About the Program
Acute kidney injury in the pediatric population has shifted from primary renal disease to a secondary effect of systemic illness and its treatment, leading to renal injury.
A pediatric nephrologist workforce shortage exists in many parts of the United States and in most non-Western countries. The Pediatric Critical Care Nephrology and Dialysis Fellowship program at Baylor College of Medicine, provides specialized training in nephrology for graduates of Pediatric Critical Care fellowships to foster future clinical research collaboration between pediatric nephrologists and pediatric intensivists, and to provide training in basic renal replacement therapy for critical care physicians who seek to serve geographic areas where expertise in pediatric dialysis is limited.
The fellowship is also available to graduates of pediatric nephrology fellowship programs who are interested in conducting clinical research in the area of pediatric acute kidney injury.
Benefits
Renal fellows receive full funding to attend one scientific meeting annually, which includes the American Society of Nephrology, Annual Dialysis Conference and the American Society of Pediatric Research and CRRT meetings. Many of the fellows present posters or give oral presentations at the meetings.
For information on stipends and benefits, visit the Graduate Medical Education office site.
Curriculum
Critical care fellowship graduates in the Pediatric Critical Care Nephrology Program can expect to experience two months of supervised clinical coverage of the Texas Children's Hospital Renal Dialysis Unit during which time the fellow will receive formal, didactic instruction in the principles of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
Fellows are provided the opportunity to attend the International Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Conference held each spring in Coronado, California.
This instruction and clinical responsibility is the same course provided to all first-year pediatric nephrology fellows. The fellow will have nine months of supervised clinical coverage of the inpatient Special Care Units Service of the Texas Children's Renal Service, which is comprised of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, the Neonatal Intensive Care Units, the Special Care nurseries and the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.
On-call responsibilities are comprised of every third night and every third weekend call and are held in strict compliance with the ACGME guidelines for post-graduate medical training. Night call is taken from home in the same manner as provided by Pediatric Nephrology fellows.
Graduates of pediatric nephrology sub-specialty programs will continue their education specific to Pediatric Critical Care Nephrology and Dialysis by completing nine months of mentored research in a clinical and/or translational project in the area of Critical Care Nephrology. These fellows will also be assigned to two months of supervised clinical service in the inpatient Special Care Units Service of the Texas Children's Renal Service and will follow the same on-call responsibilities as outlined above.
All fellows will be expected to attend all the educational conferences offered by the Renal Service at Texas Children's, which include:
- Weekly fellows conferences covering nephrology topics that satisfy the core knowledge components for the American Board of Pediatrics Sub-Board of Pediatric Nephrology
- Monthly basic science Journal Club that focuses upon a basic science or translational research paper pertinent to pediatric nephrology
- Bi-monthly clinical research conferences that review the state of current research projects in the Texas Children's Nephrology Section
- Present once at the weekly fellows conference and the basic science Journal Club during the year
- Present the current status of his/her research at each of the bi-monthly clinical research conferences
Admissions
Candidates for Pediatric Critical Care Nephrology Fellowship training positions at Baylor College of Medicine must have attained an M.D., D.O., or equivalent international training and completed a three-year residency or equivalent in pediatrics in the United States. All international medical graduates must hold a valid ECFMG certificate. All candidates must meet requirements to be credentialed by Baylor College of Medicine and granted a Physician’s In-Training Permit or Medical License by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners.
Fellow candidates match to the Baylor College of Medicine Pediatric Critical Care Nephrology Fellowship Program through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Fellow candidates who match to the program will be admitted to the program as long as there are no violations of match policies. In the event of unfilled positions the program may elect to accept a candidate from outside of the match.
Potential fellows will be selected from a pool of applicants who have successfully completed an accredited training program in Pediatrics and either Pediatric Critical Care Medicine or Pediatric Nephrology. A letter of recommendation from the candidate fellow's pediatric Critical Care/Nephrology Fellowship program director will be required for all fellows applying from outside Baylor College of Medicine.
All new fellows receive a formal letter of appointment to the Baylor College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Program. This appointment is contingent upon issuance of an active Texas Medical Board Physician-in-Training Permit or medical license prior to assuming duties at Baylor College of Medicine, as well as successful completion of the candidate’s pediatric residency program if still in program.
The Pediatric Critical Care Nephrology program coordinator will provide a list of credentialing requirements and documents needed as adopted by Baylor College of Medicine. Appointment is contingent upon successful completion of the credentialing process. This process will include a background check that requires a small fee, payment of which will be the candidate’s responsibility.
In addition to the Baylor policy, house staff is required to comply with and are subject to the individual policies of Texas Children’s Hospital. These policies are available through the medical staff office at Texas Children's as well as on the intranet. Any questions regarding these policies can be directed to the respective institutions or Baylor’s Office of Graduate Medical Education. House staff physicians should be aware that these policies may include random drug testing at some institutions.
For more information, contact Estrella Garcia, the pediatric nephrology program coordinator.