Division of Nephrology

Nephrology Fellowship

The Nephrology Division at Thomas Jefferson University provides a comprehensive two year fellowship training experience, directed by Jerry McCauley, MD, MPH, FACP. Our overall goal is to furnish a highly structured clinical and research experience for trainees to develop the skills necessary to pursue successful careers in clinical nephrology and/or scientific investigation. This goal is to be accomplished under the auspices of the University, whose general mission it is to:

  • Provide state-of–the-art, compassionate and cost-effective healthcare services
  • Teach future healthcare professionals
  • Lead research, develop and introduce improved methods of healthcare delivery to benefit everyone

Our division also offers a one year Transplant Fellowship program accredited by the American Transplant Society.
 

Fellowship Rotations

Year One

There are three hospital rotations during the first year. Each fellow spends a total of four months on each of the three rotations. One attending and one fellow staff each rotation. The goals and objectives of the rotation or learning experience will be discussed by the faculty and fellow at the start of each rotation. Each fellow will have direct supervision by faculty in all patient care activities. Fellows must be able to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health. Fellows will provide effective and timely communication with Transplant Surgery/ICU Teams/Hepatology/Heart Failure Service/House Staff as warranted by clinical situations.

  1. Inpatient Dialysis – The fellow will oversee managing all dialysis patients on the primary nephrology service and will manage the renal/dialysis care of all other chronic dialysis patients admitted to other medical/surgical services.
  2. Inpatient Transplant – The renal fellow will participate in all aspects of the transplant patient’s care. The fellow will oversee managing all transplant patients admitted to the primary nephrology service and will actively provide consultative care to all newly transplanted patients on the surgical service. The fellow will also perform transplant biopsies with the attending supervising.
  3. Inpatient Consultation – The fellow, along with medical residents and medical students assigned to this service, will provide consultative services for patients with acute renal failure, chronic renal failure, glomerular and interstitial diseases, fluid and electrolyte abnormalities, acid-bases disturbances, hypertension and for patients in the bone marrow transplant unit.

Year Two

The second year is primarily a research/ambulatory care year. However, the second year fellows will be responsible for covering the above rotations when the first year fellows take vacation, emergency leave or are otherwise not working.
 

Outpatient Experience

Year One

The first year fellow is assigned to an attending’s outpatient clinic. Starting in mid-July of their first year, the fellow will work one-on-one with the attending in the outpatient office half a day per week. Fellows are expected to see four to eight patients per session. Each fellow is also assigned to work with an attending on one outpatient dialysis shift. Shift assignments rotate quarterly for the attending and the fellow.

Year Two

Each second year fellow will continue to spend a half day per week with their assigned attending in the outpatient clinic and will also continue to work with an attending on one or two outpatient dialysis shifts on a rotating basis. In addition, on a rotating, quarterly basis, fellows work with an attending half a day per week in peritoneal dialysis, transplantation and the pediatric nephrology clinic.
 

Research Experience

During the second year, fellows participate in either a basic science or clinical research project. Research is expected to consume approximately 65% of the second year fellow’s time. Fellows are to present their data every four months during the year during a basic science/research conference. Fellows are expected to write at least one abstract or other scholarly project (case report, literature review, etc.) during their second year.  Presentation at scientific meetings is encouraged.

Transplant Fellow – Third Year Fellows

Maitreyee Gupta

Second Year Fellows

Deepu Daniel
UmmERubab Syeda

First Year Fellows

Peter Burke
Azza Abdel-Hak
Edgar Guzman-Suarez
Kavitha Ramaswamy
Goni Katz Greenberg