A visit to the Endourology and Stone Service at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital (Barts), London, UK

I was pleased to have been accepted to visit the Endourology and Stone Service at Barts by the director of the service, Mr. Noor Buchholz. This 1-month visit from June to July 2011 turned out to be one of my most valued professional experiences. St. Bartholomew’s Hospital is part of the Barts and The London NHS Trust, a tertiary university hospital trust caring for an often underprivileged population of >600,000 people in the east of London. The Endourology and Stone Service has gained a national and international reputation, and was recently accredited by the European Board of Urology (EBU) as a sub-speciality centre of excellence. Its director, Mr. Buchholz, is on the board of the urolithiasis section of the European Association of Urology-EULIS, an organisation which strives to foster research and education within the field of urolithiasis in Europe and beyond. Under his guidance, I found myself in an environment of high medical professionalism, close collegiate co-operation and open intellectual exchange. On the first day, Mr. Buchholz cordially welcomed and introduced me to the whole team of specialist nurses, junior doctors, residents and consultants.