Understanding the FC Urol(SA) Syllabus (South Africa)

The Fellowship of the College of Urologists of South Africa (FC Urol(SA)) is the specialist qualification for urologists in South Africa. This guide explains the examination pathway and structure administered by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA).

CMSA Overview

The Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA) oversees postgraduate specialisation for South African doctors across 29 constituent colleges. The College of Urologists is responsible for ensuring acceptable curriculum, examination, and assessment standards in urology.

Training must be completed at a CMSA-accredited unit within a university Department of Urology in South Africa.

Examination Pathway

The FC Urol(SA) qualification follows a three-stage examination pathway:

Stage	Examination	Format
Primary	FCS(SA) Primary	2 MCQ papers, no oral
Intermediate	FCS(SA) Intermediate	2 MCQ papers + oral examination
Final	FC Urol(SA) Final	2 written papers + clinical + oral

The Final examination must be passed within six years of passing the Intermediate examination.

Training Requirements

Candidates must complete 42 months in a numbered registrar training post with a completed portfolio.

Important: Portfolios must be submitted 3 months prior to the written examination (15 December for first semester, 15 May for second semester). If the portfolio is not accepted, candidates will not be permitted to sit the written examinations.

Syllabus Content

The syllabus follows a progressive structure across the three examination stages:

Primary (FCS(SA) Primary)

Applied basic sciences relevant to surgery in general — anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology.

Intermediate (FCS(SA) Intermediate)

Principles of surgery in general and principles of the surgical specialty disciplines.

Final (FC Urol(SA))

Theory and practice of urology, operative surgery, anatomy, physiology, and pathology specific to urology.

Key Clinical Domains

Based on international urological curricula and the scope of practice in South Africa, candidates should expect coverage of:

Uro-oncology: Prostate, bladder, kidney, testicular, penile cancer — staging, management, surveillance
Urolithiasis: Metabolic evaluation, imaging, surgical management (ESWL, URS, PCNL)
Functional Urology: Neurourology, urodynamics, incontinence, voiding dysfunction
BPH/LUTS: Medical and surgical management
Andrology: Male infertility, erectile dysfunction, Peyronie's disease
Paediatric Urology: Congenital anomalies, hypospadias, undescended testis
Infections: UTIs, prostatitis, epididymo-orchitis, TB
Trauma & Emergency: Renal, ureteric, bladder, urethral, genital trauma; acute scrotum; retention
Renal Transplantation: Principles, donor selection, immunosuppression, complications

Recommended Resources

While CMSA does not publish a mandatory reading list, the following resources are widely used:

Campbell-Walsh Urology — the primary urological textbook
EAU Guidelines — current evidence-based recommendations
AUA Guidelines — supplementary American guidelines
Schwartz's Principles of Surgery — for general surgical principles
CMSA Past Papers — available through the examination portal

Full examination regulations, timetables, fees, and past papers are available on the CMSA website (cmsa.co.za).

How Urobank Can Help

Urobank's SBA question bank covers the core urological topics tested across international postgraduate examinations, including the domains relevant to FC Urol(SA).

Our questions are aligned with Campbell-Walsh and EAU Guidelines, with fully referenced explanations. The MCQ format and topic coverage provide useful revision support for South African trainees, particularly for the written components of the Primary and Intermediate examinations.

Prepare for FC Urol(SA) with Urobank

MCQ questions covering core urological topics aligned to Campbell-Walsh and EAU Guidelines.