Urology FAQs
What is urology?
Urology is the field of medicine that focuses on diseases of the urinary tract and the male reproductive tract. While some urologists treat general diseases of the urinary tract, others specialize in certain areas such as female urology, male infertility, pediatric urology, and urologic oncology.
What is a urologist?
Urologists are doctors who diagnose and treat men, women and children for diseases and conditions in the urinary tract. The urinary tract, which creates, stores, and removes urine from the body, includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, and the adrenal glands.
Urologist also diagnose and treat conditions related to the male reproductive tract – a system that includes the prostate, penis, and testicles.
What are the education and training requirements?
In the United States, a urologist earns a four-year college degree and then must complete four years of medical school. Following medical school, a urologist spends four or five years training in a hospital. This time, referred to as “residency,” is spent working alongside experienced urologist and learning surgical skills.
Following residency, some urologists choose to go into practice while others opt to do a “fellowship,” which is an additional year or two of training in a specialized area. Specialty areas include female urology, pediatric urology and urologic oncology, to name a few.
Most Upstate urologists are surgeons who are fellowship-trained in one or more specialty areas.
At the end of their training, many urologists choose to become specialty-certified by the American Board of Urology. At Upstate, the majority of our urologists have earned this certification.
Which conditions do urologists treat?
Upstate Urology treats a wide range of diseases and conditions in men, women and children, and offers specialists in every area of urological care. View a list of the conditions treated.
When should you see a Urologist?
Often a primary care physician can treat mild urinary issues such as a urinary tract infection. But if you experience any of the following symptoms, you may want to consult a urologist:
- blood in your urine
- a frequent or urgent need to urinate
- pain in your lower back, pelvis, or sides
- pain or burning during urination
- trouble urinating
- urine leakage
- weak urine flow, dribbling
- a decreased sexual desire
- a lump in the testicle
- trouble getting or keeping an erection
Please note: This is a partial list. If you have symptoms or have questions about whether to consult a urologist, please call Upstate Urology at 315-464-1500