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To become a urologist in the US, you must complete medical school, finish a urology residency, and earn a medical license to practice. The steps below explain the standard education and training path from college to becoming a fully qualified urology physician.
To attend medical school, you must first obtain a bachelor's degree. While there are no specific degree requirements, it's highly recommended that you major in a science-related program because medical schools require applicants to take various science courses.
These are the most common prerequisites for science courses that medical schools ask for:
Most medical schools ask an applicant to have at least a 3.0 GPA. Although a 3.0 GPA is not considered to be competitive, it's not entirely impossible to get into medical school with this GPA.
Before applying to most US medical schools, you must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The MCAT measures scientific knowledge, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills and plays a major role in medical school admissions decisions.
Students typically take the MCAT after completing core science prerequisite courses.
After earning your bachelor’s degree and completing the MCAT, you must apply to medical school and earn acceptance into an MD or DO program. Here are the most common requirements of medical schools:
For end-to-end support on your med school application and expert admissions advice, work with one of our counselors to strengthen every part of your application and maximize your chances of acceptance.
Medical school in the US typically lasts four years. During this time, students build the medical knowledge and clinical skills needed to become physicians.
Most medical schools structure training as follows:
During medical school, students interested in urology often pursue surgical rotations, research opportunities, and urology electives to strengthen their residency applications.
After graduating from medical school, you must match into a urology residency program. Urology residency programs in the US are typically accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and usually take about five to six years to complete, depending on the program structure.
Urology residents receive advanced surgical and clinical training and learn how to diagnose and treat conditions such as:
Residents also gain experience performing procedures and surgeries in both hospital and outpatient settings.
To practice as a urologist, you must obtain a medical license in the state where you plan to work. Licensing requirements vary by state but generally include completing medical school, residency training, and passing required licensing exams.
You can confirm specific licensing requirements through your state medical board.
After residency, many urologists pursue board certification through the American Board of Urology (ABU). Board certification is not always legally required to practice, but many employers strongly prefer or require it.
Board certification typically involves passing a written exam and completing an additional evaluation process to demonstrate clinical competency.
Urologists make an average annual salary of $227,654. The reason why the salary is so high is that most urologists are trained in performing surgery.
Regarding job projections, the demand for urologists is expected to grow, with an expected 72,500 new jobs by 2029.
It typically takes 13 to 14 years to become a practicing urologist in the US, including 4 years of undergraduate education, 4 years of medical school, and 5 to 6 years of urology residency training.
Urology takes longer than many specialties because urologists complete both advanced surgical training and specialty-focused clinical training.
After residency, many urologists also pursue board certification through the American Board of Urology (ABU). Board certification requires passing a written qualifying exam and later completing an oral certifying exam after gaining clinical practice experience.
The board certification process can add 1 to 2 additional years, depending on timing and eligibility.
A urologist is a medical doctor who diagnoses and treats conditions affecting the urinary tract and the male reproductive system. Urologists manage both medical and surgical problems involving organs such as the kidneys, bladder, ureters, urethra, prostate, and testes.
Urologists treat a wide range of conditions, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney stones, urinary incontinence, enlarged prostate (BPH), erectile dysfunction, infertility, and cancers of the bladder, kidneys, prostate, and testicles. They often work in both clinical and surgical settings, which makes urology one of the most procedure-focused medical specialties.
Urologists diagnose conditions using urine testing, imaging (ultrasound, CT scans, MRI), cystoscopy, and biopsies. They also perform procedures such as vasectomies, stone removal, prostate procedures, bladder surgeries, tumor resections, and reconstructive operations.
Many urologists pursue additional fellowship training to specialize in a specific area of urology. Common urology subspecialties include:
Subspecializing allows urologists to focus on complex cases and advanced surgical procedures within a narrower clinical area.
Yes, becoming a urologist is challenging because it requires medical school, surgical residency training, and strong academic performance over many years. Urologists must master complex topics in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and surgical technique, and they must handle high responsibility in both clinical and operating room settings.
Urology residency is competitive in the US because there are limited training positions and many qualified applicants each year. According to the American Urological Association (AUA), there were 540 applicants competing for 394 urology residency positions, which means many qualified candidates do not secure a match spot.
Dr. Jonathan Preminger was the original author of this article. Snippets of his work may remain.
Reviewed by:
Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Physician, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
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