Nephrology Fellowship

Overview

Dear Future Nephrologists:

Welcome to the George Washington University (GWU) Nephrology fellowship program! Located in the heart of the Nation’s Capital, our program offers diverse and cutting-edge training opportunities at the George Washington University Hospital, Washington DC VA Medical Center, and Inova Fairfax Hospital. Our program has a rich history of leading the medical community over several decades in the development and implementation of life-saving and disease- modifying kidney therapies.

Nephrologists in-training will have the opportunity to interact and learn from a broad range of faculty to hone their knowledge base and skillsets in general nephrology, as well as acquire specialized training in niche sub-specialty areas within nephrology. Nephrology fellows will have access to state- of -the -art training at the largest peritoneal dialysis program in the city, a growing home hemodialysis program and therapeutic apheresis. They will also be able to gain sub-specialty exposure in cardio-nephrology, onco-nephrology, glomerulonephritis, complex hypertension, precision medicine in kidney disease and point-of-care ultrasound. Fellows also have the opportunity to acquire a comprehensive experience in kidney transplantation at George Washington University hospital as well as while rotating through Inova Fairfax hospital. The anticipated start of a new liver transplant program in the near future will further strengthen the transplant education pathway, by providing opportunities to care for these vulnerable patients.

The training philosophy at GWU Nephrology centers around closely supervised training by faculty trough the fellowship, with the goal of increasing independent thinking and practice as fellows advance through the program. The first of the two years of fellowship training emphasizes learning the evaluation of acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, fluid and electrolyte disorders, hemodynamics in critically ill patients, principles of renal replacement therapies and apheresis, kidney transplantation and immunology. These skills are further honed in the second year of training with increasing exposure to the management of glomerular disorders, cardio-nephrology, onco-nephrology, complex hypertension, and procedures including percutaneous kidney biopsies as well as dialysis access related interventions. Point of care ultrasound has become a key tool in the armamentarium of nephrologists in both the outpatient and inpatient setting. To that end, fellows at GWU will have an immersive experience with learning ultrasound imaging relevant to the management of kidney disease.

The strengths of the clinical training program at GWU Nephrology are complemented by the vast array of opportunities for research and scholarly activity we offer. Trainees will be taught how to critically appraise the scientific literature, design research projects, develop experience with manuscript writing, and as well as present their scientific work at regional and national meetings. Robust discussions of clinical cases in nephrology and transplantation, biopsy interpretations at joint conferences in nephro-pathology with faculty from the Mayo Clinic, as well as exposure to cardio-nephrology and critical care nephrology conferences in collaboration with the divisions of cardiology and critical care are a highlight of the nephrology trainee experience. Fellows develop their teaching skills as part of mentoring Internal Medicine residents and medical students who rotate through the GWU Nephrology service, and they are highly valued for their contributions to teaching and education by the Department of Medicine. Trainees with an interest in basic sciences will have the opportunity to rotate through the Dominic Raj laboratory, that studies cardiovascular and renal outcomes and improving health of patients with chronic kidney disease though biomarker discovery, laboratory-based mechanistic studies, and targeted interventions to slow progression of cardiorenal disease. Fellows will be well prepared for a career in nephrology across several domains including clinical practice in the community, academic practice, medical education, procedural expertise, leadership roles in business and the industry, as well as several other developing roles for nephrologists in interdisciplinary spaces. Several alumni of the GWU Nephrology program have gone on to pursue further sub-specialty training in areas such as transplantation, academic careers as well as private practice, and remain and important resource for trainees as they navigate their career paths.

Throughout their training, fellows form lasting bonds within the GWU Nephrology family as they bring their rich and diverse backgrounds and experiences into the program and get to interact and work with a broad range of thoughtful and caring group of faculty, advanced care practitioners and other members of the healthcare team. The well- being of trainee physicians is of utmost importance to the program, with several built in mechanisms to ensure appropriate case load to avoid burnout. The program supports the need for work-life balance as a physician in training, while simultaneously ensuring adequate clinical exposure to provide the necessary experience to advance to independent practice. Additionally, a strong effort to ensure diversity and inclusion in the representation of trainees as well as faculty is one of the key missions of the program, to build a vibrant and inclusive environment at work.

The field of nephrology has been galvanized by several recent developments with newer cardiorenal protective therapies that have the opportunity to change the landscape of outcomes with kidney disease, major advances in kidney transplantation, growing interest in home dialysis therapies and a heightened awareness and recognition of disparities in access to care. Several of these advances are reflected in the mission and vision of the GWU Nephrology program and align with the national mandate to reduce the burden of kidney disease via the Kidney Health Initiative of the United States Government. We are delighted to invite you to be part of this exciting specialty and our program. We welcome your talent and enthusiasm in the collective fight against kidney disease, and look forward to supporting your aspirations as a future nephrologist.

All the best,
Janani Rangaswami, MD, FACP, FCRS, FAHA
Fellowship Program Director,
GW Nephrology
Professor of Medicine
George Washington University
imfellowships@gwu.edu

Welcome to the George Washington Nephrology Fellowship Program! Since joining GW in 2018, I have been thrilled to work with compassionate, intelligent, collegial, and hard-working physicians committed to providing the best care for our patients as well as to train the next generation of doctors. Here at GW, you will find a diverse patient population with complex medical diseases as well as critical illnesses. Our faculty are dedicated to teaching the foundations of clinical nephrology as well as advanced expertise in glomerulonephritis, cardio-renal syndrome, onco-nephrology, critical care, plasmapheresis, ultrasound, and home dialysis modalities. On the research end, we have dedicated basic science laboratories for hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and the gut microbiome, as well as several ongoing clinical trials in transplantation, dialysis, chronic kidney isease, and glomerulonephritis. Our fellows are furtnate to observe cutting edge therapies, learn from world experts, and live in one of the greatest cities in the world. We hope that you will continue to learn more about our program and all it has to offer.

Best wishes,
Renu Regunathan-Shenk, MD
Fellowship Assistant Program Director
GW Nephrology
Associate Professor of Medicine
George Washington University