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December 8, 2025

Teaching the Male Genitourinary Examination to Internal Medicine Residents: Urology‐Led Didactics Improve Confidence in Skills and Likelihood of Examination

Key Points

Confidence in performing DRE significantly increased from 2.04 to 2.89 after training, showing better comfort.
A hands-on, urology-led course increased participants’ likelihood of performing male GU examinations, enhancing their skills.
Internal medicine residents expressed greater comfort in testicular exams after training, underscoring education's impact.
Analysis involved post-course surveys emphasizing the need for formal GU education for better patient outcomes.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background This study aimed to evaluate the impact of urology‐led male genitourinary (GU) exam training on internal medicine residents' proficiency and confidence in conducting and interpreting GU exams. The study addresses a critical gap in formal GU education, which is essential for improving care for male patients with GU complaints in primary care settings. Approach In this single‐institution prospective study, a 45‐min hands‐on course was conducted over six weekly sessions for all internal medicine residents using simulated models with normal and abnormal pathologies. Didactics were created and facilitated by one urology attending and two residents. Pre‐ and post‐course surveys assessing prior GU exam education, likelihood and comfort performing GU exams and confidence in interpreting findings were distributed. Levels of comfort/confidence were interpreted using a 5‐point scale ( very uncomfortable = 0, uncomfortable = 1, neither/nor = 2, comfortable = 3, very comfortable = 4). Evaluation Fifty‐five participants completed the pre‐course and 74 completed the post‐course survey. Over half of the participants (56%) had no prior formal GU exam education. After course completion, participants felt significantly more comfortable performing a testicular/scrotal exam (2 ± 0.82 vs. 2.96 ± 0.47; p < 0.0001) and DRE (2.04 ± 0.86 vs. 2.89 ± 0.50; p < 0.0001) and were significantly more confident interpreting findings of the testicular/scrotal exam (1.85 ± 0.83 vs. 2.93 ± 0.51; p < 0.0001) and DRE (1.70 ± 0.86 vs. 2.74 ± 0.62; p < 0.0001). Overall, 89% reported they were more likely to perform a male GU examination after course completion. Implications Formal GU exam education improves internal medicine residents' comfort and confidence in performing and interpreting GU exams, potentially leading to better diagnostic outcomes and access to care for male patients.

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Teaching the Male Genitourinary Examination to Internal Medicine Residents: Urology‐Led Didactics Improve Confidence in Skills and Likelihood of Examination

Key Points

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