LiveSHAPE
Twenty modules of sexual medicine for the clinicians patients see first, taken in any order.
Explore SHAPERSM Centre · University of British Columbia
Clinical training in reproductive and sexual medicine
VAST-PRO for office vasectomy, SHAPE for sexual medicine and ASCEND for supportive care. One account covers all three.
Join the programs
Nothing is charged today.
The Centre reviews each registration.
Watch a 2-minute video about our programs
Three online programs and a fellowship
SHAPE and VAST-PRO are open now: self-paced online courses with a certificate of completion. ASCEND is in development. The UBC fellowship is two years with Dr. Ryan Flannigan.
Live
LiveVAST-PRO
Nine modules that prepare physicians to set up and perform no-scalpel vasectomy in their own office.
Explore VAST-PRO
In developmentASCEND
Supportive care for the reproductive and sexual medicine patient, in development with the Centre's faculty.
Explore ASCEND
Through the AUA MatchUBC Fellowship
Two years with Dr. Ryan Flannigan in clinic, the operating room and the laboratory.
Explore the fellowshipWhat the Centre does
The Centre brings clinicians, engineers, reproductive biologists and computational scientists together to treat men's reproductive and sexual health conditions and to find better treatments.
Two research programs: the biology of male reproduction, and the tools and treatments of sexual medicine.
SHAPE, VAST-PRO and ASCEND for clinicians, and a two-year fellowship for surgeons.
Self-paced guides the Centre sends patients before a consultation, and plain-language videos by Dr. Flannigan.
The 2023 CUA guideline on azoospermia, and sexual medicine leadership for BC prostate cancer care.
Male sexual medicine, male infertility and vasectomy in one clinic, with the surgical options in house.
Digital health and device work, from computer vision tools to new penile implant designs.
From the single cell to the operating room
Dr. Ryan Flannigan leads two research programs: the biology of male reproduction, and the tools and treatments of sexual medicine.
200research works since 2012
Male reproduction
Non-obstructive azoospermia, from single-cell sequencing and testicular tissue culture to 3D bioprinting and in vitro spermatogenesis.
Sexual medicine
Digital health and AI tools, penile implants and other devices, drug discovery for Peyronie's disease and erectile dysfunction, and supportive care programs.
1,945times cited in other papers
24papers cited at least 24 times
A network for the field, led from UBC
Six specialists have agreed to precept through the RSM Network. Every other region is open to a local specialist. Preceptorship and mentorship are in planning, with no dates set.
Preceptors and hubs
- British ColumbiaDr. Ryan Flannigan
- AlbertaDr. Joshua White
- SaskatchewanDr. Trustin Domes
- ManitobaDr. Premal Patel
- OntarioOpen to a local specialist
- QuebecDr. Catherine McMartin
- New BrunswickOpen to a local specialist
- Prince Edward IslandOpen to a local specialist
- Nova ScotiaDr. Jesse Ory
- Newfoundland and LabradorOpen to a local specialist
- The NorthOpen to a local specialist
Patient care at the Centre
Male sexual medicine, male infertility and vasectomy, in one clinic, with the surgical options in house.
- Sexual health
- Peyronie's disease, erectile dysfunction, ejaculation or orgasm problems, and low testosterone.
- Fertility
- Low sperm count or quality, azoospermia, varicoceles, sperm retrieval and vasectomy reversal.
- Vasectomy and reversal
- Vasectomy in the clinic, and microsurgical reversal with Dr. Flannigan. You can refer yourself for a reversal.
Guides the Centre sends patients before a consultation, so they arrive with their questions ready.
Questions clinicians ask
Short answers about the programs, registration and fees, certificates, credits and the fellowship.
What is the Reproductive and Sexual Medicine (RSM) Centre at the University of British Columbia?
The RSM Centre is part of the M.H. Mohseni Institute of Urologic Sciences at UBC in Vancouver, and Dr. Ryan Flannigan is its director. It brings together clinical care, three online education programs, a two-year surgical fellowship and two research programs in men's reproductive and sexual health.
Which online training programs does the RSM Centre offer to healthcare providers?
There are three. VAST-PRO trains physicians to set up and perform office-based no-scalpel vasectomy. SHAPE teaches sexual medicine to the clinicians patients see first. ASCEND, a supportive care program, is still in development, and an account you create now carries over when it opens.
Who are the VAST-PRO and SHAPE programs designed for?
VAST-PRO is for family and primary care physicians, general surgeons, urologists, and residents and fellows in these disciplines. SHAPE is for urologists, gynecologists, psychologists, primary care providers, physiotherapists and allied health professionals.
Is there a fee to take the RSM Centre's online programs?
No. Nothing is charged today, the platform takes no payments, and registering your interest in the RSM Network is free.
How do I register for VAST-PRO or SHAPE, and when does my access start?
Create one account with your full name as it should appear on your certificate, plus your profession, your province or territory and your email. The Centre reviews each registration before switching on your access, so the modules stay closed until then. The same account covers every program.
How long do VAST-PRO and SHAPE take to complete, and can I learn at my own pace?
Yes, both are self-paced, and your progress saves as you go. VAST-PRO has nine modules and 375 minutes of guided learning, taken in order. SHAPE has twenty modules of 22 to 52 minutes each, 636 minutes in all, which you can take in any order.
Do I receive a certificate after completing a program, and how can it be verified?
Yes. You receive a certificate of completion in your name once you pass every module assessment (70% for VAST-PRO, 80% for SHAPE) and submit the program evaluation. Anyone can check a certificate with its 12-character code or its QR code.
Do the RSM Centre's programs carry CME or CPD credits?
No credits are claimed for any program. SHAPE and VAST-PRO are both designed to the Royal College Section 3 standard. For VAST-PRO, an application to the Canadian Urological Association is in preparation and nothing has been granted. Each program issues a certificate of completion.
Does the online program replace supervised, hands-on training such as preceptorship?
No. Online learning adds to supervised hands-on training; it does not replace it. For VAST-PRO, a simulator kit is in development, and in-person preceptorship and ongoing mentorship are in planning, with no dates set. Preceptorship and mentorship for SHAPE are also in planning.
How do surgeons apply for the two-year Sexual and Reproductive Medicine Fellowship at UBC?
Register for the AUA Andrology Fellowship Match, which the American Urological Association runs with the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction. Registration closes in the spring of the year before the fellowship begins. Then send Dr. Flannigan a note with your CV and a few lines on your clinical and research interests.