You’ve got your high school diploma in your hand and have an entire future ahead of you. You can do whatever you want to do and you’ve decided that thing is helping people. You’ve always seen yourself working in healthcare.
Why not dip your toes into urology? It’s one of the highest-paying healthcare careers that you can get. You’ll also get to spend hours in the operating room every week.
If all of this sounds good to you, check out this guide to learn how to become a urologist and find out what you need to do to shape your career.
What Is a Urologist?
A urologist is a doctor that treats many conditions that involve the adrenal glands, pelvic floor muscles, reproductive system, and genitourinary tract. If you’ve ever had a kidney stone, chances are you visited a urologist to take care of it.
When many people hear the word urologist, their minds go to women’s health, but they take care of men, as well. Sometimes this involves surgery. In fact, you’ll be spending a lot of your time in the operating room.
You’ll have to get used to removing obstructions of the urinary tract. You’ll need to use your medical knowledge to diagnose a number of diseases including cancer, and general infections.
Some urologists take care of reconstructive surgeries and correct any genitalia-based abnormalities that occur in children at birth. You’ll cure bladder infections and prescribe medications that your patients need to feel better.
Helpful Skills to Have
Before you head to school, it’s helpful to know if you have the skills necessary to become a urologist. It’s not all about medical knowledge.
The people who walk into your office are going to be in a great deal of pain. You need to be able to show empathy for these patients. You have to have the problem-solving capabilities to look at a patient’s medical history and come up with a treatment plan for them.
You’re going to be dealing with conditions that involve the most sensitive parts of a person’s body. There’s a certain level of professionalism you have to uphold.
Every doctor needs to be able to communicate with their patients effectively. The last thing you want is to keep your patients in the dark.
There are going to be days when you’ll be spending hours in the operating room. To this end, you’ll have to be able to stand for a long amount of time.
Education
Like with any other healthcare job, urology careers come with a long list of educational requirements. The first step is getting your bachelor’s degree in a science of some kind.
After you graduate with your bachelor’s, you’ll move on to medical school. The first few years that you’re there will involve a good mix of classroom and lab time. You’ll learn the ins and outs of human anatomy, patient care, microbiology, pathology, and biochemistry.
Your final years of school will be mostly hands-on. You’ll spend a lot of your time in hospitals and clinics learning from professionals in the field.
Take Your MCAT Exam
There is one thing that you’ll have to do before you’re able to go to medical school. You’ll need to take your MCAT exam during your junior year of college.
You’ll spend 8 hours in a room taking this standardized test. You’ll have to continue taking it until you pass. You won’t be able to apply to graduate schools with a failing grade.
Training
After you get all of your education out of the way, it’s time to do your training. Again, you’ll get some hands-on learning while you’re still in school.
You’ll also need to do a residency once you graduate. The entire program will take five years to complete. The first two years will be spent gathering all your surgical experience.
The last three or four years will involve general urology training. It’s not required, but many people go through a fellowship at some point during their residency program.
The fellowship will take more time, but if you plan to specialize in a certain area of urology, it will give you some valuable knowledge that you won’t want to pass up.
Get Your Certification
Once you get a certain number of hours of training and take an exam, you’ll be eligible to become board certified. It’s not required, but it will open up more job opportunities for you.
What is required is obtaining your state license. Without it, you won’t be able to legally work at any clinic.
The licensing requirements will vary from state to state. If you want to learn what they are, you’ll need to contact the medical board in your area.
Get a Job
Now that you’ve gotten your certification in your hand, there’s nothing stopping you from getting the job of your dreams. Many graduates prefer to open their own urology practice.
Doing so will give you power over your own schedule. You’ll get to choose the EMS medical billing software you use and buy your equipment. You’ll also get to decide on who gets hired.
If you don’t think you’re ready for that level of responsibility just yet, you can work in someone else’s clinic for a bit. Learn under them and gather some more experience before you start hunting around for your own office building.
How to Become a Urologist and Be Successful
If you’ve always wanted to get into the medical field, consider learning how to become a urologist. It’s a high-paying career that’s always in demand.
There’s plenty of room for growth if you’re willing to meet all the training and educational requirements. You’ve got a long road ahead of you. Why not get started today?
For more tips that will help you get through school and shape your career, visit the Education section of our blog.