In the nearly two decades since he returned to the town he grew up in, Li-Ming Su, M.D., chair of the University of Florida College of Medicine Department of Urology and the Pete and Carolyn Newsome Endowed Chair of Urologic Oncology, has shepherded the department through unprecedented growth. His contributions to the field were recently recognized by the most prestigious urologic society in the country.
In May, Su learned he had been invited to join the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons, or AAGUS, which comprises leading academic urologists from around the world. Founded in 1886, the AAGUS limits its active membership to only 75 members and maintains a rigorous selection process, requiring support from existing members and a body of work that is considered strongly representative of the field.
“As a young urologist at the beginning of my career, inclusion in the AAGUS felt like an unattainable goal,” he said. “The members of the association are true giants of the field. Receiving an invitation to join this prestigious society is a huge honor and truly one of the pinnacles of my career.”
After graduating high school in Gainesville, Su earned his medical degree and completed residency training in surgery and urology at Weill-Cornell University Medical College in New York, followed by a fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland.
After spending eight years as a faculty member at Johns Hopkins, Su was given the opportunity to return to Gainesville as the associate chair for clinical affairs at the UF Department of Urology.
“This is my home,” he said. “Coming back to be close to my family and being back in the Gator Nation was a fun, full-circle moment for me.”
Building a legacy
Su returned to the University of Florida at a time when growth for the Department of Urology — which was relatively new as a standalone department in the College of Medicine — was both a priority and a goldmine of opportunity.
“It was a critical moment for our department because at the time there were missing pieces in the clinical offerings we provided to our patients in the region,” Su said. “One of my main goals was to build the department into a comprehensive, multispecialty urology program that offered every subspecialty, from cancer care to stone disease to pediatric urology and beyond.”
With a focus on improving not only the quality of patient care but also the breadth of services offered, the department has since grown to more than 20 faculty, not only at UF Health Shands but at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center and at UF Health Physician-affiliated practices.
For Su, one of his greatest joys as a leader has been building that growth. Under his leadership, the department has focused on recruiting promising fellowship-trained faculty from some of the most notable urology programs in the U.S.
“These hires have brought a wealth of knowledge, experience and strength to our department,” Su said. “Their collective expertise translates to improved care and outcomes for our patients.”
Strong faculty recruitment has been impactful not only on the clinical side but also in the education space, with the department’s residency program recently expanding from three spots to four per year. The department is also preparing to launch a third fellowship training program in the next two years.
In a field like urology, where a shortage of trained physicians is compounded by an aging patient population, academic growth of this kind is a critical factor in helping ensure continuity and quality of care for patients across the nation, now and in the future.
Su is also justifiably proud of the department’s strong research component.
“Our researchers have identified new mechanisms to harness or boost the body’s immune system to fight advanced bladder cancer,” he said. “Meanwhile, our oncology group leads many of the nation’s clinical trials regarding future treatments in urologic cancer.”
Fostering growth and success
Su became chair of the Department of Urology in 2016 and continued to pursue his goals of growing the department to meet the needs of patients, trainees and faculty.
“When I was junior faculty at Johns Hopkins, I had tremendous support, mentorship and resources,” he said. “I learned being a good leader means creating an environment that is fruitful for faculty at all levels, and especially early-career physicians and researchers who arguably need the most support.”
Su said one of the most rewarding parts of leadership is determining how to best create that environment and how to best support each faculty member’s personal and professional aspirations.
“That might entail mentorship, resources for research and clinical programs or opportunities for leadership,” he said. “Most importantly, it means providing time for faculty to be successful in their roles. We have tremendous clinical demands, and it’s a constant balancing act ensuring we’re providing optimal patient care alongside professional opportunities for our faculty.”
Su also supports his faculty through the careful direction of foundation funds donated by grateful patients, department alumni and faculty. In the Department of Urology, four endowed chairs and two professorships are assigned to faculty on a rotating three-year-term basis. This allows faculty to share these important resources, which helps support their clinical, educational and research aspirations.
“The idea is to have multiple faculty benefit from these resources as opposed to the traditional practice where a singular faculty would be assigned these honorifics in perpetuity,” Su said.
That continuous balancing act hinges on the area where Su has already found much success: identifying the best urologists in the country and making the case for why they should join the University of Florida.
A strong foundation
Su believes service is an important part of academic growth, pointing to his own role as secretary general of the Endourological Society.
“I speak to my faculty often about service not only within the department but also within local, national and international societies,” he said. “Giving back to the field through engagement with committee and service roles in urological societies and associations is a way for a faculty member to contribute to the field while also increasing their professional visibility and reputation.”
While Su is proud of his inclusion in the AAGUS, he characteristically prefers to look at it in the context of his work as an academic leader.
“I know our department has individuals who will one day join me in the AAGUS,” he said. “I’m so proud of our faculty and the expertise and quality of care that they provide to our patients, and my foremost goal is providing them the support and opportunity they deserve as they continue to ascend the academic ladder.”
