The large volume and broad pathologies seen by Mayo Clinic nephrologists ensure that you receive optimal clinical training during your Nephrology Fellowship. The inpatient general nephrology consult service at Mayo Clinic Hospital provides care to patients with a variety of kidney disorders, including acute kidney injury post cardiac surgery, stem cell transplant, liver disease, onconephrological conditions, in addition to patients admitted with ESRD, hypertension disorders, and electrolyte disorders. You will become proficient in managing renal replacement modalities including hemodialysis, sustained low-efficiency dialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and continuous renal replacement therapy.

On the outpatient side, your continuity clinic, in-center hemodialysis rounds and home modalities rounds provide you longitudinal learning about evaluating and managing kidney diseases. In addition, you have opportunities to participate in specialty clinics focused on glomerulonephritis, kidney stones, amyloidosis, polycystic kidney disease, and onconephrology. The clinics are supported by state-of-the-art clinical laboratories and diagnostic units, including a renal pathology lab, renal studies unit, and an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring unit. 

During the transplant rotation, you will train in one of the largest kidney and pancreas transplant programs in the country. The transplant nephrology team at Mayo Clinic are pushing frontiers in the areas of organ utilization, dual organ transplants, and management of high-risk transplants. Additionally, you rotate at Valleywise Health Medical Center, a Level 1 Trauma Center providing care to patients with pregnancy-related kidney disorders and other kidney diseases. A new rotation at the Phoenix VA Medical Center started in 2020. It provides a unique experience in inpatient and outpatient Nephrology.

Throughout the training, you will have dedicated time to learn renal pathology, renal physiology, apheresis, and participate in teaching medical students during their renal block. Research and elective time allows you to customize your training to meet your areas of interest and future career focus.

Rotation schedules

Didactics

The training curriculum includes several well-designed and continuously updated didactics that are consistently rated highly among the fellows. Didactics include:

• Core curriculum nephrology lectures: A series presented by faculty — once a week
• Nephrology journal club presented by nephrology and transplant fellows — twice a month
• Nephrology Grand Rounds presented by fellows, faculty, and invited speakers — Monthly 
• General nephrology in-depth discussion presented by nephrology fellow — once a month
• Monthly "Friday Case" sent out in email format to share interesting cases and learning points — once a month
• Board review series done in second half of each academic year
• Point of Care Ultrasound For Nephrology: A series consist of didactics and hands-on training using handheld ultrasound – Monthly

In addition, there are several transplant nephrology conferences you can attend including monthly transplant morbidity and mortality and transplant grand rounds. Other lectures and presentations, including regular clinicopathological conference with rheumatology and weekly Department of Medicine's Medical Grand Rounds and presentations that are specifically geared toward trainees on issues related to time management, the culture of safety, communication skills in clinical medicine, and more.

Research training and national conferences

During your fellowship training, you are expected to identify an area of research interest and complete a clinical research project. In addition to local presentation, the program will support you in presenting your work at national conferences and publishing your manuscripts. Presentation trip days with covered travel and registration costs are available on an annual basis. Biostatistician help is available.

Past presentations

Teaching opportunities

During inpatient rotations, you will supervise and teach Internal Medicine residents and medical students. In addition, you have an opportunity to participate in teaching second-year medical students during their renal block at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.