A Glimpse Into Urology Medical School Education: A Multi-Institutional Medical Student Survey

Introduction: Urological education and exposure for medical students is imperative as we face a growing geriatric population with increased urological needs. Previous research has examined American Urological Association (AUA) program director opinions of student exposure, but no surveys have been directed at current medical students. The purpose of this study is to quantify student exposure to and opinions of urology to determine precipitating factors that lead students towards or away from urology as a specialty of choice. Methods: A 14 question (11 multiple choice and 3 fill-in-the blank) Google Survey was developed. Questions ranged from student exposure to urology, consideration of urology as a specialty, to opinions of positive/negative aspects of urology. After receiving IRB approval, the survey was distributed to the deans and student affair offices of 156 AAMC medical schools. Results: Twenty medical schools (13%) disseminated the survey, contributing to 147 student responses with an even gender split. The percentage of MS4s that applied to urology was 9%. Of all the respondents, 11% did not have a urology rotation, and 25% had no exposure throughout medical school. A large proportion of students (54%) felt the urology exposure to be inadequate. The majority of respondents had either a positive (43%) or neutral (48%) perception towards urology. The positive aspects of urology included perceptions of salary (87%), lifestyle (62%), focalized specialization (54%) and use of technology (49%). The negative aspects of urology included competitiveness (75%), resident workload (33%), and focalized specialization (29%). Conclusions: Urological education opportunities during medical school appear to be limited. Many students do not have any exposure to urology, let alone opportunities to experience a clinical rotation in the field. Although the specialization and lifestyle of urology are attractive, the competitiveness of the field seems to have dissuaded many possible applicants. However, with the increased need ...