The UNC Department of Urology is proud to announce that 15 faculty physicians have been named to the 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors list – an honor that recognizes the top 7% of practicing physicians nationwide.
Castle Connolly Top Doctors are nominated by their peers and undergo a rigorous, physician-led review process that evaluates clinical expertise, professional reputation, and training.
New and Continuing Recognitions
New to the list this year is Dr. Minh Nguyen Pham, who has also been recognized by Castle Connolly as one of their 2026 Rising Stars, highlighting his early-career contributions and growing leadership in the field.
Fourteen additional UNC Urology faculty members were recognized again in 2026, reflecting both individual distinction and the department’s sustained depth of expertise:
Castle Connolly Top Doctors at UNC Urology
Kristy Borawski, MD
Castle Connolly ‘Top Doctor’ Since: 2019
‘Exceptional Women In Medicine’ Since Since: 2019
Matthew Nielsen, MD, MS, FACS
Castle Connolly ‘Top Doctor’ Since: 2017
Castle Connolly 10 Years Most Nominated List
Sherry Ross, MD
Castle Connolly ‘Top Doctor’ Since: 2020
‘Exceptional Women In Medicine’ Since: 2020
Angela Smith, MD, MS
Castle Connolly ‘Top Doctor’ Since: 2020
‘Exceptional Women In Medicine’ Since: 2020
This year’s list also marks a meaningful transition for the department. Dr. Sutherland, who retired in 2025, had been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor every year since 2010, reflecting more than a decade of nationally recognized excellence and lasting impact on patient care and education.
A Culture of Sustained Excellence
The continued presence of UNC Urology faculty on the Castle Connolly Top Doctors list underscores the department’s commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care, as well as its role in advancing education and research across the field of urology.
Castle Connolly’s selection process is intentionally rigorous and continually refined. Readers interested in learning more about the methodology behind the Top Doctors designation can explore additional details on Castle Connolly’s website.
This individual recognition also reflects the broader strength of UNC Health, which was recently recognized by Castle Connolly for its national and statewide leadership in urology through the new 2026 Accolades program. Together, these distinctions highlight how individual faculty excellence at UNC Urology contributes to system-level impact at both the state and national level.