Dear Colleagues and Friends,
It is with mixed emotions that we announce the departure of Dr. Eric Wallen from UNC Urology. Dr. Wallen has accepted the prestigious role of Chair of the Department of Urology at the Medical University of South Carolina.
While we are sad to see him leave, we are also excited for him as he embarks on this new chapter in his illustrious career.
Dr. Wallen joined us at UNC-Chapel Hill over two decades ago, in 2003, as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Urology – then a part of the Department of Surgery. His dedication, expertise, and leadership have significantly shaped our department and the field of urology in the years that have followed, and he has since become the Department of Urology’s Vice Chair of Education, Residency Program Director, Professor of Urology, the UNC Men’s Health Program Director, and a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Among his many awards and accolades, Dr. Wallen was honored with the annual resident-selected “Faculty Teaching Award” from 2004-2010, before he recused himself from future consideration to permit others to receive this recognition.
In 2011, he was appointed the Urology Resident Program Director, and in 2012, he received the national American Urological Association’s (AUA) “Teacher of the Year” Award, recognizing his outstanding contributions to urology education.
His educational achievements led to his election to the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in 2017, where he served as a Residency Review Committee member on the Milestones 2.0 project, and in 2020 was elected the Chair of the ACGME Residency Review Committee for Urology. During that time Dr. Wallen also contributed to the AUA’s Education Council, contributing to the evaluation of lifelong learning opportunities for urologists in practice.
In 2021, Dr. Wallen received the UNC School of Medicine Academy of Educators Lifetime Achievement Award in Medical Education. This award recognized his 20+ years of sustained excellence in teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows.
Dr. Wallen’s impact extends beyond education. He has been a driving force in improving prostate cancer outcomes in North Carolina, particularly for Black men and Native Americans who are disproportionately affected. His efforts led to the establishment of the UNC Men’s Health Program, where he served as Executive Director. This program, a collaborative effort across multiple departments, aims to improve the health behaviors of men of all ages through research, community outreach, and clinical care. Most recently, he took on a role as the Physician Champion of the UNC Health Supply Chain optimization program.
Dr. Wallen’s commitment to global health has taken him to Cuba and China on multiple visiting professorships. He was part of the development of the UNC Project Malawi, establishing an elective rotation for urology residents to experience healthcare delivery in Malawi, starting in 2017.
In his clinical practice, Dr. Wallen specializes in urologic oncology and robotic surgery, and he was instrumental in bringing robotic surgery to UNC. He has been named to America’s Best Doctors multiple times and is a founding member of the UNC Computer and Robotic Enhanced Surgery Center (CARES) Advisory Board.
Beyond his clinical and educational roles, Dr. Wallen has been an active researcher with interests in robotic surgery, outcomes, and translational research. His commitment to patient-centered, cutting-edge care will leave a lasting legacy at UNC.
Please join us in thanking Dr. Wallen for his incredible contributions to our UNC Urology Family, the Graduate Medical Education community both locally and nationally, and to the patients of North Carolina and beyond. We are wishing him all the best in his new role at the Medical University of South Carolina. We are confident that he will continue to excel and inspire in his new position, and we look forward to continued collaboration with him in the future.