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DrNB Superspecialty · Book Guide

Books for DrNB Nephrology.

The NBE curriculum list, reproduced exactly, plus the editions residents actually read in 2026 — with journals, a year-wise reading plan, and the references you will need for your thesis and exit practical.

24Titles on the NBE list
8Current-edition picks
15Journals listed
3 yearsReading plan included

Doing the DM instead? The same superspecialty is covered at DM Nephrology books.

Official list

Books the NBE curriculum lists for DrNB Nephrology

These 24 titles are reproduced as they appear in the National Board of Examinations curriculum document for Nephrology — spelling and abbreviations included. Treat it as the scope anchor, not as a shopping list.

  1. Diagnostic Atlas of Renal Pathology,Fogo,Agnes B 7th ED. Elsevier , 2005
  2. Clinical Dialysis,Nissenson,Allen R,4th ED. Mc Graw Hill, 2005
  3. Hypertension companion to to Brenner & Rectors the Kidney,Oparil,Suzanne, 2nd Ed. Elsevier, 2005
  4. Nephrology Secrets,Brown, David E,2nd ED. Elsevier, 2003
  5. Disease of the Kidney & Urinary tract ,Schrier,Robert W,8th ED.Vol I, Lippincott, 2007
  6. Disease of the Kidney & Urinary tract ,Schrier,Robert W,8th ED.Vol II, Lippincott, 2007
  7. Disease of the Kidney & Urinary tract ,Schrier,Robert W,8th ED.Vol III, Lippincott, 2007
  8. Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology, Feehally, John, 3rd ED. Mosby 2007.
  9. Renal Diseases Prevevtion and Management:A physicians perspective,Feehally, John , Jaypee Brothers, 2008.
  10. Seldin and Giebischs the Kidney: Physiology and Pathophysiology,Alpern,Robert. J,Vol I 4th ED. Academic Publisher, 2008
  11. Seldin and Giebischs the Kidney: Physiology and Pathophysiology,Alpern,Robert. J,Vol II 4th ED. Academic Publisher, 2008
  12. Comprehensive Pediatrics Nephrology, Geary, Denis. F (ED), 1st ED. Elsevier 2008.
  13. Evidence- Based Nephrology, Molony, Donald. A, John wiley, 2009
  14. Handbook of Dialysis, Daugirdas, John. T, 4th ED. Lippincott, 2009
  15. Manual of Nephrology, Schrier, Robert.W,7th ED. Lippincott, 2009
  16. Oxford Handbook of Dialysis,Levy, Jeremy,2nd ED. Oxford, 2007
  17. Ganongs Review of Medical Physiology, Barrett, Kim. E (Etal), 24rd ED. Mc Graw Hill, 2012
  18. Renal Disease Techniques and Protocols, Goligorsky, Michael. S, Humana Press, 2003
  19. Renal and Electrolyte Disorders,Schrier, Robert. W, 7th ED. Lippincott, 2010
  20. Acid- Base Disorder and their Treatment, Gennari, John F (Et al), Taylot & Francis, 2005
  21. Primer on Kidney Diseases, Greenberg, Arthur, 5th ED. Saunders, 2009
  22. The Kidney, Brenner & Rector - 8th ED. Saunders, 2008
  23. Critical Care Nephrology, C. Roncu - 2nd ED. Saunders, 2009.
  24. Oxford desk Reference Nephrology,Jonathan Barratt, Kevin harris, Peter Topham, 1st Indian ED, 2009.
Read this before you buy. Curriculum documents are revised infrequently, so several entries name editions that are now years out of date and a few titles are out of print. Use the list to understand what you are expected to have covered, then buy the current edition from the next section.

Source: National Board of Examinations curriculum document for Nephrology

What residents actually use

Current editions, and what each one is for

The books most residents actually buy. These are the editions in circulation now, with a note on whether each is something you read through, keep as a reference, or open only for the viva.

  1. Brenner and Rector's The KidneyYu, Chertow, Luyckx, Marsden, Skorecki, Taal · 12th edition · core referenceThe definitive nephrology reference for pathophysiology-heavy theory answers.
  2. Comprehensive Clinical NephrologyJohnson, Floege, Tonelli · 7th edition · primary reading textThe most readable clinical nephrology text and the one most residents actually finish.
  3. Handbook of DialysisDaugirdas, Blake, Ing · 5th edition · dialysis practical manualBedside standard for HD/PD prescription, access and complications.
  4. Fundamentals of Renal Pathology / Diagnostic Atlas of Renal PathologyFogo, Cohen, Jennette et al. · renal biopsy referenceNeeded because biopsy slide and EM/IF interpretation is a fixed practical station.
  5. Kidney Transplantation: Principles and PracticeKnechtle, Marson, Morris · 8th edition · transplant referenceCovers immunosuppression, rejection and donor workup in the depth the viva expects.
  6. Schrier's Renal and Electrolyte DisordersRobert W. Schrier · 8th edition · fluid-electrolyte-acid baseThe go-to for the electrolyte and acid-base problems that dominate short notes.
  7. National Kidney Foundation Primer on Kidney DiseasesGilbert, Weiner · 8th edition · revision textCompact, well-structured revision resource in the final year.
  8. KDIGO Clinical Practice GuidelinesKDIGO · guideline setCurrent KDIGO documents on CKD, GN, AKI, transplant and mineral bone disorder are examinable.
Journals

Journals that matter in Nephrology

Journal club and the recent-advances parts of the theory paper come from here. You do not need all of them — follow one Indian and two international titles properly.

TransplantationKidney InternationalHemodialysis InternationalClinical Journal of the American Society of NephrologyIndian Journal of NephrologyBMC NephrologyClinical and Experimental NephrologyInternational Urology and NephrologyJournal of Artificial OrgansHong Kong Journal of NephrologyClinical Queries: NephrologyJournal of American society of HypertensionJournal of Cardiothoracic- Renal researchIndian Journal of TransplantationPediatric Nephrology in various
Reading plan

What to read, and when

Three years of superspecialty training goes faster than it sounds, and most of it is spent on the floor. The order below is what works for most DrNB Nephrology residents.

Year 1

Build the base

Read Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology end to end, work through Schrier for electrolytes and acid-base, and use Daugirdas during the dialysis posting. Register the thesis.

Year 2

Go deep, collect thesis data

Add Brenner and Rector for depth on selected chapters, start renal pathology systematically with Fogo, and read transplant immunology plus KDIGO guidelines during the transplant rotation.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Revise with the NKF Primer, drill biopsy slides and acid-base problems daily, and practise timed short notes with guideline-anchored management.

Thesis

References for your thesis

Protocol, methodology and reporting standards examiners expect you to have followed.

  • ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants
  • KDIGO guideline documents relevant to the thesis topic
  • STROBE and CONSORT reporting statements
  • Indian Journal of Nephrology and Indian Chronic Kidney Disease registry data
  • Designing Clinical Research - Hulley, Cummings et al.
Practical & viva

What the practical actually tests

Cases, spotters and stations that come up again and again in the exit exam.

  • Long case: CKD, nephrotic syndrome, glomerulonephritis or post-transplant patient
  • Short cases: oedema, hypertension, dialysis access, transplant graft examination
  • Renal biopsy slides with light microscopy, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy
  • Acid-base and electrolyte data interpretation problems
  • Dialysis prescription, adequacy (Kt/V) and water treatment/machine viva
  • Urinalysis and urine microscopy station
  • Imaging: ultrasound, Doppler of graft and transplant vasculature, nuclear renogram
About the course

DrNB Nephrology in context

DrNB Nephrology theory is three 100-mark papers of three hours each in short-notes format, with 150/300 to pass, followed by a 300-mark practical of clinical cases and/or OSCE with viva. The practical is distinctive for its renal biopsy pathology station and for structured acid-base, electrolyte and dialysis-adequacy data interpretation. Transplant and dialysis machine/water-plant viva are routinely included.

Frequently asked

DrNB Nephrology books — questions

Which books does the NBE curriculum list for DrNB Nephrology?

The National Board of Examinations curriculum for Nephrology lists 24 titles, beginning with Diagnostic Atlas of Renal Pathology,Fogo,Agnes B 7th ED. Elsevier , 2005. The full list is reproduced on this page exactly as it is published.

Which single book should I start with in DrNB Nephrology?

Brenner and Rector's The Kidney by Yu, Chertow, Luyckx, Marsden, Skorecki, Taal is the usual anchor. The definitive nephrology reference for pathophysiology-heavy theory answers.

How is DrNB Nephrology different from the DNB or MD version?

DrNB Nephrology is a superspecialty course taken after a broad-specialty MD, MS or DNB, so the reading is narrower and deeper. The broad-specialty texts are assumed knowledge by the time you start.

Do I need to buy every book listed?

No. Most residents own two or three and use the department or library copy for the rest. That is exactly why printing selected chapters from a PDF works out cheaper than buying volumes you will open twice.

Can you print these books for me?

We print from the PDF you send us. Send the file on WhatsApp with your page count and whether you want colour, black and white or mixed, and we print, bind and deliver anywhere in India. We do not supply copyrighted book files.

How much does printing cost?

Black and white is 50 paise a page, colour is Rs 1 a page, and binding is Rs 40 per bound volume. A 400-page mixed set with binding usually works out around Rs 300 plus delivery.

Printing your DrNB Nephrology reading?

Send the PDF on WhatsApp — colour Rs 1/page, B&W 50p/page, binding Rs 40. Printed, bound and delivered anywhere in India.

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