Interest in nephrology as a career continues to decline as highlighted by this recent editorial entitled "The Future Nephrology Workforce: Will There Be One" in CJASN. This article, which was presented at ASN in Denver as the Summit on Increasing Interest in Nephrology, highlighted several negative comments about nephrology on the student doctor network threads and concluded with 4 areas to improve interest in nephrology.
"1. Develop creative educational rotations that focus on often-overlooked areas in nephrology, such as AKI, critical care nephrology, hypertension, interventional nephrology, and transplantation.
2. Implement strategies for increasing interest among students and residents.
3. Produce an annual report on the state of the nephrology fellowship.
4. Use social media to highlight the positive aspects of nephrology careers."
In order to better understand if nephrology fellows are currently satisfied with their decision to go into nephrology we created a quick survey with the Editors of Nephron Power. Click here to take this survey.
I commend the authors of the editorial in shedding light to this important topic. I'm also happy they included social media as a platform to increase exposure and nephrology-related educational initiatives. I am happy with my decision to go into nephrology. I think this is an exciting time for new research that will hopefully lead to better health care for patients with kidney disease and hypertension. This site, the Renal Fellow Network, is proof that there will be a dedicated Future Nephrology Workforce. Nephrology continues to offer a wide variety of career paths and the specialty has many unique facets which is what attracted many of us to this specialty. Lets continue to educate and advance our field.
7 comments:
Initial "attraction" vs. long term job "satisfaction" are really separate questions, (the latter of which is rarely just about compensation in any field.)
If satisfaction can be improved - it becomes that much easier to "sell" the profession. Maybe most nephrologists actually *are* very happy with their career choices--but if so, have not been successful in getting the word out.
Meanwhile, it seems that current fellows are better poised to have a disproportionate impact on recruiting new talent to the profession.
well said. Thanks for the comment.
Although interesting at times mostly it is frustrating. I am leaving it soon to do critical care fellowship and would do hospitalist work anyday over this. No mater how you look at it nephrology is a loosing bet. Dialysis CKD and even AKI and GNs get boring. Tell a patient that kidney is failing and we not have anything except aCei to help. Lifestyle wise newer generation wants to be shift based workers. I do too. Longterm relationships with patients who cares. Need for good nephrologists is there and will increase may be PAs and NPs can do it. I think I have wasted my youth by reading and completely understanding renal pathophysiology. Money is less than what many would think. I get less than a hospitalist who works less and has a more controlled life. My advice for all renal fellows is to quit today and do hospitalist work or ice or er in shifts make more work less enjoy life. Let's see if this gets published on this blog.
Anonymous,
I am sorry about your experience. I am an IMG, with vast experience in Internal medicine. I am also a recent graduate of the nephrology fellowship and I am doing a mixed Internal Med and Nephrology and primary care. This gets me 200K for an 8-5 job with one weekend call. I am happy and Nephrology still facinates me and yet I still get supplement thrills from complex neurological, GI or other cases which come through the general Internal Medical side. I am fufilled. I encourage you to seek what it is that will fill you without trashing that which frankly was never your to be. Nephrology is as good a specialty as they come and now the epidemic of trials , it is begining to role and we will soon have more to offer out patient that 10-20 yrs ago.
I wish you luck in critical care.
The Renal Association is involved in many joint activities, and liaises with many other relevant groups. Some of the organisations with which we share formal committees are: - renal exam course
is there a job after fellowship ? if is more rewarding than simple hospitalist job?how much nephrologist are making in current year?
is there a job after nephrology fellowship? if there is, is it more rewarding and flexible than hospitalist job? how much nephrologist making in current year? without any HD association , is a nephrologist able to run a successful primary + consulting practice?
we Need expert opinion so that people can make decision regarding this career, after a lot investment of time, money, devotion to medicine these question matters, specialty when there question concerning funds to the care provider and patients also.
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