Nephrology

The Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship program at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan provides comprehensive training in the specialty, preparing the fellow for a productive and independent career in Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension. The minimum duration of fellowship is three years. The Children’s Hospital of Michigan serves a diverse urban and suburban population, which provides fellows with excellent exposure to renal pathology across the Pediatric Nephrology continuum, from birth through transition to adulthood as well as from chronic kidney disease to dialysis and transplantation.

Clinical Training: The Nephrology service has a designated floor for inpatients with a team of residents and medical students. The Nephrology clinic and dialysis unit are located in a specialty center across the street from the main hospital. The hemodialysis unit has 13 stations where children are dialyzed three times a week. The peritoneal dialysis program follows children on home dialysis. Clinical activities include daily inpatient/consult rounds on 10 to 20 patients, approximately 4000 outpatient clinic visits per year, an average of 30 dialysis patients, and approximately 10 renal transplants per year. Clinical training includes direct participation of the fellow in patient care. The fellow is exposed to hands-on experience with procedures including renal biopsy, hemodialysis (acute and chronic), peritoneal dialysis (acute and chronic), hemodiafiltration, and pre/intra/post-operative medical management of renal transplants. Training in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is provided in collaboration with the intensive care unit team. A fellow sees continuity care patients in the General Nephrology Clinic and also attends and follows patients in multidisciplinary clinics including chronic kidney disease, dialysis, transplant and vasculitis clinics. Nephrology fellows also rotate through Urology and Radiology in their second year of training.

Research: A period of supervised research of high quality is essential for successful completion of the fellowship. Fellows are encouraged to present their research data at national meetings. Upon completion of the program, the trainee is qualified for sub-board examination. Graduates of this program practice in academic centers as well as private practice and are prepared to take leadership roles in clinical and research positions.

Education: A carefully planned educational activity schedule enhances fellow’s training. This includes clinical case presentations and lectures given by faculty and fellows, weekly uro-radiology meetings where patients’ imaging studies are discussed, monthly research meetings where progress with research projects is monitored, a monthly journal club presented by fellows, weekly board review with a member of the faculty, and a monthly pathology conference where our own patient’s renal biopsy findings are discussed with a renal pathologist.

International Clinical Rotation: Nephrology fellows have the unique opportunity to do a 2 week international rotation to enhance their experience in Pediatric Nephrology. Previous fellows have travelled to important Pediatric Nephrology centers in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Singapore for this elective and have had wonderful experiences.

Program Director
Rossana Baracco, MD