- Program Director: Rachel Rubin, MD
Fellowship Overview
Advancing Sexual Medicine (ASM) is a 12-month clinical and research fellowship based within Rachel Rubin, MD, PLLC, a high-volume specialty referral practice for female and male sexual medicine. The program is open to physicians trained in gynecology, family medicine, internal medicine, or urology, and fellows train across the full breadth of the field — female and male sexual dysfunction, genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), menopause hormone therapy, recurrent urinary tract infections, pelvic pain, vulvar disorders, and testosterone therapy — alongside Dr. Rubin and the program's additional faculty.
The curriculum flexes to each fellow's background and career goals. A fellow trained in urology may use the year to deepen expertise in male sexual medicine, including penile prosthesis (implant) surgery, while a fellow trained in gynecology, family medicine, or internal medicine may focus more heavily on female sexual medicine, GSM, and menopause care. Procedural exposure and rotations are individualized accordingly, in discussion with Dr. Rubin.
Dr. Rubin also practices male sexual medicine, including penile prosthesis surgery, at the Veterans Affairs hospital. Fellows have the option to rotate with her there for additional exposure to this care.
Research is central to the fellowship. Fellows work within the Sexual Medicine Research Team (SMRT), an active clinical research program embedded in the practice, and participate in every stage of a project: study design, IRB preparation, data collection, statistical collaboration, manuscript writing, and presentation at national meetings. Fellows are expected to complete scholarly work during training, with opportunities to collaborate on multicenter projects and contribute to sexual medicine education. The practice's referral volume and case complexity give fellows a distinctive environment for turning everyday clinical questions into research that advances the field.
Goals and Objectives
The list below reflects the full scope of the fellowship. Which areas a fellow emphasizes depends on specialty background and individual goals, as agreed with Dr. Rubin at the start of training.
- Vulvar, Vestibular & Pelvic Floor Procedures
- Vulvoscopy
- Pelvic floor muscle examination
- Trigger point identification and injections
- Pudendal neuralgia evaluation and pudendal nerve blocks
- Diagnostic local anesthetic injections
- Pelvic floor botulinum toxin (Botox) injections
- Diagnostic vestibular examination and vestibular anesthesia testing
- Vestibulectomy with vulvar advancement flap
- Surgery for lichen sclerosus and vulvar scarring
- Clitoral adhesiolysis and clitoral dorsal slit procedures
- Clitoral examination with magnification
- Dorsal nerve blocks
Shockwave therapyUrogynecologic Procedures
- Midurethral slings
- Anterior and posterior repair
- Neuromodulation
- Bladder Botox injections
- Flexible cystoscopy
- Bladder instillation
- Postvoid residual measurement
Male Sexual Medicine & Andrology Procedures
Surgical training in this category, including penile prosthesis placement, is available to fellows with a urology background; all fellows gain full diagnostic and non-surgical training across male sexual medicine.
- Penile prosthesis (implant) placement
- Intracavernosal injection teaching
- Penile duplex Doppler ultrasound and penile ultrasound
- Penile plaque assessment
- Xiaflex injections and modeling instruction
- Penile rehabilitation counseling
- Spermatic cord blocks
Gynecologic Diagnostic Procedures
- Vulvar, vaginal, and skin punch biopsy
- Wet mount microscopy and vaginal cultures
- Pap test
- Endometrial biopsy
- IUD insertion and removal
- Pap tests
- Endometrial biopsy
- IUD insertion
- IUD removal
Primary Institution:
Advancing Sexual Medicine (ASM)
Fellowship Director:
Rachel Rubin, MD
Additional Faculty:
Christine Vaccaro, DO
Talia Sobel, MD
Katherine Klos, MD
Ashley Winter, MD
Fellowship Duration:
12 months
Type of Fellowship:
Sexual Medicine
Eligible Specialties:
Gynecology, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Urology
Additional Training Site (optional):
Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital — male sexual medicine and penile prosthesis surgery with Dr. Rubin Fellowship
Website:
rachelrubinmd.com
Candidate Citizenship Requirement:
US, Canada, International (a valid visa is required for international applicants)
Scientific/Educational Activities:
ISSWSH, SMSNA, and — where applicable — The Menopause Society, AUGS, and ACOG
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