Leadership in the Industry Arena: Nephrologists in Nonclinical Leadership Roles

Of late, fewer residents are choosing nephrology as a career. Contributing factors may include lack of prestige, uncertain potential of future income, and poor work-life balance. Some current nephrologists are considering transitioning to another career for similar reasons. For those who decide that practicing nephrology is no longer appealing, there are many available avenues where they can use their nephrology expertise and still have a successful future. A leadership role in the pharmaceutical industry is a potentially attractive and viable option to nephrologists who are ready to transition to a different career. As industry-sponsored clinical trials increase in number, there will be a need for more nephrologists at entry and higher level positions. This in turn will lead to more nephrologists advancing to senior management and who will then be positioned to advocate for further investments in nephrology, thereby opening the door for other nephrologists to join the industry. (C) 2018 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.