AUA2026 amps up hands-on skills training
New simulation-based cystoscopy course for APPs leads the lineup of skills training programs.
AUA2026 is expanding its commitment to team‑based education at this year’s meeting with a series of hands-on learning opportunities. These sessions emphasize practical learning in a guided environment, allowing participants to refine technique, build confidence and engage directly with procedural workflows under expert supervision.
Among the newest of hands-on events is the Advanced Cystoscopy Skills Training Program for Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), 7-11 a.m., Thursday, May 14. The initiative reflects AUA’s broader effort to standardize procedural education for APPs while reinforcing the essential role of physician leadership in urological care. This session will debut as part of the meeting’s pre-conference offerings and is designed to meet the growing demand for structured, simulation-based skills training in office-based urological procedures.
“APPs are already professionally and clinically poised to perform cystoscopies,” said Melissa K. Goodman, CMP, DES, AUA’s director of annual meeting programs. “The event will provide APPs with the hands-on training they need to manipulate and utilize a cystoscope in clinic.”
The AUA officially endorses the participation of APPs and allied health professionals in the care of genitourinary disease through a formally defined, supervisory relationship with board‑certified urologists. In keeping with this philosophy, the Advanced Cystoscopy Skills Training program is explicitly designed to support safe, team‑based care, not to replace physician training or to independently credential procedural practice.
According to the AUA, the goal of the program is to provide APPs with access to controlled, simulation‑focused education that strengthens clinical collaboration while maintaining appropriate professional scope and oversight.
“This training is about enhancing patient care through education, not expanding independent procedural authority,” Goodman said.
The new APP hands-on session provides a standard curriculum tailored to the needs of APPs seeking procedural exposure to office‑based transurethral cystoscopy. It is recommended for clinicians who already have experience caring for patients with common urological conditions, including:
- Hematuria
- Bladder cancer
- Urolithiasis
- Neurogenic bladder
- Voiding dysfunction
Participants are also expected to have a foundational understanding of genitourinary anatomy, particularly of the urethra, prostate and bladder.
The curriculum blends virtual and in-person education, combining expert-led online didactics with an intensive half day of hands-on simulation training focused on the most critical procedural skill gaps identified for APPs.
An accompanying on‑demand virtual library will provide participants with continued access to didactic content from leading urology educators, extending the program’s educational value beyond the meeting itself.
Even more hands‑on opportunities in the S&T Hall
In addition to the new APP‑focused training, AUA2026 will once again feature free hands‑on workshops in the Hands‑On Training Pavilion located within the Science & Technology (S&T) Hall. These industry‑sponsored sessions offer attendees an interactive environment to sharpen skills, learn emerging techniques and explore innovative technologies.
As part of that expansion, AUA2026 has introduced a new feature: Sponsored Hands‑On Workshop Trailers. Five leading medical device companies will bring mobile laboratory trailers directly to the S&T Hall and offer custom, guided training on their technologies in a real‑world, immersive setting.
This new format is intended to further bridge the gap between education and innovation, providing clinicians with hands‑on exposure to cutting‑edge tools in a controlled, collaborative environment.
For a complete list of the daily Workshop Trailers, see the Daily Schedules.
Looking ahead
With the addition of the Advanced Cystoscopy Skills Training for APPs and expanded hands‑on offerings across the meeting, AUA2026 continues to position itself as a leader in multidisciplinary education. These programs underscore the association’s ongoing focus on safety, collaboration and clinical excellence—ensuring that all members of the urological care team are equipped to deliver high‑quality patient care.
