How to Become a Kidney Doctor

There are actually two kinds of kidney doctors— nephrologists and urologists. Urologists perform surgery while nephrologists do not. Nephrologists are internists who specialize in the kidney. This specialty area has become increasingly more important with the more common use of renal dialysis and kidney transplants.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Preparing for a Medical Career

1. Start your consideration of a career in medicine by doing some general reading. Explore nephrology as a specialty through the Web site of the American Society of Nephrology.

2. Discuss premed programs with advisors at colleges and universities where you plan to apply. Also, discuss a medical career with counselors at your high school. Spend time with a nephrologist in your community.

3. Find out what college courses are prerequisites for medical school. Include them in your four- year college curriculum.

4. Broaden your horizons and pursue personal interests while in college. Invest time in the humanities even if you major in a science.

5. Take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

6. Investigate medical schools. Include Schools of Osteopathic Medicine. Doctors of Osteopathy (DO) have all the same rights and privileges as do Doctors of Medicine (MD).

7. In your senior year of college, apply for admission to the medical schools of your choice and secure funding.

Becoming a Kidney Doctor

8. Complete at least the third year clinical rotations before deciding on a specialty.

9. Take a clinical rotation in nephrology or an externship with a private nephrologist.

10. Firm your general medical base by focusing on clinical electives in areas other than nephrology. Your nephrology fellowship will provide abundant training in that specialty.

11. Evaluate Internal Medicine residencies. Nephrology is a subspecialty of Internal Medicine. You must first complete an Internal Medicine residency before entering a nephrology fellowship. Participate in the residency matching program for Internal Medicine.

12. Complete your 3-year residency in Internal Medicine. Look into fellowships in nephrology.

13. Apply to a number of fellowships in nephrology. There is no matching program for nephrology.

14. Pass the board certification process in Internal Medicine as defined by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Enter your chosen two or three year nephrology fellowship.

15. Complete your nephrology fellowship. In the last year of the fellowship, begin seeking employment as a nephrologist. Pass the sub-specialty board certification tests for nephrology. These are administered by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Tips & Warnings

• While in training, it is possible to develop a network that will assist you in securing employment. This network should include attending physicians, residents that preceded you in the training program and contacts gained through conferences and meetings. This is of particular help in the specialty of nephrology because fellowships are not coordinated through a matching process.

Resources

• The Web site of the American College of Physicians explains medical careers.
• Learn about the medical school application process.
• The American Society of Nephrologists explains the field.
• Understand board certification in nephrology.

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Earn your degree from industry experts at University of Phoenix. Take the next step in your career.

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on 12/3/2007 Why is this topic in Funerals and Burials?