Education and Training
Gynecologists who practice this sub-specialty are called urogynecologists and urologists who practice this sub-specialty are called female urologists. In the United States, urogynecologists have completed medical school and at least a four-year residency in obstetrics and gynecology and female urologists have completed medical school and at least a five-year residency in urology. However, many specialists also complete fellowship training after residency that can range from 1-3 years in length. These physicians become specialists with additional training and experience in the evaluation and treatment of conditions that affect the female pelvic organs, and the muscles and connective tissue that support the organs. The additional training focuses on the surgical and non-surgical treatment of non-cancerous gynecologic problems.
The subspecialty of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery obtained approval for board certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties in 2012, and in June 2013 practioners will be taking the board certification exam in the subspecialty for the first time. Currently there are no specialists board certified in this area since the test has never been offered before. Some practitioners have completed a board-accredited fellowship in Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery after completing a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology or Urology. The first fellowship received accreditation in 1996. As of January 2010, there were 30 fellowship programs approved by both the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Board of Urology. Additionally, qualified candidates may seek board certification for Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery through the American Osteopathic Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AOBOG). These fellowships are three-years for obstetrician-gynecologists and two-years for urologists. Thus, the combined duration of training for female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery is seven years after medical school for both urologists and gynecologists. The International Urogynecology Journal publishes a listing of world-wide training programs.
Read more about this topic: Urogynecology
Famous quotes containing the words education and/or training:
“The Supreme Court would have pleased me more if they had concerned themselves about enforcing the compulsory education provisions for Negroes in the South as is done for white children. The next ten years would be better spent in appointing truant officers and looking after conditions in the homes from which the children come. Use to the limit what we already have.”
—Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960)
“The area [of toilet training] is one where a child really does possess the power to defy. Strong pressure leads to a powerful struggle. The issue then is not toilet training but who holds the reins—mother or child? And the child has most of the ammunition!”
—Dorothy Corkville Briggs (20th century)