The Renal Transplant Fellowship draws trainees from across the U.S. and around the world. While all our fellows have a love of learning and a compassionate approach to patient care, they come from diverse backgrounds, family status, and professional and personal interests. See what one of our residents has to say about our program.

Firas Marayati, M.D.

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Medical school: University of Damascus, Syria
Residency: The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Fellowship: The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Hobbies: Travel, Flying, Tennis, Cycling and Photography

What drew you to Mayo Clinic for your fellowship training? While I was practicing general nephrology for little over a decade in Phoenix, Arizona, I was directly involved in the care of large population of patients with End Stage Kidney Disease who are requiring lifelong dialysis treatments. The complexity of managing these patients and the challenges being a director of dialysis units made me always an advocate for referring these patients to transplant centers. The care that these patients received from Mayo Clinic transplant department and the significant improvement in their quality of life gave me significant encouragement to decide a midlife career change and join Mayo Clinic transplant division as a fellow so I can carry Mayo legacy and clinical expertise out to the community.

Is there anything that surprised you about Mayo Clinic? Mayo is a true example of multidisciplinary teams efforts. Everyone is available to educate, teach and participate in any clinical or educational insights. Patients always come first and everyone priority is to assure that our patients receive the ultimate care they deserve.

Thilagavathi Venkatachalam, M.B.B.S.

Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Medical School: The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University
Residency: Cooper University Hospital, NJ
Fellowship: Cooper University Hospital, NJ
Hobbies: Gardening, cooking, sewing

What drew you to Mayo Clinic for your fellowship training? I chose nephrology fellowship because the pathophysiology and complexity of various disease processes was intriguing and helped me understand medicine and be a confident clinician. Through my career, I enjoyed practicing nephrology and found myself content while I provided care for post-kidney transplant patients at UT San Antonio. Transitioning from UT San Antonio to a renowned institution like Mayo Clinic for further training and experience in caring for complex patients - especially post-kidney transplant patients - seems like a great choice. The structured curriculum and integration of various healthcare professionals at Mayo Clinic should provide an excellent environment for learning and growth in patient-centered care.

Is there anything that surprised you about Mayo Clinic? Mayo Clinic's collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to patient care, especially in complex cases like transplant care, is indeed impressive. The seamless integration of various specialties ensures that patients receive comprehensive and personalized treatment plans, leading to better outcomes.

Alumni

The most important indicator of the success of a training program is found in the outcomes of the graduates upon completion of their training. Learn more about our recent alumni and where they have taken their talents after graduation.