The average median nephrologist salary in the United States is reported to be about $219,000 per year or about $105 per hour. The top 10% of nephrologists earn a salary of about $278,000 or more per year which is about $133 or more per hour. The bottom 10% of this profession earn wages of about $166,000 or less per year which is about $80 or less per hour. The middle 50% of nephrologists have a salary in the range between $191,000 and $250,000 per year or between $92 and $120 per hour. Nephrologist’s salary, like most other professions, will be affected by many factors. These factors include; type of establishment they work for, geographical location of said establishment, number of hours worked, number of years of experience and skills level.
Nephrologists are usually paid benefits on top of their base salaries. Benefits they may be entitled to include; bonuses, healthcare benefits, social security, pension, 401k, paid time off and disability payments. When you add these benefits to the base nephrologist salary, the average median remuneration of a physician nephrologist would be about $300,000 per annum.
Job description of a nephrologist.
Nephrology is a subspecialty of internal medicine that deals with diseases of the kidney. A nephrologist is a specialized physician that deals with the diagnoses, treatment and prevention of diseases and illnesses of the kidney and renal area. They are also specialists in diseases that can lead to kidney failure such as diabetes.
They are trained in dialysis, kidney transplant, cancers and kidney stones. They carry out such procedures as kidney transplants, dialysis and kidney biopsy and fistula.
Nephrologists typically diagnose kidney diseases with the help of family history and medical history, blood and urine analysis as well as physical examinations. Appearance of blood and protein substances in the urine can be an indication of kidney problems.They scan the kidney for physical examination of the kidney’s structure. Abnormal structures can help them diagnose diseases. They may also use a biopsy of the kidney for a more certain diagnosis.
A nephrologist’s treatment scope may include medication, surgery, and dialysis and kidney transplant. They also treat diseases that might be the cause of kidney diseases such as diabetes. They also plan and implement diet and nutrition for patients suffering from kidney problems.
A nephrologist should expect to be involved in long term treatment and management of patients because most kidney problems are chronic in nature and involves see the doctor multiple times. Nephrologists typically consult with other internal medicine physicians and urologists.
How to become a nephrologist
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Nephrologists require a minimum of 13 years of post-high school education. The breakdown is four years of college followed by four years of medical school. Then 3 years of residency training in internal medicine followed by an additional two years minimum fellowship training in nephrology.
It starts with four years of undergraduate studies leading to the award of a bachelor’s degree. Medical school admission does not designate a specific major as a requirement for acceptance into medical school. It is however generally believed that a major in science related subject could give a slight advantage over non-science majors. If you are going to go to medical school, you might as well just concentrate on science related subjects during your undergraduate studies.
The next step is four years of medical school. Medical school admission is extremely competitive and usually admits students with high GPA from undergraduate studies. Admission generally requires minimum of 3 years of undergraduate studies, good scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and letters of recommendation. You will also be required to attend admission interviews. Participating in extracurricular activities and leadership activities during your high school and undergraduate studies may be very helpful. You will graduate medical school with a Medical Doctor (M.D.) degree.
After graduating medical school, those wanting to become nephrologists typical undertake three years of residency in internal medicine. This mostly involves supervised practical experience in general and internal medicine practices in a clinical setting. After completing the residency program, the next step is to apply to and complete 2 – 4 years fellowship in nephrology. Students in this fellowship study diseases of the kidney and its related effects. They learn all about conditions and diseases that can lead to kidney failure and how to treat them.
All states require nephrologists to be licensed or certified in order to practice. This typically involves passing written and practical examinations. You might also want to be become board certified with the American Society of Nephrology.
Verdict on nephrologist salary
A nephrologist salary is one of those attractive salaries. It is very much dependent on years of experience and whether you have your own practice or not. It is not uncommon for those with their own private practices to command very high nephrologist salary. Even if you don’t enjoy being one, a nephrologist salary will be quite worth the long and hard road.