Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsConcentrationsProcedural ExpertiseSubspecialtiesTraining and CertificationAppointment Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Concentrations
Procedural Expertise
Subspecialties
Training and Certification
Appointment Tips
A urologist is a physician who specializes in disorders of the female and male urinary tract as well as those of the male reproductive organs. Organs that fall under the realm of a urologist include the kidneys, adrenal glands, ureter, bladder, and urethra as well as the testes, epididymis,prostate gland, and penis in men. These organs are referred to collectively as the genitourinary system.
As of 2018 the number of “actively practicting” urologists in the United States was 12,660, a 1.1% increase from the 12,517 practitioners in 2017.Extensive training is involved to become a urologist, which includes four years of undergraduate studies, four years of medical school, and five to six years in a urology residency program.
Although urology is classified as asurgical specialty, a strong knowledge of internal medicine,pediatrics,gynecology, and other specialties is needed to treat the wide range of genitourinary disorders.
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Urology can frequently overlap with other medical specialties, including gynecology, neurology (nervous system disorders),endocrinology(hormonal disorders),nephrology(kidney disorders), andoncology(cancer).
Urologists not only treat men and women but children as well.
Conditions Treated
A urologist can diagnose and treat a diversity of medical conditions in both females and male. Some are known conditions that are either persistent or severe. Others are unknown and characterized symptoms such as dysuria (painful urination), hematuria (blood in urine), or urinary urgency (the urge to urinate frequently).
Some of the more common urologic conditions include:
Urologic conditions affecting women include:
Urologic conditions affecting men include:
What to Know About Telehealth With a Urologist
A urologist is trained to use a variety of tools and techniques to diagnose and treat genitourinary problems. If you are referred to a urologist, you will likely undergo a physical exam and other tests to either pinpoint the cause or characterize the nature of the disease.
Physical Examination
A physical exam is central to the diagnosis. Depending on your symptoms, it may involve an examination of the abdomen, rectum, groin, or genitals. Women with urinary symptoms will typically undergo apelvic exam, while men may be given adigital rectal examto manually evaluate the prostate gland.
Palpation (the touching of superficial tissues) may reveal an inguinal hernia or testicular torsion, while percussion (the gentle tapping of tissue) may help confirm urinary retention.
Blood Tests
Blood tests are commonly used to diagnose genitourinary disorders. Most of the tests are unable to directly diagnoses disease but are rather used to support the diagnosis. These include:
Urinanalysis
Urinalysisis critical to diagnosing urologic disorders. The urinalysis would include a gross examination of the color, appearance, and odor of the sample as well as a chemical and microscopic analysis.
The chemical analysis would measure factors likeproteinand glucose, high levels of which may suggest kidney disease or diabetes. Increased nitrites or the presence of white blood cells may be suggestive a bacterial infection. The presence ofblood in urinemay be detected visually or with a urine dipstick test. If blood is detected, this then requires a specific workup including additional urine studies, cystoscopy, and imaging.
Imaging Studies
Other Procedures
Another type of exploratory technique iscystoscopy. This is a slightly more invasive procedure that requires a local anesthetic to numb the urethra before a narrow scope is inserted through it to view the bladder.
Urodynamic studies are used to diagnose to evaluate incontinence or urinary problems associated with an enlarged prostate.It involves the use of sensors and gauges to measure the pressure, speed, and amount of urine produced during urination.
Semen analysis, also known as a seminogram, is used to evaluate the amount, quality, motility, and shape of sperm in a sample of ejaculated semen.
Surgical and Non-Surgical Treatment
Openorlaparoscopic(“keyhole”) surgery (with or without robot) may be used to perform aprostatectomy, remove tumors, or eliminate scarring associated with urethral narrowing. Laser therapy is commonly used to break up urinary stones or reduce an enlarged prostate.
Other surgeries, such as a suburethral sling, may be used to support a prolapsed bladder. Some urologists are even involved inkidney transplants.
Urologists also commonly performvasectomies(a form of male sterilization) and can sometimes even reverse a vasectomy with microsurgery (vasectomy reversal).
For its part, theAmerican Board of Urology(ABU), which sets the standard for board certification, only recognizes pediatric urology and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery as accredited subspecialties.
The steps to becoming a board-certified urologist are similar to those for othersurgical specialties.
All urologists must first complete postgraduate education at an accredited medical school. The entry requirements include a bachelor’s degree and the passing of the Medical Competency Aptitude Test (MCAT).
While you can enter medical school with a non-science degree (as long as you complete the prerequisite math, science, and humanities courses), most enter with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, or a related science.
You can attend a medical school that offers either a Doctor of Medicine (MD) orDoctor of Osteopathic Medicine(DO) degree. The first two years consist primarily of classroom or laboratory studies. The second two years involve clinical rotations in medical facilities to gain hands-on exposure to different fields of medicine.
After graduation, you would enter a urology residency, most of which begin in July and last for five or six years. The first year is spent in general surgery, with the remaining four to five years devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of urological disorders, Including congenital deformities and urological cancers. Some residency programs include a year of dedicated research.
Certification
Candidates who pass the written board exam must spend at least 16 months practicing before they are eligible to take the final, three-part oral exam, given annually in Dallas, Texas.
Board certification is essentially a stamp of approval of your skills as a urologist. It increases your job opportunities in a highly competitive field and is required for employment in many hospital, academic, and research facilities.
It is not uncommon to feel uncomfortable about meeting a urologist since a visit commonly involves an examination of the genitals and pelvis. It often helps to share these concerns with the urologist when you first meet and ask that you be walked through the procedures. For some people, “breaking the ice” is all that is needed to overcome anxieties.
How to Find a Urologist
Generally, the best way to find a urologist is through a referral from your primary care physician or someone you know. The next step would be to verify the doctor’s credentials.
There, you can find detail about a doctor’s education, licenses, board certification, and any legal, civil, or disciplinary actions filed against the physician.
You should also take the opportunity to interview the urologist, particularly if you require surgery or other invasive procedures. You can ask, for example, how experienced the doctor is in a certain procedure or how many patients he or she has treated with the procedure.
Other Tips
When arriving for your appointment, bring your insurance card, ID, and any medical reports or imaging studies relevant to your condition. You can also ask your primary care doctor or referring physician toforward any pertinent files electronicallyin advance of your appointment.
If you have health insurance, double check that the office accepts it. If also helps to know what labs and other facilities they use to check whether they arein-networkorout-of-networkproviders.
A Word From Verywell
Urology can be a rewarding career and one that can provide you a better work-life balance than some other medical specialties. That is not to say it is not without its stresses.
Many people fear urologists because the practice involves intimate examinations or require urinary catheters to perform certain tests. Urologists are ever-cognizant of these stresses and need a certain emotional resiliency to deal with them.
There may also be emergencies to deal with on weekends and evenings, including urgent calls about kidney stones or post-surgical complications. With that said, many urologists work normal office hours, often in high-paying individual or group practices.
Because they are so in-demand, urologists are among the highest paid medical specialists. According to theMedscape Urologist Compensation Report,urologists across all specialties earned an average of $373,000 in 2018.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Urological Association.The state of the urology workforce and practice in the United States 2018.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institiute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Urologic diseases in America.Harvard Health Publishing.Digital rectal exam.American Cancer Society.Tests for testicular cancer.U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus.BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen).Chu CM, Lowder JL.Diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections across age groups.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018;219(1):40-51. doi:016/j.ajog.2017.12.231Alelign T, Petros B.Kidney stone disease: an update on current concepts.Adv Urol. 2018;2018:3068365. doi:10.1155/2018/3068365Urology Care Foundation.What is urologic radiology?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Urodynamic testing.American Board of Urology.Qualifiying examination.Additional ReadingKreder J, Williams R. (2008)Smith’s General Urology(17th Edition).Tanagho, E. and McAninch, J.-Eds. New York City, New York: McGraw-Hill. doi:10.1036/0071457372.Medscape. (2018)Medscape Oncologist Compensation Report.New York, New York: Medscape, LLC.Pruthi R, Neuwahl S, Nielsen M, et al.Recent trends in the urology workforce in the United States.Urology.2013 Nov;82(5):987-93. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2013.04.080.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Urological Association.The state of the urology workforce and practice in the United States 2018.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institiute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Urologic diseases in America.Harvard Health Publishing.Digital rectal exam.American Cancer Society.Tests for testicular cancer.U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus.BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen).Chu CM, Lowder JL.Diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections across age groups.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018;219(1):40-51. doi:016/j.ajog.2017.12.231Alelign T, Petros B.Kidney stone disease: an update on current concepts.Adv Urol. 2018;2018:3068365. doi:10.1155/2018/3068365Urology Care Foundation.What is urologic radiology?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Urodynamic testing.American Board of Urology.Qualifiying examination.Additional ReadingKreder J, Williams R. (2008)Smith’s General Urology(17th Edition).Tanagho, E. and McAninch, J.-Eds. New York City, New York: McGraw-Hill. doi:10.1036/0071457372.Medscape. (2018)Medscape Oncologist Compensation Report.New York, New York: Medscape, LLC.Pruthi R, Neuwahl S, Nielsen M, et al.Recent trends in the urology workforce in the United States.Urology.2013 Nov;82(5):987-93. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2013.04.080.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Urological Association.The state of the urology workforce and practice in the United States 2018.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institiute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Urologic diseases in America.Harvard Health Publishing.Digital rectal exam.American Cancer Society.Tests for testicular cancer.U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus.BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen).Chu CM, Lowder JL.Diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections across age groups.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018;219(1):40-51. doi:016/j.ajog.2017.12.231Alelign T, Petros B.Kidney stone disease: an update on current concepts.Adv Urol. 2018;2018:3068365. doi:10.1155/2018/3068365Urology Care Foundation.What is urologic radiology?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Urodynamic testing.American Board of Urology.Qualifiying examination.
American Urological Association.The state of the urology workforce and practice in the United States 2018.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institiute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Urologic diseases in America.
Harvard Health Publishing.Digital rectal exam.
American Cancer Society.Tests for testicular cancer.
U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus.BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen).
Chu CM, Lowder JL.Diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections across age groups.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018;219(1):40-51. doi:016/j.ajog.2017.12.231
Alelign T, Petros B.Kidney stone disease: an update on current concepts.Adv Urol. 2018;2018:3068365. doi:10.1155/2018/3068365
Urology Care Foundation.What is urologic radiology?
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Urodynamic testing.
American Board of Urology.Qualifiying examination.
Kreder J, Williams R. (2008)Smith’s General Urology(17th Edition).Tanagho, E. and McAninch, J.-Eds. New York City, New York: McGraw-Hill. doi:10.1036/0071457372.Medscape. (2018)Medscape Oncologist Compensation Report.New York, New York: Medscape, LLC.Pruthi R, Neuwahl S, Nielsen M, et al.Recent trends in the urology workforce in the United States.Urology.2013 Nov;82(5):987-93. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2013.04.080.
Kreder J, Williams R. (2008)Smith’s General Urology(17th Edition).Tanagho, E. and McAninch, J.-Eds. New York City, New York: McGraw-Hill. doi:10.1036/0071457372.
Medscape. (2018)Medscape Oncologist Compensation Report.New York, New York: Medscape, LLC.
Pruthi R, Neuwahl S, Nielsen M, et al.Recent trends in the urology workforce in the United States.Urology.2013 Nov;82(5):987-93. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2013.04.080.
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