Graduation Date: 2023
Alex Birk grew up in Virginia. He received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Christopher Newport University and completed his MD at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He is a PGY5 at Penn State Hershey and after graduation will be going back to Virginia.
Kiran Sury, MD
Penn Urology
Graduation Date: 2023
Originally from NYC, Kiran is a Chief Resident at the University of Pennsylvania. He has an interest in narrative medicine and is looking forward to starting his GURS fellowship at Duke University this summer.
New England Section
Ankur Choksi, MD
Yale University School of Medicine
Graduation Date: 2025
Ankur is a third year urology resident at Yale University. He was born and raised in New Jersey, attended Rutgers for undergrad where he pursued a degree in Materials Science and Engineering followed by medical school at the University of Maryland. His interests are in robotic surgery and medical device development, always thinking about new ideas for the care of urologic patients. After completion of residency, he is interested in pursuing a fellowship in Endourology and Minimally Invasive Surgery.
Joanna Wang, MD
Boston University Medical Center
Graduation Date: 2024
Joanna currently serves as a PGY4 resident at the Boston Medical Center. She grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts and attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where she received her Bachelor of Science in Biology. She subsequently earned her medical degree at University of Massachusetts Medical School. Joanna plans to practice general urology after graduating. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, board games, and gardening.
New York Section
Annie Chen, MD
Stony Brook University Hospital
Graduation Date: 2023
Dr. Annie Chen completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley, and medical school at Albany Medical College. She is currently a chief resident at Stony Brook University Hospital, NY. She will start her fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at Houston Methodist in July 2023.
Shirin Razdan, MD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital
Graduation Date: 2023
Shirin Razdan was raised in Miami, FL and attended the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She subsequently joined the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital for residency, where she developed an interest in robotics as well as prosthetic urology. In the next year, she will be completing a fellowship at Mount Sinai in robotics under mentorship of Dr. Ketan Badani. In her free time, Shirin enjoys good food, soccer, basketball, Bad Bunny concerts, dancing, and exquisitely timed naps.
North Central Section
Gaurav Pahouja, MD
Loyola University Medical Center
Graduation Date: 2023
Dr. Gaurav Pahouja completed his undergraduate education at Kent State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2013. He then attended Medical School at Northeast Ohio Medical University where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society and graduated in 2017. He is currently a Chief Resident in Urology at Loyola University Medical Center and will be graduating in June of 2023. During his career, he has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and presented his work throughout the country at local, regional, and national conferences. Following graduation, he will practice General Urology in Dayton, Ohio.
Jason Huang, MD
University of Illinois Chicago
Graduation Date: 2023
Aspiring academician, heading to Houston for a Fellowship in Male Fertility and Sexual Medicine at Baylor next year.
Northeastern Section
Karen Doersch, MD, PhD
University of Rochester Medical Center
Graduation Date: 2024
Karen Doersch, MD/PhD is a urology resident at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. She is currently applying for a GURS fellowship position following her graduation in 2024. She did her undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she double majored in Psychology and Biology. She subsequently completed an MD/PhD at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in Bryan, Texas, during which she discovered her love for urology. The focus of her PhD work was on the immunology of wound healing and fibrosis formation. She hopes to incorporate these concepts into translational research during her career as a urologist. In her spare time, she enjoys running and weightlifting, as well as spending time with her two adorable dogs, Layla and Chorizo.
Mike Pignanelli
Western University
Graduation Date: 2023
Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Mike has completed his medical training and is a chief resident at Western in London, Ontario. He will be doing an andrology/sexual medicine fellowship at the University of South Florida in 2023 under Dr. Rafael Carrion in Tampa, Florida. He enjoys all sports, big fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, blues/rock and loves to cook.
South Central Section
Syed Muneeb Alam, MD
University of Kansas
Graduation Date: 2023
Muneeb Alam is currently a chief resident in the Department of Urology at the University of Kansas. He has an interest in Urologic Oncology and translational research and will be pursuing a fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center beginning in July 2023.
Daniel A. Igel, MD
University of Kansas
Graduation Date: 2023
Dr. Igel is a chief resident at the University of Kansas Medical Center who will be pursuing a fellowship in Urologic Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center after graduation.
Southeastern Section
Nikhil Batra, MD
University of Florida
Graduation Date: 2023
Nikhil Batra is a PGY-5 at the University of Florida, heading to Indiana University next year to pursue a fellowship in Pediatric Urology. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his wife, Marjorie, and dog, Chester, with their favorite activities centering around eating fancy food, traveling, and camping.
Eric Walton, MD
Emory University
Graduation Date: 2024
Born and raised in Metro Detroit, Eric completed his undergraduate studies at Michigan State University before attending medical school at Wayne State University. In 2019, he moved to Atlanta with his wife for residency training at Emory University. Professionally, he has an interest in reconstructive urology and gender affirming care; he plans to pursue a GURS fellowship after residency. Outside of work, he spends most of his time traveling, hiking, or exploring Atlanta with his wife, Deanna, and their dog, Lewis.
Western Section
Kian Asanad, MD
University of Southern California
Graduation Date: 2023
Kian Asanad is a chief resident physician at USC Institute of Urology with a special interest in male fertility, microscopic surgery, and prosthetic implants for men's sexual and voiding health. He is pursuing a fellowship in Andrology and Infertility at Northwestern University starting in July 2023. He received his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in 2018 with AOA distinction. He completed his undergraduate studies at UCLA in 2013 with a degree in Biology and Summa Cum Laude distinction.
Steven Monda, MD
UC Davis
Graduation Date: 2024
Steven Monda is a 4th year urology resident at UC Davis. He is currently applying for SUO fellowships. He hails from Washington State and likes his dog and wife, though not necessarily in that order.