ABU Urology study guide
ABU Urology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Qualifying Examination (Part 1) is one of the three components the American Board of Urology lists under Initial Certification, alongside Residency Requirements and the Certifying Examination (Part 2). The ABU describes itself as organized to encourage study, improve standards, and promote competency in the practice of urology, and it states that it evaluates candidates who are duly licensed to practice medicine and arranges and conducts examinations for certification, subspecialty certification, recertification, and ongoing maintenance of certification. The ABU Urology study guide has 8 sections and about 2,114 words.
01Urologic Oncology
PSA is organ-specific, not cancer-specific; confirm abnormal values and consider BPH, prostatitis, instrumentation, and ejaculation. Risk stratification combines PSA, ISUP grade group, and clinical stage.
296 words, about 1 min02Endourology and Stone Disease
Non-contrast CT is the standard for suspected stone disease, giving stone size, location, Hounsfield units, and obstruction. Size predicts spontaneous passage: under 5 mm usually passes, 5–10 mm is intermediate, and over 10 mm rarely passes.
293 words, about 1 min03Female Urology, Neurourology, and Voiding Dysfunction
Stress urinary incontinence is leakage with increased abdominal pressure; urgency incontinence is leakage preceded by urgency; mixed incontinence combines both. Diagnosis rests on history, examination, cough stress test, post-void residual, and urodynamics in complex, neurogenic, or previously failed cases.
259 words, about 1 min04Male Reproductive Medicine, Andrology, and Sexual Medicine
Confirm with two morning total testosterone measurements, adding free testosterone when values are borderline. Treat only symptomatic, biochemically confirmed hypogonadism.
257 words, about 1 min05Pediatric Urology
Grade severity using standardized urinary tract dilation criteria. Most mild cases resolve with observation and repeat ultrasound; voiding cystourethrography is reserved for suspected posterior urethral valves, high-grade dilation, duplex systems, or recurrent infection.
256 words, about 1 min06Renal Transplantation and Renal Physiology
GFR is roughly 125 mL per minute; creatinine is a convenient but imperfect marker, influenced by muscle mass and delayed in rise. Autoregulation and tubuloglomerular feedback stabilise glomerular filtration.
257 words, about 1 min07Trauma, Reconstruction, and Urinary Diversion
Haemodynamically stable patients, even with high-grade injuries, are managed non-operatively with monitoring. Absolute indication for exploration is haemodynamic instability; relative indications include expanding haematoma and pulsatile perirenal haematoma.
247 words, about 1 min08Infection, Inflammation, and Basic Science of the Genitourinary Tract
Distinguish uncomplicated from complicated urinary tract infection. Asymptomatic bacteriuria should not be treated except in pregnancy and before urologic procedures involving mucosal trauma.
249 words, about 1 min