What are some interesting careers related to nephrology that students might pursue?
Dr. D.: Kidney diseases are a major health problem in our country affecting 1 in every 1000 individuals, and the number is rising. In addition to the physicians that direct therapy, nurses and other health professionals provide a range of services to support use of artificial kidneys on patients whose kidneys have failed. These include technical support, social services, legal and other aspects of care. Q: What is your educational background? What else besides your education turned out to be important for your career? Dr. D.: I went to college at Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, and then to Southwestern Medical School there. I did my residency training in Boston at Massachusetts General Hospital, my kidney specialty training back in Dallas at Southwestern, then was on faculty at the University of California at San Francisco, prior to my move to Vanderbilt 11 years ago. My love of the outdoors is critical to my career, as a source of never ending curiosity about nature and natu
