Urology

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The Department of Urology at the Oregon Health & Science University received 162 applications for one position available in its urology residency program.

From Oregon Health & Science University News 3/26/10


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Why pursue Urology as a career?
2010 Urology Salary

Overview of Residency Training

To become a urologist, five years of residency training are required. Only the latter four years are spent fully immersed in urology. The first postgraduate year (PGY1) is spent in general surgery.

According to the AMA and AAMC, there are over 1,000 residents training in 120 ACGME-accredited urology residency programs. Ninety-five percent are USMDs, 4% are international medical graduates, and 1% are osteopathic graduates. 

2010 Match Data

According to the American Urological Association (AUA), which administers the urology match, 77 of 337 applicants did not match into the specialty in 2010. Fourteen percent of the U.S. seniors who applied did not match. Based on this data, urology is one of the most competitive specialties.

Matching into urology is even harder for international medical graduate and osteopathic applicants. As you can see in the table above, few of the 1000 plus resident trainees are IMGs or graduates of osteopathic medical schools. Of note, osteopathic applicants may also apply to 10 AOA-approved urology residency programs.

Why pursue Urology as a Career?

Urologists discuss reasons why they chose to pursue a career in urology:

Fadi Joudi, MD (chief - urology section, Iowa City VA Medical Center)
Specialty spotlight: Urology (Journal of Andrology)
Urology Frequently Asked Question (University of Alberta)

2010 Urologist Compensation/Salary

Find out how much an urologist makes

Subspecialties of Urology

Subspecialties in which urologists can pursue fellowship training leading to board certification include pediatric urology. Subspecialty certification in female urology may be available soon. Other subspecialties of urology include andrology, endourologic laparoscopy, urologic oncology, transplantation, and trauma and reconstruction.

Excelling in your Core Clerkships

Core clerkship grades are an important factors in the urology residency selection process. Our book, Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success shows students proven strategies for success in core clerkships. Nineteen U.S. medical school have made our book a required or recommended text for third-year medical students. Read reviews of the book and Q & A with the authors. The first chapter is available free to read. The book can be purchased through our online store or at Amazon.

Excelling in your Urology Clerkship

Core principles and practices in urology that all students should know

Urology Residency Application

Almost all residency programs require applicants to submit their completed application through the Electronic Residency Application Service, also known as ERAS. ERAS does not, however, allow applicants to submit their curriculum vitae or CV as part of this application. Instead, ERAS requires all applicants to transfer information from their CV to the ERAS Application Form. It is the ERAS Application Form that is then sent to programs for review along with the the rest of your application.

Once the application is received, program directors will read it closely and carefully. The application will be used to assess the quality of your written communication skills. Programs place considerable emphasis on communication skills because effective communication has been shown to directly affect the quality of care given to patients.

Therefore, it is imperative that all information in your application is well communicated and error-free. In our experiences reviewing and editing applications, errors are common.

We have considerable experience reviewing and editing the ERAS Application Form can make sure that your application is polished, professional, and powerful.

Our ERAS Application Review/Editing Service can be purchased through our online store. All clients will work directly with Dr. Samir Desai, author of The Successful Match.

Important Information for the Aspiring Urologist

The future of urology and urologic education in the United States

A survey of women urology residents regarding career choice and practice challenges

Inspiring urology trainees to enter academic careers

What makes a medical student avoid or enter a career in urology? Results of an international survey

Factors relating to residency training and medical student career choices in urology