Why don't they teach urology in medical school?

[ndi_amaka]

Something I have long wondered.

I mean, a med students OB/GYN rotation is usually split between learning how to deliver babies and gynecology clinics where you see how to do pelvic exams. Why don't we learn how to take examine male pelvic regions (and I'm not just talking about doing rectals)?

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[Spang]

Something I have long wondered.

I mean, a med students OB/GYN rotation is usually split between learning how to deliver babies and gynecology clinics where you see how to do pelvic exams. Why don't we learn how to take examine male pelvic regions (and I'm not just talking about doing rectals)?

We do. First week of the 2nd year we do breast, pelvic, male GU, and rectal exams on standardized patients. After that it's up to you to jump in and get some practice in the clinic or ED.

Spang

 

[eyerepairman]

Some medical schools are so focused on getting medical students to go into primary care that some believe that they purposely reduce exposure to some of the specialties.

Whatever the case, some medical schools which state that they encourage medical students to go into primary care are successful in doing that.

There are some medical school classes where nobody goes into urology, ENT, derm, and ophthalmology or 0% of that class going into 4 specialties. In my medical school class, several went into urology, 1 or 2 into ENT, more than half a dozen into ophthalmology, some into derm, etc.

 

[JMD]

We are required to do a week of urology at my school.

 

[mmag]

My school hires standardized patients/trainers to teach us the male exam including DRE m2 year. We are also required to do a 2 week urology rotation usually during m3 year.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

There really is no way to assure that medical students will have great exposure to all fields before making a career decision. If it's "your" field that there is no required rotation in then you might feel slighted. Truth is that medical education works pretty well in my limited experience. However, if you think you might have an interest in a field not routinely part of a third year rotation, then you need to make sure you try it out early in fourth year.