BackTable / Urology / Contributor

Dr. Ruchika Talwar
Urologic Oncologist
Dr. Ruchika Talwar is a urologic oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
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About Dr. Ruchika Talwar
Dr. Ruchika Talwar is a urologic oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Associate Medical Director in the Episodes of Care Office, where she designs and operationalizes VUMC’s MyHealth bundles. Dr. Talwar attended Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and she is a residency graduate from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, where she was affiliated with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the Wharton School. She completed a Society of Urologic Oncology fellowship and Masters of Management in Healthcare at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Talwar has served in several national leadership roles within organized medicine, including Chair of the American Urological Association's residents and fellows committee, the Board of the Mid-Atlantic AUA Section, and is currently the Fundraising Chair for the AUAPAC. She held the H. Logan Holtgrewe Legislative Fellowship in 2022, when she spent time working on Capitol Hill in the office of Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09). Dr. Talwar’s clinical practice includes both robotic and open approaches to urologic cancer surgery, with a focus on patient-centered care. Her academic work in health policy, value transformation, drug pricing, and costs of care has been published in several JAMA journals and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. She makes several trips a year to Washington, DC, meeting with Congressional representatives as a passionate advocate for improving the quality of care provided to patients in the US.
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Podcasts Featuring Dr. Ruchika Talwar
Urology Episode #274
For the first time in history, a human bladder was transplanted. Dr. Nima Nassiri (UCLA) joins Dr. Ruchika Talwar to share how his team completed this landmark operation alongside a kidney transplant. He walks through the clinical scenario, key steps in donor and recipient selection, and how years of preclinical work informed the operative approach.
Urology Episode #273
With the right protocols (and the right team!), urology clinics can proactively manage the side effects of intravesical therapy. This in-studio episode from the 2025 NMIBC Creator Weekend™ series features unique perspectives from Vanderbilt nurse practitioner Meredith Donahue and surgical neuro-oncology nurse Brynn Moore, a surgical neuro-oncology nurse, both with focuses in urologic oncology. Hosted by Dr. Ruchika Talwar, we cover the practical and logistical considerations in intravesical therapy administration.
Urology Episode #269
We have relied on PSA for decades, but what’s next in precision screening for prostate cancer? In this episode of BackTable Urology, Dr. Jason Hafron from the Michigan Institute of Urology joins host Dr. Ruchika Talwar to discuss the evolving role of biomarkers and artificial intelligence in prostate cancer screening.
Tumor Board Episode #29
With the right protocols (and the right team!), urology clinics can proactively manage the side effects of intravesical therapy. This in-studio episode from the 2025 NMIBC Creator Weekend™ series features unique perspectives from Vanderbilt nurse practitioner Meredith Donahue and surgical neuro-oncology nurse Brynn Moore, a surgical neuro-oncology nurse, both with focuses in urologic oncology. Hosted by Dr. Ruchika Talwar, we cover the practical and logistical considerations in intravesical therapy administration.
Urology Episode #262
What is the role of the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2025 and how does it affect your practice? Join Dr. Ruchika Talwar in this insightful episode of the BackTable Urology podcast as she converses with Dr. Willie Underwood, a urologic oncologist and president-elect of the American Medical Association.
Industry Episode #93
What is the role of the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2025 and how does it affect your practice? Join Dr. Ruchika Talwar in this insightful episode of the BackTable Urology podcast as she converses with Dr. Willie Underwood, a urologic oncologist and president-elect of the American Medical Association.
Urology Episode #253
How do you effectively treat your bladder cancer population with an insufficient supply of BCG? Dr. Amy Luckenbaugh, a urologic oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, joins host Dr. Ruchika Talwar to highlight challenges and solutions to managing bladder cancer amidst ongoing BCG shortages.
Tumor Board Episode #20
How do you effectively treat your bladder cancer population with an insufficient supply of BCG? Dr. Amy Luckenbaugh, a urologic oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, joins host Dr. Ruchika Talwar to highlight challenges and solutions to managing bladder cancer amidst ongoing BCG shortages.
Urology Episode #245
With BCG in short supply and recurrence rates still high, the race is on for better intravesical options. In this episode of BackTable Tumor Board, Dr. Lindsey Herrel, urologic oncologist at the University of Michigan, joins Dr. Ruchika Talwar to explore the evolving landscape of intravesical therapy for intermediate risk bladder cancer.
Urology Episode #243
Counseling patients with intermediate-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer can be complex, with a wide range of treatment options and care pathways. In this episode of BackTable Urology, urologic oncologists Dr. Ruchika Talwar and Dr. Kelly Bree explore how to approach this challenge with clarity and compassion.
Tumor Board Episode #19
With BCG in short supply and recurrence rates still high, the race is on for better intravesical options. In this episode of BackTable Tumor Board, Dr. Lindsey Herrel, urologic oncologist at the University of Michigan, joins Dr. Ruchika Talwar to explore the evolving landscape of intravesical therapy for intermediate risk bladder cancer.
Tumor Board Episode #18
Counseling patients with intermediate-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer can be complex, with a wide range of treatment options and care pathways. In this episode of BackTable, urologic oncologists Dr. Ruchika Talwar and Dr. Kelly Bree explore how to approach this challenge with clarity and compassion.
Tumor Board Episode #13
How can urologists and radiologists work together to improve kidney cancer treatment? In this episode, BackTable Tumor Board brings together Dr. Jason Abel (Professor of Urology and Radiology at the University of Wisconsin), Dr. Louis Hinshaw (Section Chief of Abdominal Imaging Intervention at the University of Wisconsin), and Dr. Ruchika Talwar (Assistant Professor of Urologic Oncology at Vanderbilt) for a multidisciplinary conversation regarding the treatment of renal tumors.
VI Episode #536
This week we bring together urologists and radiologists to work towards a shared goal of innovating on kidney cancer care. Dr. Jason Abel, Professor of Urology and Radiology at the University of Wisconsin, and Dr. Louis Hinshaw, Section Chief of Abdominal Imaging Intervention at the University of Wisconsin, join our host Dr. Ruchika Talwar for a multidisciplinary conversation regarding the treatment of renal tumors.
Urology Episode #228
This week we bring together urologists and radiologists to work towards a shared goal of innovating on kidney cancer care. Dr. Jason Abel, Professor of Urology and Radiology at the University of Wisconsin, and Dr. Louis Hinshaw, Section Chief of Abdominal Imaging Intervention at the University of Wisconsin, join our host Dr. Ruchika Talwar for a multidisciplinary conversation regarding the treatment of renal tumors.
Industry Episode #90
How did your last patient-physician interaction go? Did you wish that the other person had understood your perspective better? In this episode of Backtable Industry, hosts Dr. Ruchika Talwar and Anish Parikh discuss the complexities of medicine, focusing on the importance of communication between doctors and patients.
Industry Episode #88
What is the true role of the physician in today's rapidly changing healthcare landscape, and how do payment structures affect physician incentives? In this episode of Backtable Industry, urologist Dr. Ruchi Talwar and entrepreneur Anish Parikh discuss the state of the current healthcare system, including the frustrating aspects of payment models and incentives that lead to high costs and poor outcomes.
Articles Featuring Dr. Ruchika Talwar
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Disclaimer: The Materials available on BackTable.com are for informational and educational purposes only and are not a substitute for the professional judgment of a healthcare professional in diagnosing and treating patients. The opinions expressed by participants of the BackTable Podcast belong solely to the participants, and do not necessarily reflect the views of BackTable.


















