Official 2015-2016 Nephrology Fellowship Application Cycle

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http://www.medpagetoday.com/Nephrology/GeneralNephrology/49162

Joke in the article -"impending shortage" - their predictions led to the current mess and they bring it again :)



http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...hrology-fellowship-application-cycle.1076705/


It is a horrendous job market out there and market forces are ruthless.

Don't waste 2-3 years of your productive years and graduate into a job market that does not need you.
There is no future for new graduates, but as a slave to the old timers who made a killing by selling their units to dialysis companies and sit as directors for life. Partners in crime - programs that produce fellows when there is no need for them outside of a fellowship.

The ones who care about nephrology have written enough by now. Just read the last years posts and the above articles before you consider applying.


Before the vigilantes lash out-I won't post further and feel free to delete my thread.

This is relevant to the match - as there is no point in this match, when any applicant can walk in to any program - 0.68 applicants per position - match !!!
 
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http://www.medpagetoday.com/Nephrology/GeneralNephrology/49162

Joke in the article -"impending shortage" - their predictions led to the current mess and they bring it again :)



http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...hrology-fellowship-application-cycle.1076705/


It is a horrendous job market out there and market forces are ruthless.

Don't waste 2-3 years of your productive years and graduate into a job market that does not need you.
There is no future for new graduates, but as a slave to the old timers who made a killing by selling their units to dialysis companies and sit as directors for life. Partners in crime - programs that produce fellows when there is no need for them outside of a fellowship.

The ones who care about nephrology have written enough by now. Just read the last years posts and the above articles before you consider applying.


Before the vigilantes lash out-I won't post further and feel free to delete my thread.

This is relevant to the match - as there is no point in this match, when any applicant can walk in to any program - 0.68 applicants per position - match !!!

I am surprised that even thread like nephrology fellowship 2016 exists. Curious to see who is even thinking to apply this year after debacle of last match
 
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Members don't see this ad :)
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Nephrology/GeneralNephrology/49162

Joke in the article -"impending shortage" - their predictions led to the current mess and they bring it again :)



http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...hrology-fellowship-application-cycle.1076705/


It is a horrendous job market out there and market forces are ruthless.

Don't waste 2-3 years of your productive years and graduate into a job market that does not need you.
There is no future for new graduates, but as a slave to the old timers who made a killing by selling their units to dialysis companies and sit as directors for life. Partners in crime - programs that produce fellows when there is no need for them outside of a fellowship.

The ones who care about nephrology have written enough by now. Just read the last years posts and the above articles before you consider applying.


Before the vigilantes lash out-I won't post further and feel free to delete my thread.

This is relevant to the match - as there is no point in this match, when any applicant can walk in to any program - 0.68 applicants per position - match !!!

The shortage they are talking about in this article about is about taking care of growing ESRD population. Do we even need MD to manage ESRD patients? Most institutes have mid level providers who can very well manage ESRD patients except on rare occasion when MD has some additional input on the case. I think job market will shrink further for Nephrologist and expand for mid level renal providers. If you really like Nephrology you have more chances of getting a job if you become PA or NP rather than a MD or DO.
 
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we get it...ya'll are disappointed in your choice in doing a nephrology fellowship and want to warn everyone...you have, over and over, and over..

this thread is for those who are applying to a nephrology fellowship and i would imagine that they have thought long and hard about it, talked to their mentors and family, and have not taken this decision lightly...for ya'll to keep harping on that they are making a stupid mistake is disrespectful and a bit insulting to those who are applying to the match this year.

you have had your say...now leave them alone.
 
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If you must apply, remember a few things:
1. It is a buyers market. DO NOT SETTLE!! for just any program. Aim to train at the best. What an opportunity!!
2. Stay away from programs that did not fill last match..............you will be a lonely second year and will be doing a lot of scut work and call because the program will be short staffed and the attendings are not in the habit taking call anymore. So, AVOID PROGRAMS THAT DID NOT FILL FULLY LAST MATCH!! Even if they filled post match.........................many of these post match offers do not work out and mostly lead to unfilled seats.
3. Be sure that you are not doing it because you have not matched in another specialty....................................You should become a hospitalist, work a week on a week off and do academic research during your week off so that you are able to match in your desired specialty...................rather than settling for any specialty that is available.
4. Be very sure that you ask about call schedules and how will the situation be handled if the program does not get its full quota of fellows the following year. It would be terrible to carry the burden of first year fellow in your second year

And all the Best!!
 
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Thank you for your insight everyone. I have had extensive discussions with mentors and while the field sucks right now in terms of jobs, it may improve in the next 5-10 years as less and less fellows are trained, more go into other speciatlies, more stay in hospitalist or other work, and lastly the nephrologists in their 50s-60s retire. I am applying simply because I enjoy it despite all the associated annoyances. It is fascinating to say the least. I look forward to seeing where I end up. Any advice is appreciated from this forum.
 
I wished if I visited this forum earlier I just left the fellowship program after finished first year as I discovered it was waste of time . initially I took it because positions were available every where as last 3 matches more than 50% of the positions were unfilled . after I joined I discovered all the terrible facts . 1)this fellowship is very demanding and will be working like slave for no future benefits . calls are terrible by keep calling you at middle of the night for dialysis patients who missed their dialysis in am . next post call day no any kind of post call relief as will be rounding till very late seeing daily 20-30 patients. 2)program directors will never till you the truth and they need the fellows just to cover the service and calls at their hospitals .3) after all very difficult to find a job after graduation and if any it will be a job in a remote area with ridiculous schedule and very low pay . 4)most of the graduates go to very funny jobs where the starting salary is 160-170 working like a hike rounding in 2-3 hospitals and dialysis centers being on call every 2-3 nights and week end on week end rounding on 3-4 hospitals 30 miles apart . 4)I discovered that many of mid career nephrologist shifted to hospitalist after many years with struggling with nephrology as they discovered by doing hospitalist you make 1.6 the pay with almost half of work time and load . after recognizing all of these facts I decided to leave it early rather than leave it late after wasting more years in my life .

My advice to every body who is thinking about nephrology . try to read this forum posts for the last 2-3 years and try to understand what is going on with nephrology before making your decision .

Good luck for every one.
 
Full disclosure, I am a nephrology attending at academic teaching hospital in a major metropolitan area. While I agree there are many challenges that face nephrology as career and as a medicine subspecialty, I strongly disagree that our speciality is doomed.

Nephrology has always been an intellectual speciality that attracts clinicians who love pathophysiology, multi-system disorders, critical care, and chronic disease management. It has never been a speciality that maximizes work-life balance and compensation; you work hard, make a decent but not substantial wage, but have a very satisfying clinical experience caring for severely ill patients who truly need your expertise. If you are contemplating a fellowship in Nephrology, that decision should be rooted in your intellectual interest in the field and your desire to make a difference in the lives of patients with CKD and ESRD.

That being said, the repeated mantra here has been that nephrologists are oversupplied and the jobs are few and far between. This may be true in some markets, especially among fellowship graduates that have very specific geographic requirements, but our own experience among our own fellows shows something very different--strong candidates, especially US graduates with no visa restrictions, often received multiple offers from multiple groups and chose the best package that worked for their clinical goals and their families needs. The fellows that struggled to find jobs were often the ones who have serious work restrictions (visa or geography related) or were frankly just mediocre.

If you are considering a fellowship in nephrology, the most important thing is to know what you are getting into ahead of time. Nephrology fellowships are notoriously some of the hardest and busiest in medicine, but if you pick a place that listens to their fellows and has specific structures in place to maintain fellow wellness and prevent burnout, its a very rewarding experience. I did my fellowship at a top-10 institution and had the honor of learning from of the biggest names in nephrology. My fellowship valued us and protected us from burnout. While the first year was busy and I was tired, I never felt overwhelmed. My experience with job hunting was positive--I received offers from pretty much everywhere I interviewed.

The salary data posted here is very accurate; straight out of fellowship you will make less than comparable hospitalists (165-195k, depending on the location), but there is upside if you pick the right group. A single medical directorship can bring in 90k in income and are very lucrative ways to supplement income. There are private practice groups that have 6-7 directorships each, allowing partners to easily make 275-350k. The median income from nephrologists with hospital-based employers in my area is in the 250-275k range. You work hard, but you won't be poor either.
 
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So I have read last years post and see the huge warning signs of staying away from nephrology, but I am continuing on because I do have a private unit and a clinic waiting for me at the end of the road. I know I am very lucky to have that because it is a rarity in this field to have a unit that is not owned by DaVita or Fresenius this day and age. With all that said, I am looking in the New York/Chicago/Texas area. Any particularly good/bad programs I should be looking out for?
 
how are the interview invites coming? I applied to 16, most in the midwest, and got 6 invites. Good luck to all!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
...Until you went into GI ? :)

And thanks. I am not sure I will get all 16 nor would I be able to go to all of them, but we shall see. The top programs I applied to are still pretty competitive, even if it's 'just nephro'. I look forward to the interview season!
 
Got 3 invites from Texas programs. Still waiting for Illinois and New York to send out invites
 
hey guys!! i also want to share my IV jeje
i applied to 14 programs just got 2 iv 1 Tx and 1 Fl good luck everyone
 
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Just submitted my application. Now the waiting begins.
 
ok guys.... too many negative comments.....
so no one wants to do nephro..
I get it..Nephro is dead for you guys...I appreciate if any one puts why the field is going down as profession. That means people are thinking whats wrong

I applied only to nephro..because I want to do it..
4 iv till now ..not from the programs I am looking for yet sent.. applied 20 +
1. UPMC
2. Allegheny
3.Ohio state university
4. staten island NSLIJ..
 
Has anyone been hearing back from NYC programs?
 
Has anyone heard from Indiana University, Illinois programs, NYC or University of Washington in Seattle?
 
received invites from
Henry ford(nephro/CCM) and Stanford and Vanderbilt so far this week.
 
Its interesting that some of the programs have not offered interviews yet. Not sure if I should be getting worried. LOL
 
Its interesting that some of the programs have not offered interviews yet. Not sure if I should be getting worried. LOL
yes man i feel that way too I just got 2 Iv invitation and thats worry me
 
new interviews:
UCSF, Texas A&M - Baylor S&W, Baylor (Houston), Methodist Dallas.
 
I just don't understand why programs are taking so long to respond.
 
I wished if I visited this forum earlier I just left the fellowship program after finished first year as I discovered it was waste of time . initially I took it because positions were available every where as last 3 matches more than 50% of the positions were unfilled . after I joined I discovered all the terrible facts . 1)this fellowship is very demanding and will be working like slave for no future benefits . calls are terrible by keep calling you at middle of the night for dialysis patients who missed their dialysis in am . next post call day no any kind of post call relief as will be rounding till very late seeing daily 20-30 patients. 2)program directors will never till you the truth and they need the fellows just to cover the service and calls at their hospitals .3) after all very difficult to find a job after graduation and if any it will be a job in a remote area with ridiculous schedule and very low pay . 4)most of the graduates go to very funny jobs where the starting salary is 160-170 working like a hike rounding in 2-3 hospitals and dialysis centers being on call every 2-3 nights and week end on week end rounding on 3-4 hospitals 30 miles apart . 4)I discovered that many of mid career nephrologist shifted to hospitalist after many years with struggling with nephrology as they discovered by doing hospitalist you make 1.6 the pay with almost half of work time and load . after recognizing all of these facts I decided to leave it early rather than leave it late after wasting more years in my life .

My advice to every body who is thinking about nephrology . try to read this forum posts for the last 2-3 years and try to understand what is going on with nephrology before making your decision .

Good luck for every one.

Sorry to hear your story. Did you join as hospitalist or are you applying for another fellowship this year?
 
hi guys i reicive interviews from temple tx, UT houston, and Sony Ny at moment 5 interview good luck everyone!!!
 
Hi guys
I applied 5 days ago and got 8 IVs so far

Temple
Emory
Wisconsin
Vermont U
Virginia commonwealth
Penn state hershey
UT Houston
Tufts

I am a hospitalist that didn't match to hem/onc last year. I am worried that I can't handle the workload in nephro fellowship. Any thought about the above programs in term of workload?
Do you know if there is any easy program?
Thank you
 
Hi guys
I applied 5 days ago and got 8 IVs so far

Temple
Emory
Wisconsin
Vermont U
Virginia commonwealth
Penn state hershey
UT Houston
Tufts

I am a hospitalist that didn't match to hem/onc last year. I am worried that I can't handle the workload in nephro fellowship. Any thought about the above programs in term of workload?
Do you know if there is any easy program?
Thank you

there is no such thing as an easy nephro fellowship...my question is why you are looking to do nephrology? as it has been said many times the field is having issues at the moment and as a hospitalist you will make more money and have more free time as an hospitalist...not discouraging you but you applied a month after ERAS opened and are looking for an "easy" program...and did you think hem/onc was going to be less work?
 
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how may interviews to attend if you are going for match ? I know people told me most of the programs withdrew before match ...so what are numbers you r are looking for ?
 
Hi guys
I applied 5 days ago and got 8 IVs so far

Temple
Emory
Wisconsin
Vermont U
Virginia commonwealth
Penn state hershey
UT Houston
Tufts

I am a hospitalist that didn't match to hem/onc last year. I am worried that I can't handle the workload in nephro fellowship. Any thought about the above programs in term of workload?
Do you know if there is any easy program?
Thank you[/QUOT[/QUOTE[/QUOTE

If you like heme onc , do heme onc. Why did you apply to nephrology ? Even after nephrology there is good possibility that you will end up working as Hospitalist somewhere. Most of nephrology fellowships are demanding. In addition real challenge starts after you graduate, you work much much harder than Hospitalist. You should reconsider your decision.
 
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Hey Guys! My first time on SDN.
Applied to 17, Have 11 interviews so far.

Has anyone heard from Indiana University, Illinois programs, NYC or University of Washington in Seattle?
@MDbean: Recieved Indiana earlier this week.
 
Warning about uic nephrology program
This program will work you like a dog. They make fellows round on every dialysis shift - not once a week like most other fellowships. You will cover 3 hospitals, will get called in every night and nothing will change even if you talk to your PD - ask fellows who have graduated from there for last 10 years if anything has changed. For past 2 years, one fellow has left the program within months of starting fellowship - if you want to do Nephrology in Chicago - go to Northwestern or University of Chicago
 
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