Nephrologists are doctors of internal medicine who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney and urinary system diseases. Conditions treated by nephrologists include kidney disease, kidney inflammation and cancer, and they are involved in kidney dialysis therapy and kidney transplantation.

A nephrologist may be consulted as a specialist for short-term issues, or they may act as primary care physicians for patients who have chronic diseases, or who are undergoing kidney dialysis.

Pediatric nephrology is a subspecialty of nephrology, treating patients from infancy through late adolescence for diseases of the kidney and urinary tract, bladder problems, and high blood pressure.