Michael J. Whalen, MD is Assistant Professor of Urology/Urologic Oncology at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Neurobiology from Harvard College and received his medical degree from Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York City. He completed his residency in Urology at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Whalen has received fellowship training in Robotic and Minimally Invasive Urologic Oncology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and a completed a second fellowship in Urologic Oncology at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He is board-certified by the American Board of Urology and has been inducted as a member of the Society of Urologic Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Dr. Whalen’s specialty focus involves treatment of urological cancers, with expertise in both major open and minimally invasive surgery. His clinical interests include prostate cancer (including prostate MRI, MRI-ultrasound fusion biopsy and cryotherapy), bladder cancer (including blue-light cystoscopy and continent/incontinent urinary diversion), kidney cancer, testis cancer, adrenal cancer, ureteral cancer, robotic surgery with the DaVinci system (including prostatectomy, cystectomy, partial nephrectomy, and adrenalectomy) and laparoscopic surgery.
Dr. Whalen is actively involved in clinical outcomes research focusing on cancer of the prostate, bladder, and kidneys. He has published numerous original research articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Urologic Oncology, Urology, Urology Practice, Prostate, Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques, and BJU International. His research interests include analysis of large national datasets, including the National Cancer Database and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, to answer relevant clinical questions not addressed by current randomzied trials. He also has published on robotic surgery techniques, optimized reporting of prostate pathologic specimens, and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) and its role in prostate cancer management and comparison to/integration with commercially-available serum-based and tissue-based genomic assays. He has multiple active IRB-sponsored research projects at GW, including a prospective, ongoing database of GU Cancers as part of the Tissue Biorepository Project to foster collaboration between the clinical faculty, medical school, and other researchers in the university.
Dr. Whalen has presented at numerous conferences in the US and internationally, including the American Urological Association (AUA) National Conference, the AUA New York Section Ferdinand C. Valentine Medal & Resident Essay Meeting, the 2016 World Cancer Congress in Shanghai, China, and the 2014 AUA National Chief’s Debate, which he won as a representative of the New York Section. He is a member of the American Urological Association and serves on the Editorial Board of the ARC Journal of Urology (AJU), as a reviewer for Current Urology, and as a reviewer/statistical consultant for the Journal of Urology.
Dr. Whalen is also involved in medical student education at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, serving as guest lecturer for bladder, kidney, prostate, and testis cancer; faculty mentor for the Clinical Apprenticeship Program; and principle investigator as part of the Gill Summer Research Fellowship program each summer from 2018-2020. Dr. Whalen also serves as research mentor to the Urology residents and GW medical students. His students have been awarded research stipends, such as the W.T. Gill Summer Research Fellowship, and Jean T. Fourcroy Research Award. They have presented their projects at regional and national meetings and have been able to publish in multiple peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Whalen has also been instrumental in resident clinical education, striving to develop a formal robotic surgery training curriculum to improve resident performance.
Based on Dr. Whalen's dedication to resident education, he was awarded the Outstanding Clinical Instruction ("Teacher of the Year") award in 2019.
He has been named a Top Urologic Oncologist in 2018 and 2019 by Top Doctor Patient Reviews and elected an Honored Member of Continental Who’s Who 2018 and the Marquis Who’s Who in America 2020. He recently was selected as the International Association Of Top Professionals (IAOTP) Top Urologist of the Year 2020 (6/2020).
Additional information about Dr. Whalen, including radio shows, lectures, and publications, may be found on his provider profile.