The community of urologists in the U.S. is complaining that there is shortage of urologists in the U.S. Indeed, only a small fraction of the 14.6 percent of physicians specializing in surgical specialties choose urology as their specialty.
Why aren’t students flocking to urology? There’s a lot of reasons. Treating urinary tract and reproductive organ disorders is not as glamorous as what dermatologists and plastic surgeons do. In some cases, it is not as is as challenging as internal medicine and otolaryngology. There are so many possible reasons but we shouldn’t dwell on that. Instead, we should turn our attention to why medical students should choose urology as their specialty and here’s why:
1. Incidence of urinary tract diseases is rising — The U.S. Renal Data System (USRDS) recently reported that chronic kidney disease (CKD) has risen by 30% over the last decade. The same trend is expected to last over the next decade so there will be a huge demand for urologists dealing with CKD and other urologic diseases such as urinary tract infection and prostate disorders.
2. The pay isn’t that bad — According to the U.S. Labor department, the current median expected salary for a urologist in the United States is $266,114. On their first and second years, urologists can expect to earn $261,00. This will increase to somewhere around $358,00 in their third year. Currently, an experienced urologist has a chance to earns as much as $619,000 annually. This is significantly higher than what a dermatologist earns. Check out the table below summarizing a salary survey for doctors by Merritt – Hawkins & Associates.
2008 MD salary survey
3. The healthcare industry is growing — This is a known fact. Within the next decade, there will be a huge demand for physicians and surgeons, including those specializing in urology. Indeed the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that physicians and surgeons will increase at a rate of 18-24 percent per year.
So what are you waiting for? Check out the schools with the best urology programs and find out how you can get in.
