About This Career

Diagnoses, treats, and helps prevent benign and malignant medical and surgical disorders of the genitourinary system and the renal glands.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Diagnoses or treats diseases or disorders of genitourinary organs and tracts including erectile dysfunction (ED), infertility, incontinence, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, urethral stones, or premature ejaculation.
• Documents or reviews patients' histories.
• Orders and interprets the results of diagnostic tests, such as prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening, to detect prostate cancer.
• Performs abdominal, pelvic, or retroperitoneal surgeries.
• Examines patients using equipment, such as radiograph (x-ray) machines or fluoroscopes, to determine the nature and extent of disorder or injury.
• Treats lower urinary tract dysfunctions using equipment such as diathermy machines, catheters, cystoscopes, or radium emanation tubes.
• Prescribes or administers antibiotics, antiseptics, or compresses to treat infection or injury.
• Provides urology consultation to physicians or other health care professionals.
• Treats urologic disorders using alternatives to traditional surgery such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, laparoscopy, or laser techniques.
• Directs the work of nurses, residents, or other staff to provide patient care.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel