Urology

Term

3 months

Usually, four in each clinical year from early February

Time limit

8 years

From your first day in an accredited post, to finish all three stages

Leave

6 weeks

At most in 6 months, or 9 weeks in 12 months, of every kind

Part time

50%

Of full time at least, applied for 6 months ahead

• Training has three stages, in order. Basic is the first, at least 12 months full time, finished within 24 months of your start. Intermediate is at least 24 months, with Basic and Intermediate finished within 60 months. Advanced is the last, at least 12 months, finished within 36 months
• The 6 weeks cover annual, personal, compassionate, parental and carer's leave, and leave for study, examinations and conferences. More leave can leave a term not assessed

• Accredited hospitals64 with accredited urology posts, 53 in Australia and 11 in Aotearoa New Zealand
• AccreditationThe Board of Urology accredits each post for up to 5 years, against eight standards including supervision and teaching, theatre time, equipment and clinical governance. A post can span more than one hospital
• Your employerOnce placed, apply to the hospital for the post, since the hospital employs you. Refusing the post, resigning or losing the job can end your training
• Aotearoa New Zealand11 accredited hospitals
  • Auckland City Hospital
  • Christchurch Hospital
  • Counties Manukau Hospital
  • Dunedin Hospital
  • Hawke's Bay Hospital
  • North Shore Hospital
  • Palmerston North Hospital
  • Taranaki Base Hospital
  • Waikato Hospital
  • Wellington Hospital
  • Whangarei Hospital

What every accredited urology post must give you each week

Theatre sessions

4

Half-day elective operating sessions with a consultant supervising, or 14 hours

Clinics

1

Outpatient clinic at least, with a consultant, seeing new and follow-up patients

Ward rounds

2

Consultant-led ward rounds at least

Tutorials

1

Urology tutorial at least, timetabled in advance

• Rosters: on call no more often than 1 in 2, and 1 in 3 where the hospital's on-call workload allows

Supervisor

1

For each accredited post, a Fellow of RACSRoyal Australasian College of Surgeons the hospital nominates and the Board of Urology approves

Urologists

2

At least in every accredited hospital, one a Fellow of RACSRoyal Australasian College of Surgeons in urology

Supervisor time

30 to 60 minutes

A week for each trainee, which the Board asks hospitals to fund

• Your supervisor coordinates your training, meets you face to face each term for your assessment and reviews your logbook. The other urologists in the unit are your trainers, and give your feedback and confirm your activity sign-offs

Surgical Science Examination in UrologyThe RACS examination on the anatomy, physiology and pathology of urology: one paper of 120 multiple choice questions in two and a half hours

Year 1 or 2

In Basic, passed by its end

Fellowship ExaminationThe RACS final examination in urology, set to the urology curriculum: written papers, then a clinical and viva part, seven segments in all

Year 4 or later

In Advanced, or once approved to move to it

• The Surgical Science Examination is sat on a computer in June or October, in ten cities across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The Board of Urology sets the questions, 40 each on anatomy, physiology and pathology. It is pass or fail
• The Fellowship Examination is run by RACSRoyal Australasian College of Surgeons. The written papers are sat in March or August, and the clinical and viva part follows in one city in May, or in September or October. Its standard is that of a consultant in the first year of practice

In-training assessmentA report your supervisor completes each term with the other consultants and the staff who work with you, then discusses with you face to face, rating you Satisfactory, Borderline or Unsatisfactory

Every 3 months

One for each term, sent with your logbook summary

Feedback toolsObserved patient consultations, observed surgical performances and case-based discussions: a consultant watches you or talks a case through with you, and rates how much supervision you need next time

6

Each term at least, two of each kind

Multi-source feedbackA survey of at least six colleagues who have worked with you for 3 months or more, which your supervisor discusses with you at your in-training assessment

1

In each stage, usually in the third term of the year

Entrustable professional activitiesA task of the job, such as leading a ward round, that a consultant signs off once they trust you to do it with distant supervision.

10

Over training: 3 in Basic, any 3 more in Intermediate, the last 4 in Advanced

Clinical audit

1

Proposed in Basic, done and presented by the end of Intermediate

Critical appraisal

1

Of a paper or a topic, presented in Intermediate

Research project

1

Proposed in Basic, accepted for publication before Fellowship

• You present the audit at a Section Meeting or the Annual Scientific Meeting, and the appraisal at a Section Meeting. A panel of Fellows evaluates each presentation

Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient

Year 1 or 2

By the end of Basic

Advanced Trauma Life Support

Year 1 or 2

By the end of Basic

Critical Literature Evaluation and Research

Year 1 or 2

By the end of Basic

Foundation Skills for Surgical Educators

Year 4 or later

By the end of Advanced

Trainee Week

Each year

With the Annual Scientific Meeting and a Section Meeting, until your first Advanced year

• The first course teaches the care of an unwell surgical patient and spotting one who is getting worse. The second teaches the first one to two hours of care of an injured patient, and RACSRoyal Australasian College of Surgeons ran it as Early Management of Severe Trauma until the end of 2025. The third teaches how to appraise the literature and design research. The fourth is the RACSRoyal Australasian College of Surgeons course in teaching that your supervisors and trainers also complete