What is Urology?

Urology is a specialty which focuses and provides care for medical and surgical diseases of the male and female genitourinary systems. The discipline also extends to treating diseases of the male reproductive system. It is a stimulating and rewarding specialty with a wide scope of work, ranging from urinary tract infections, renal stones to complex traumas, malignancies and even transplantation.

In order to tackle this vast array of pathologies, a variety of practical skills are employed and technology such as ultrasound and fibre optics are utilised. Surgical skills include traditional open surgery and laparoscopy. With the advent of robotic surgery, this has added to the opportunities for aspiring and trainee urologists to venture into advanced surgical approaches, thus making the field even more challenging and rewarding. 

Sub-specialties include oncology, reconstructive urology, andrology, paediatric urology and endo-urology to name but a few. The rich variety of the field enables enthusiasts and trainees to pursue their personal areas of interests within urology.

The lifestyle of urologists can also be seen as appealing for students and trainees. The lower on-call demand of the specialty makes it easier to attain a greater work-life balance, especially as it is a surgical discipline. This is manifested in the fact it has the highest number of part-time trainees. 

Moreover, 25% of urologists are females, which is the highest female representation compared to any other surgical specialty. With all these benefits in mind, it is easy to see why there is a natural draw toward Urology for those that realise these points.