Fellowship Curriculum

Clinical training

First-year fellows spend nearly the entire year dedicated to clinical activities (10  months). 
 
Fellows learn, under supervision of the faculty members, to manage patients with a  wide variety of kidney disorders, acute and chronic, in the inpatient and outpatient settings:

• Provide consultation to other services, including the pediatric, neonatal and cardiac intensive care units
• Manage all acute dialysis modalities and a high volume of continuous renal replacement, predominately in the form of CVVH
• Acquire advanced knowledge of fluid and electrolyte management
• Become proficient in performing procedures such as kidney biopsy and starting pediatric patients on dialysis

• Manage post renal transplant patients

Research

• Two months of the first year is dedicated to research orientation with an initial opportunity for project selection
• Fellows also participate in department-wide courses in research fundamentals, career development and medical ethics

Second Year

Clinical training

Second year fellows continue their clinical training with increasing independence, while still under supervision by the faculty. By his/her second year, the fellow is proficient at managing pediatric nephrology patients, teaching residents, and supervising rounds (4 months).

Research

• Advanced clinical responsibilities in the inpatient wards and outpatient clinics (2 months)
• Consecutive research months in which fellows finalize the selection of research projects and mentors and initiate their projects (8 months)
• Participate in the Clinical and Translational Research Workshop: Grant and Clinical Protocol Development

Third Year

Clinical training

Advanced clinical responsibilities in the inpatient wards and outpatient clinics (2 months)

Research

• Completion of research project, abstract(s) and manuscript(s) (10 months)
• Completion of Quality Improvement project

Outreach

Trainees in the Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship Program have the opportunity to attend outreach clinics in Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura and City of Hope in Duarte, where they see patients with a variety of general nephrology conditions. Fellows also rotate in a specialized SLE clinic where the patients are seen by both the pediatric nephrology and pediatric rheumatology services.