What is the study of rare diseases?

Answer 1

A medical physician such as a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) who is a board certified pathologist or board-certified infectious disease specialist.

There are some board certified A&I's (allergists & immunologists) who study rare diseases.

In practice, many doctors of many certifications study rare diseases, especially rare diseases within their certification or field of interest. This would include dentists (who are doctors of dental surgery or doctors of medical dentistry, depending on the dental school from which they graduated). This would also include veterinarians (animals other than humans).

Also, board certified physicians in the field of general practice, internal medicine, psychiatry, emergency medicine, pediatrics, radiologist, etc. and across the board might have the vocational and research interest to study rare diseases.

Other "doctors", too, study rare diseases, include PhD graduates, pharmacists (who actually have a doctorate in pharmacy, called a Pharm.D.--yet are not referred to as "doctors" to avoid confusions).

Answer 2

Rare disease is the disease that only affects small percentage of population. Example of this is rare forms of spleen cancer. Pharmaceutical company get tax deduction for doing research for such disease.

Answer 3

Nephrologists are specialists in the kidneys.