About the Program

The University of Cincinnati Medical Center Nephrology Fellowship Program offers a comprehensive experience in clinical nephrology, covering glomerular diseases, hypertension, fluid-electrolyte and acid-base disorders, organ transplantation, interventional nephrology, onconephrology, and home dialysis.

Our 2-year ACGME-accredited Nephrology Fellowship emphasizes exceptional training, educational value, and work-life balance.

Key features include:

• Team-based inpatient services with nephrologists and nurse practitioners to enhance educational value and reduce fellows' workload.
• Nightly call handled by pager home call, including weekends, allowing for optimal rest and an enhanced learning experience. Typically, fellows do not return to the hospital after 6pm.
• Exposure to extraordinary cases in a diverse setting, including a Level 1 trauma center and close affiliation with the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center.
• Customizable scholarly activities tailored to fellows' career needs and interests, such as research conferences, dialysis training, the business of nephrology, and opportunity to participate in the IMSTAR (IM Scholarly Training for Academic Research] program.
• A multitude of clinical and basic science research opportunities.
• Innovative pathways in transplantation.
• Extensive training in plasmapheresis.

Unique and individualized training electives include:

• Vascular Access/Interventional Nephrology
• Research
• Outpatient Hemodialysis (HD)/Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)/Home modalities exposure – including attending Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI)/Dialysis Unit Medical Director meetings
• Rural Nephrology experience
• Ambulatory clinic experience
• Transplant inpatient and outpatient clinics
• Kidney Pathology

We also have the opportunity for a one year Critical Care Track after completing Nephrology Fellowship training.

Clinical Training Experience

Over a course of 2 years, fellows complete 12 months of inpatient training, allowing ample time for ambulatory care, research, and track‑specific training. All fellows are exposed to all elements of every track and tracks are designed for those specifically wanting more exposure to a desired area. 

All services utilize a team‑based care model to enhance education while minimizing service burden. Inpatient rotations are distributed across the first and second years to support work‑life balance.

Fellows may pursue structured training tracks tailored to career interests. Tracks integrate focused clinical experience, mentorship, and scholarship. Tracks are listed below. 

1. Critical Care Track:
Designed for fellows pursuing careers in nephrology–critical care. This track offers advanced ICU-based nephrology experience, extensive exposure to CRRT modalities, and a dedicated Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum. Fellows gain multidisciplinary ICU care experience. There is also an option to pursue a one-year Critical Care Fellowship after completion of nephrology fellowship training.

2. Transplant Nephrology Track:
The University of Cincinnati is a leading kidney transplant center with a large, multidisciplinary transplant program. This track provides high-volume clinical transplant experience and mentorship from six transplant nephrologists. Fellows work closely with transplant surgeons, pharmacists, coordinators, transplant infectious disease specialists, and interdisciplinary teams. Training includes exposure to cutting-edge transplant therapies and clinical trials, as well as advanced management of rejection and immunosuppression. Additional focused experiences include transplant pathology, HLA immunology, and the transplant immunology laboratory. Eligible fellows may pursue a third year of ACGME-accredited Transplant Nephrology Fellowship training.

3. Medical Education Track:
Designed for fellows interested in academic teaching careers. This track offers mentorship, teaching opportunities, curriculum development, and experience in educational scholarship. Eligible fellows may pursue the IMSTAR pathway for Medical Education, with support to obtain a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction through the University of Cincinnati’s College of Education.

4. Dialysis, Quality Improvement & Medical Directorship Track:
Designed for fellows interested in dialysis leadership and population health. This track includes outpatient and home dialysis exposure, participation in Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI), and experience with dialysis unit medical directorship. Fellows also gain exposure to interventional nephrology and vascular access management.

5. Research Track:
Designed for fellows pursuing academic nephrology careers. This track provides protected research time. Eligible fellows may pursue the IMSTAR pathway with support to obtain a Master of Science degree, along with mentorship in clinical, translational, or basic science research.

6. Onconephrology and Rare Kidney Disease Track:
Designed for fellows interested in kidney disease related to oncolonephrology, as well as glomerular, cystic, and genetic kidney diseases. UC faculty include a dedicated rare disease clinic and a specialist with expertise in this area. Fellows gain experience in the clinical care of oncology patients with kidney disease through multidisciplinary collaboration with oncology services. This track also includes dedicated scholarly opportunities in onconephrology.

Niralee Patel, MD, MEd
Director, Nephrology Fellowship Program