Urologists are medical doctors who have specialised in conditions involving the male and female urinary tract (that’s the system that filters fluids through the kidneys into the bladder and then through the urethra out of the body). They also specialise in the male reproductive system so they are about the closest equivalent to a “men’s health specialist” that you get.
Urologists have to first qualify as a medical doctor and then spend an additional 5 years of further training in order to qualify as a urologist.
Urologists use surgery and medications to treat conditions affecting the kidneys, the bladder the penis, the testicles, the prostate and the tubes that connect these various organs
They are the doctors that are best qualified to assist with problems affecting a man’s sexual and reproductive organs. They will work closely with other specialists when treating certain conditions. For example they often team up with oncologists who are cancer specialists when treating prostate or testicular cancer. They may also team up with a nephrologist when treating complicated kidney problems or an endocrinologist if there are complicated hormonal issues involved.
As with all specialists some urologists may focus on a particular area that interests them, for example paediatric urology (dealing with urological problems in children).
ARO September 2015