Dr. Gilbert is a Nephrology Program Director at Tufts Medical Center. Today, we discuss traits that make a good Nephrologist and how to be competitive.
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Gilbert initially thought he was going to be a primary care doctor. It wasn't until his Junior year of residency when he got interested in Nephrology. He saw how it bridged his interests in primary care as well as the intellectual stimulation of the intensive care unit, transplant, and more.
Nephrology patients typically have multi-system organ disease. For instance, patients with kidney disease oftentimes have endocrinology diseases like diabetes. They can also have rheumatology diseases like lupus or vasculitis. Many times, they have co-morbid cardiovascular disease or pulmonary disease. Gilbert wasn't looking to be a specialist that focused on one small area. Instead, he wanted to care for the totality of the patient. And being a kidney disease doctor allowed him to do that.
"They really touched on the breadth of what is medicine and that I find very attractive."
There are many bits and pieces to becoming a good nephrologist. There are different elements of medicine involved such as critical care and procedures. A lot of times, you have to deal with an individual's goals. You must be interested in the holistic care of dialysis and transplant. You must have a solid grounding in the general aspects of medicine. You have to be organized, compassionate, and empathetic. You have to provide patient care on all levels.
If your focus is in research, you have to have a track record where you know how to post questions and frame answers. You have to be able to recognize the core issues that need to be explored.
"There's a whole host of different things that people can get out of a career in nephrology."
If you're interested in critical care, you want to organize and prioritize complicated care that ensures the needs of your patients are met. They look for people with particular skills that align with what it is you want to do.
You are usually evaluated based on your track record. They particularly look at past activities, performance in various roles during residency training, and organization affiliations. They look at your letters of recommendation, and a little bit goes to your board scores and academic performance. They look at everything to figure out whether they're a good fit for a particular interest they have in nephrology.
Gilberts points out how applicants often focus on presenting what the programs are looking for. But they're looking for niche training when you go into a residency program or a specific specialty. You no longer have to impress anybody. Rather, you need to find the training to provide you with the skills needed to succeed in the career you want. So be honest enough to come out and tell them what you want. If they welcome you, great. If they don't you're a good fit for them, then don't train in a place that's not aligned with your career goals.
At this point, applicants need to be self-aware of what they're looking for out of their career. They have to accept that some programs are going to be able to provide that kind of training while others may not. That's okay. The training is there to help you launch the career you want.
If you had red flags in your application but still want to take this journey, you need to be accountable. Acknowledge that you didn't do well on an exam. Give them some background...
