M.D. in Nephrology is a postgraduate degree in medicine dealing with kidneys and diseases related to it. The eligibility for this course is MBBS Degree from an institution recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The specialty is concerned with kidney functions, kidney problems, and their treatment (diet and medication). Nephrology also importantly involves the processes of dialysis and kidney transplantation. A person specializing in the care and treatment of kidney diseases is called a nephrologist or a renal physician.

The specialty deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all these aforementioned diseases by performing blood tests, urine tests, and biopsies to determine the diseases affecting the kidney. Treatment methods include medication, regulation of electrolyte and blood pressure, dialysis, and kidney transplantation. Kidney diseases are critical since the symptoms do not show up in the beginning and in many cases, the disease goes undetected.

Another sub-branch of nephrology is pediatric nephrology which deals with the study of kidney structure and diseases in infants, children and adolescents. Pediatric nephrologists specifically offer services for the care and treatment of children with kidney disorders including acute kidney conditions or chronic conditions such as hypertension.

Candidates enrolled to the course work under the supervision of the department’s Assistant Professors and senior teachers, and are trained in decision-making and professional ethic- building, both in clinical and investigative aspects of nephrology.

MD in Nephrology: Course Highlights

Name of the course	M.D. in Nephrology
Course Level	Post Graduate
Duration	3 years, full time
Stream	Medicine
Examination Type	Semester System
Eligibility	MBBS degree recognized by the Medical Council of India
Admission Process	Based on results of the entrance examination (NEET) or personal interview in some cases
Average Course Fee	INR 5K to 25 Lakhs
Average Starting Salary	INR 1 Lakh to 12 Lakhs
Top Recruiting Companies	Apollo Hospitals, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Wockhardt Hospital, Columbia Asia, Medanta, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Max Hospital

MD in Nephrology: What is it About?

MD in Nephrology course aims to provide training in the field of nephrology, encompassing the physiology of kidney, diseases related to kidney and treatment options. The course helps students to develop adequate skills for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions and ability to treat kidney ailments by using relevant therapeutic models. It also focuses on imparting medical skills in identification of renal problems.

Course Curriculum aims to enable students in interpreting important imaging and laboratory results and to independently perform surgical procedures. MD in Nephrology also trains  students on renal biopsy, interpretation of biopsy, and other invasive procedures.

There is a range of diseases that fall under the purview of nephrology:

• Glomerular disorders – affecting glomerulus- the filtering system of the kidneys
• Urine abnormalities – excess excretion of protein, sugar, blood, etc.
• Renal failures – both sudden and chronic
• Bladder stones
• Kidney infections
• Diabetes affecting kidney functions
• Autoimmune diseases – lupus, vasculitis
• Kidney cancer

• High blood pressure

Top Institutes Offering MD in Nephrology

The average tuition fee charged in India for MD in Nephrology may go up to INR 25 lakhs for private institutes, but is as low as INR 5000 for AIIMS.

Listed below are some of the best institutes in India that offer MD in Nephrology:

SR.NO.	COLLEGE/INSTITUTE	STATE	TUITION FEES (PER YEAR) IN INR	ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA	ADMISSION PROCEDURE
1	All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)	New Delhi	5,011	Candidate must have obtained a minimum of 55% marks in aggregate in any of the MBBS/ BDS professional examinations recognized by the Medical Council of India.	Eligible candidates are called for an entrance test organized by AIIMS. The selection is made entirely on the basis of merit obtained in the entrance test and the choice of discipline allocated on the basis of personal counseling.
2	Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER)	Chandigarh	10,000	An MBBS degree as certified by the Medical council of India.	Admission is based on rank secured in NEET. Candidates are also selected on the basis of merit, as determined in a test conducted by the West Bengal University of Health Sciences (WBUHS).
2	Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER)	Puducherry	8,205	An MBBS degree recognized by the Medical Council of India.	Admission is based on rank secured in NEET.
3	Kasturba Medical College	Manipal, Udupi, Karnataka	16,33,334	An MBBS degree recognized by the Medical Council of India.	Admission is based on the rank obtained in the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET).
4	St. John’s Medical College	Bengaluru, Karnataka	151,503	An MBBS degree recognized by the Medical Council of India.	Selection is based on performance in NEET.
5	Stanley Medical College (SMC)	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	20,000	An MBBS from any of the universities incorporated in an act of the central or State legislature of India.	Admission is based on the rank obtained in NEET.
6	Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University)	Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu	25,00,000	An MBBS degree from a recognized institute, registered with the Medical Council of India or any other State Medical Council.	Admission is based on the rank obtained in NEET.
7	Aligarh Muslim University	Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh	32,265	An MBBS degree certified by the Medical Council of India.	Admissions to MD/ MS/ PG Diploma courses under 50% State quota are made through NEET. AMU does not conduct any separate test for admission to the MD course.
8	Assam Medical College	Dibrugarh, Assam	25,000	An MBBS from any of the universities approved by the Medical Council of India. A relaxation of 5% in aggregate for SC/ ST candidates.	Selection is based on the rank obtained in NEET PG.
9	Jagadguru Jayadeva Murugarajendra Medical College (JJM Medical College)	Davangere, Karnataka	5,01,600	An MBBS Degree from an MCI- recognized institution.	Admission is based on marks obtained in NEET.
10	Armed Forces Medical College	Pune, Maharashtra	64,400	An MBBS from an MCI- recognized institution.	Selection is based on the rank obtained in NEET PG.
11	Maharishi Markandeshwar University	Ambala, Haryana	1,759,817	An MBBS from an MCI- recognized institution. 1- year compulsory rotatory internship is an essential pre-qualification for acquiring eligibility for admission to the MD course.	Admission is based on the relative merit in the NEET PG and NEET MDS.
12	Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College	Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh	71,450	An MBBS degree recognized by the MCI.	Admission is based either on performance in NEET or MP-PMT (Madhya Pradesh Pre- Medical Test)
13	Andhra Medical College	Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh	12,00,000	An MBBS degree issued by an institution approved by the Medical Council of India and a compulsory internship before the specified date.	Admission is based on performance in the entrance exam conducted by NTR University of Health Sciences or in NEET.
14	Indira Gandhi Medical College	Shimla, Himachal Pradesh	39,000	An MBBS degree or its equivalent qualification recognized by the Medical Council of India.	Admissions to MD courses are made as recognized/ permitted by the Medical Council of India/ Himachal Pradesh University, in accordance with the conditions laid down by the MCI and the State Government.
15	Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute	Bengaluru, Karnataka	59,070	An MBBS degree from any institute recognized by the MCI.	Admissions for up to 50 % seats is made through a State Entrance Examination which conducted by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and the rest 50% of seats are filled up through the All India Entrance Examination conducted by the Director General of Health Services, (Medical Examination Cell) New Delhi, on merit basis.
16	Bharati Vidyapeeth University	Pune, Maharashtra	1,590,000	An MBBS from a medical college recognized by the Medical Council of India and a compulsory 1- year rotating internship on or before 30th April of the admission year.	Selection is based on performance in NEET PG.
17	Christian Medical College (CMC)	Vellore, Tamil Nadu	116,950	An MBBS from a medical college recognized by the Medical Council of India and a compulsory 1- year rotating internship on or before 30th April of the admission year	Selection to Christian Medical College, Vellore, is based on performance in an entrance examination, clinical test and interview. The examination consists of a variety of multiple- choice questions, distributed across all disciplines of medicine.
18	Santosh University	Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh	466,666	An MBBS degree recognized by the MCI.	Admission is based on performance in NEET entrance examination.
19	Shree Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary University	Gurugram, Haryana	20,00,000	An MBBS or equivalent qualification recognized by the Medical Council of India.	Based on performance in NEET.
20	Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences	Karad, Maharashtra	800,000	An MBBS with 50% marks in aggregate from a medical college recognized by the MCI.	Selection is based on performance in the All India Entrance Test, Post-Graduate Medical, Dental course – PGM AIET.
21	Madras Medical College	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	23,450	An MBBS degree from a university recognized by the Medical Council of India or by any of the State Medical Councils.	Selection is based on: the rank obtained in the Tamil Nadu Post Graduate Entrance Examination for 50% of seats for students who have completed their M.B.B.S from Tamil Nadu and for the remaining 50 % of seats, based on rank obtained in the All India Post Graduate Entrance Examination conducted by DGHS, New Delhi
22	Deccan College of Medical Sciences	Hyderabad, Telangana	80,000	An MBBS degree recognized by the Medical Council of India.	Selection is based on performance in NEET.
23	Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS)	Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh	60,000	An MBBS degree from an institute recognized by the Medical Council of India.	Admission is made based on the rank obtained in an All India or State- level Entrance Examination.
24	SRM University	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	20,00,000	An MBBS or its equivalent degree recognized by the Medical Council of India (Candidates completing the CRRI on or before March 31 of the admission year are also eligible), an eligible NEET PG score as prescribed by the MCI.	Admission is based on NEET PG score.

MD in Nephrology: Course Duration

The duration of the course is 3 years, spread over 6 academic terms, including both theoretical and practical elements.

The duration of the course is 2 years for those who have completed a Postgraduate Diploma in the same specialty.

Eligibility for MD in Nephrology

Typically, to pursue an MD degree, candidates need to satisfy the eligibility criteria mentioned below:

• Candidates should have obtained an MBBS Degree from an institution recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI).
• Candidate should have completed a 1- year compulsory rotating internship after passing the final professional examination which is MBBS before 30^th April of the academic year.

Candidates in possession of an MBBS degree or Provisional MBBS Pass Certificate recognized by the Indian Medical Council Act 1956, besides a permanent or provisional registration certificate of MBBS qualification issued by the Medical Council of India or State Medical Council and having completed 1 year of internship or/ are likely to complete the internship on or before 31st March or 31^st April of the relevant year, may apply for NEET-PG through the online application system.

Admission Process for MD in Nephrology

Admission to MD in Nephrology is based on a national level entrance examination-  National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG-  which is a single window entrance examination to MD/MS/PG diploma courses in medicine in India. Candidates who have secured the qualifying percentile for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) are eligible.

NATIONAL ELIGIBILITY CUM ENTRANCE TEST (NEET) PG – NEET PG is an eligibility-cum-ranking examination, conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), for admission to MS/MD and PG Diploma courses in India in Medical/ Dental Colleges running with the approval of the Medical Council of India/ Dental Council of India. The exam fee for NEET-PG is INR 3, 750 for general candidates and INR 2, 750 for SC/ST/PWD/PH candidates. The examination is a computer-based test 300 multiple choice questions exam delivered on computer-based platform (CBT). The syllabus for the exam comprises of subjects/knowledge areas as per the Graduate Medical Education Regulations issued by Medical Council of India. The NEET PG is conducted in the month of December and the result is declared in January. Online registration begins in September and is open until October.

MD in Nephrology: Syllabus and Course Structure

Main subjects covered in the discipline are:

• Assessment of Renal Disease
• Basics of Kidney
• Pharmacology and Drug
• Fluid and Electrolyte Disorders
• Epidemiology and Risk Factors
• Pediatric Nephrology
• Glomerular Disease
• The Kidney in Systemic Disease
• Tubular Disease
• Chronic Interstitial Disease
• Urinary Tract Infection
• Renal Stone Disease
• Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)
• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
• Special Problems in CKD
• Dialysis (Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis)
• Renal Transplantation
• Inherited Renal Disease 
• Structural and Congenital Abnormalities

Students pursuing the course are required to work on the assigned research project under the guidance of a senior teacher, the result of which shall be formulated and submitted in the form of a thesis. This thesis needs to be submitted at least 6 months before the theoretical and clinical/ practical examination. It is examined and evaluated by a minimum of 3 examiners from the department.

MD in Nephrology: Career Prospects

Due to an increase in kidney diseases in recent times, there is a huge demand of nephrologists coming up in private clinics and dialysis centers. Successful postgraduates of the course, besides going for job opportunities, may choose to opt for teaching jobs in medical colleges. The other avenue that can be explored is research in nephrology. Average monthly remuneration offered to such postgraduates ranges between INR 50,000 to 60,000 in the government sector, and INR 80,000 to 1,00,000 in private hospitals.

Some of the popular employment areas for MD in Nephrology are:

• Hospitals and Clinics – (government and private)
• Academic Institutions
• Private Clinics
• Government Agencies

MD in Nephrology postgraduates are hired in capacities such as:

• Nephrologist
• Head Nephrology
• Assistant Professor
• Nephrology Specialist
• Dialysis Medical Officer
• Product Specialist
• Consultant to Physician

MD in Nephrology: Academic Options

After obtaining the first postgraduate degree, i.e.MD/MS/DNB, one can go for further specialization in medical or surgical fields.

Listed here are some of the popular job positions offered to successful postgraduates of the discipline with the corresponding job descriptions and salaries offered.

Job Title		Job Description		Average Salary in INR
Nephrologist		Nephrologists study and treat kidney conditions, consults with patients to determine the appropriate course of treatment, recommend and order tests to determine the extent of an illness or help diagnose the condition. They recommend and perform dialysis as an effective treatment method for kidney disease.		887,693 to 2,700,000 per year
Dialysis Medical Officer		Dialysis Medical Officer acts as the resident supervisor and manager of all medical matters at the Dialysis Centre. They are the on-duty doctors to attend to all complications arising during dialysis procedures. They also perform the role of nephrologists in cases of emergency when the concerned doctor is not available.		80,000 to 1,00,000 per month
Nephrology Professor		Professors teach house- staff, medical and undergraduate students on an advanced level, about kidney- related diseases and their diagnoses via consultations and formal seminars. They are also significant participants in conferences held by clinical services in hospitals.		60,000 to 75,000 per month