Thomas Chi, M.D., MBA, joined the UAB Department of Urology as professor and chair in January 2025. Chi reflects on his first month in his new role and what he looks forward to as he helps shape the future of UAB Urology.

Below is a correspondence written by Dr. Chi and shared with the UAB Department of Urology. 

Dear colleagues,

Looking back on the past month since I officially joined UAB, I am filled with gratitude for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Dean’s Office and the entire UAB community for sparking meaningful connections that drew our family like a magnet to our new home. My wife, our three kids and I fell in love with Birmingham when we first visited as a family in July 2024. Everywhere we went, from local hospitals to museums, schools, and restaurants, we witnessed creativity and collaboration in supporting each other to work hard and dream big.

Since then, the warm welcome from our community to ensure our smooth transition —both inside and outside UAB—has been nothing short of remarkable. From ambassadors like the Chalker Group to text messages, welcome baskets, and invitations to joyful occasions from strangers-turned-friends, I can’t say enough about the outpouring of support we have received.

In my first 30 days the unifying theme across the UAB community has become crystal clear to me: everyone here is focused on finding ways to contribute and improve our shared initiatives. In the Department of Urology’s annual retreat we discussed ways to build upon our mission and vision and, ultimately, “Dream Big.” It is an exceptionally rare and truly powerful thing when everyone is 100% on the same page. Our retreat affirmed this. When we believe in one another and are aligned in our strategic goals, everything is possible.

Since I joined, UAB Urology has continued to move with purpose toward our future. The strength each individual in the Department of Urology contributes to the team as a whole is unparalleled. We’ve received a generous gift to endow a professorship from two titans of Urology, our very own Dr. Dean Assimos and Dr. John Burns. After giving a lifetime of service to their patients and the field of urology, they still wanted to give more. We are also thrilled to welcome to our team a research assistant, a seasoned research manager, several new academic staff, and surgeon scientists from the best healthcare systems in Texas, California, Brazil and Japan. For people used to collaborating towards excellence there is no better place in the world to be.

In the past 30 days the UAB Urology team also gained final approval after a rigorous two-year process to expand our residency program from three to four trainees per year. In July 2025 we will welcome our first fellow for advanced specialty training. We are proud to be growing our team of world class urologists and scientists to serve our communities in Birmingham and beyond.

Looking ahead, collaborative excellence is our North Star. In my first 30 days my belief in UAB and Birmingham has been reaffirmed: there is no better place to build the best urology program and health care system in the world. There is no place like home.

Thomas Chi, M.D., MBA
Professor and Chair
Anton J. Bueschen, M.D., Endowed Chair in Urologic Surgery and Research
UAB Department of Urology