There is an extensive didactic curriculum covering all aspects of renal physiology and pathophysiology, clinical renal disease and hypertension, critical care medicine, renal transplantation, conventional dialysis and continuous renal replacement therapies. During the first two months of the academic year, core curriculum lectures are presented to rapidly familiarize new fellows with basic concepts and sufficient knowledge to effectively fulfill their new clinical responsibilities.
For the remainder of the academic year, conferences, seminars, and safety/quality improvement activities are conducted four-five days weekly and include Nephrology Grand Rounds, Department of Medicine Grand Rounds, journal clubs, medical-surgical transplant meetings, pathology conferences, end-stage renal disease conferences and morbidity and mortality review.
The internationally recognized faculty of the Hypertension and Vascular Research Division enhances divisional faculty endeavors. This Division’s members regularly attend or give basic science lectures and journal clubs. Each year our visiting professor program hosts monthly lectures delivered by nationally and internationally known nephrologists who share their respective areas of research and clinical expertise to the Division. Visiting professors typically give both a basic science and clinical lecture, and also meet separately with the fellows to review case studies.
Each fellow has one continuity clinic weekly and has the opportunity for longitudinal follow up of patients from the time of initial evaluation as either in- or outpatients until the termination of their training. Also, fellows are intimately involved in the care of renal transplant recipients from the immediate post-operative period and during subsequent hospital admissions and routine follow-ups. Hospitalization of all kidney and pancreas transplant recipients involves direct admission to the Nephrology inpatient service for all medically related admissions.
Overall, this rigorous and comprehensive clinical experience ensures that fellows are qualified to function as transplant nephrologists. Lastly, because there are active heart and liver (>150 per year) transplant programs within the institution, trainees will likely develop their skills in the comprehensive management of these patients also.
The primary inpatient activity for Nephrology fellows is the Nephrology consultative service. There are two teams, each consisting of a Nephrology attending, a Nephrology fellow and one or more medical house officers and medical students. These teams evaluate and follow inpatients requiring Nephrology care that are not admitted to the Nephrology inpatient floor. These patients are referred from the surgical, medical and obstetrical services.
Approximately half of the patients are in one of the intensive care units (surgical, medical, or neurology/neurosurgery). The 110 ICU beds and a busy Level 1 trauma-certified Emergency Department provide diverse and intensive clinical experience, involving acute renal failure, intoxications and the renal complications of many systemic disorders. In addition, Nephrology fellows will directly manage the recently added 16-bed extension of the Nephrology inpatient unit through rounds with, and supervision of, mid-level practitioners.
