Where Have All the Nephrologists Gone? Long Time Passing!

We are seeing a continual increase in the number of US patients with CKD and ESRD. The epidemic of obesity, and resultant diabetes and hypertension, has not abated and will continue to swell the ranks of patients needing care from nephrologists. Add to this the incredible improvement in the survival rate of ESRD patients over the last decade and the extended availability of medical care to the uninsured thanks to the Affordable Care Act, and we are indeed on the brink of a tidal wave of kidney patients. These facts should be a wake-up call to health policy-makers, especially in light of the shocking statistics from the most recent Medical Specialties Matching Program (MSMP)(1). For appointment year 2013, MSMP indicates that nearly a quarter of nephrology fellowship programs had unfilled positions, the worst of all medical subspecialties. Only 25 percent of positions were filled by US graduates overall and only 21 percent of clinical nephrology positions are filled by US graduates—the lowest of any medical subspecialty. Read more…