440curriculum Kidneydisease

Curricular Response: Chronic Kidney Disease in Elderly 1
Curricular Response: Chronic Kidney Disease in Elderly
Erick Andrez
Brian Kaneshiro
Judy Lee
Kayla Martinez
HSC 440-02 4179
Professor Monica Montano
California State University of Long Beach

The following curriculum is designed for students at the university level that are enrolled in the
nephrology training program within the department of medicine. The intended population is
targeted towards the management of renal diseases of individuals/patients within the healthcare
and/or intensive care settings. The following program curriculum will incorporate all aspects of
nephrology from a variety of renal diseases to taking the necessary steps to diagnosing and
treating end-stage renal disease. CORE COMPETENCIES: The curriculum will be split into
two parts, the didactic program content and clinical patient care setting, that will expand patient
care, supervisory, and teaching skills as competent Nephrologists. Every year, a questionnaire
will be sent out to the participants to gauge the depth of exposure to a wide variety of renal
diseases to see if extra steps could be taken to deal with areas that are deficient. In the Academic
Track, the participant is expected to spend two or more years in a basic or clinical science
research project working under the supervision of one faculty member. CURRICULUM FOR
EACH ROTATION: In addition to educational and clinical requirements of the program,
participants will be expected to integrate medical problems with preventive practices, cultural,
socioeconomic, ethical, occupational environmental and behavioral issues in each rotation.
COMPETENCY-BASED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE NEPHROLOGY
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The objective is to prepare physicians who have completed three years of residency training in
Internal Medicine to become competent Nephrologists. The training will provide the fellow with
exposure to a wide variety of renal diseases and electrolyte abnormalities and a chance to
perform the procedures necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of end-stage renal disease. The
program will allow the trainees to assume increasing responsibility in the management of renal
disease in ambulatory, in-patient and intensive care settings.

GOAL
Based upon the Survey of Experts and Curricular Resources, the learner-oriented goals for
Chronic Kidney Disease for the Elderly are:
Patient Care:
Principal Educational Goals:
• Develop interviewing skills
• Develop physical examination skills
• Generate and prioritize differential diagnosis
• Develop rational, evidence-based management strategies
By the end of 1st Year of Fellowship, one must be able to:
• Elicit the patient’s history, past history, and the context in which the illness or symptoms occur
• Develop verbal and nonverbal communication skills in order to facilitate communication, elicit
the emotional content of the interview, and provide comfort
• Ensure patient’s understanding of nephrology and other terms used
• Perform an appropriate, technically correct physical examination
• Synthesize pertinent renal data into a differential diagnosis
• Recognize psychosocial issues that may affect patient compliance and outcomes
• Accept personal responsibility to follow-up on patient care plans and test results
• Formulate a diagnostic and therapeutic plan without supervision
• Apply appropriate preventative care for the patient with kidney disease seen in an outpatient
setting
• Overcome barriers to communication, including those derived from cultural differences or
physical and mental impairment
• Generate an appropriate differential diagnosis in all patients
• Develop an evidence-based therapeutic and diagnostic management plan independently for
most patients
• Coordinate patient care among all members of the health care team
• Establish and identify oneself as a responsible and responsive team leader
• Counsel and educate patients and families about kidney disease
• Develop skills for end of life and palliative care discussions and planning for the ill patient with
CKD and ESRD
• Optimize discharge planning and follow-up in the nephrology clinic or dialysis unit
• Perform procedures (urine microscopy, temporary catheters, renal biopsy) required by the
ABIM
In addition, by the end of the 2nd Year of Fellowship, one should be able to:
• Use the interview to identify cognitive impairment, anxiety, denial and defensiveness and be
able to manage each during the interview
• Independently perform the procedures (urine microscopy, temporary catheters, renal biopsy)
required by the ABIM
• Efficiently evaluate and manage patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting at the level of a
nephrology sub-specialist
• Function competently as a nephrology consultant

• Coordinate patient care among all members of the healthcare team and demonstrate leadership
skills to promote multidisciplinary management
• Demonstrate effective ability to lead end of life and palliative care discussions and planning for
the ill patient with CKD and ESRD.
Medical Knowledge:
• Expand clinically applicable knowledge base of basic and clinical nephrology sciences
• Develop and apply an analytical approach to renal diseases and nephrology
• Learn to access and evaluate nephrology literature relevant to patient care
By the end of 1st Year of Fellowship, one must be able to:
• Demonstrate knowledge of commonly encountered nephrology problems
• Perform a thorough literature search for pertinent renal issues
• Describe basic pathophysiology for common nephrology and hypertension-related conditions
• Follow-up on questions regarding optimal, evidence-based patient care
• Develop skills for effective case presentation and discussion of optimizing medical care for all
types of renal diseases
• Demonstrate improvement in performance on objective knowledge assessment (NephSAP)
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of commonly encountered inpatient and ambulatory
nephrology problems
• Demonstrate knowledge of nephrology literature analysis
• Demonstrate informatics skills to promote evidence-based medicine and quality care
application
• Solidify knowledge base by educating others (medical students, residents, PAs, co-fellows,
faculty)
• Demonstrate a level of knowledge appropriate for level of training compared with one’s peers
• Demonstrate in-depth pathophysiology for common and uncommon
• nephrology conditions
• Apply critical reading skills to current nephrology literature
• Read and review key journal publications on a regular basis
Interpersonal & Communication Skills:
• Communicate effectively with patients with kidney disease and their families
• Communicate effectively with physician colleagues at all levels
• Communicate effectively with all non-physician members of the health care team to assure
comprehensive and timely care of patients with all forms of kidney disease
• Maintain comprehensive, legible records
• Learn to communicate effectively through concise, logical and clinically useful discharge
summaries
By the end of the 1st Year of Fellowship, one must be able to:
• Ensure patients’ understanding of nephrology and other terms used

• Write appropriate nephrology admission and progress notes
• Communicate effectively with patients, families, nurses, and other staff
• Present nephrology cases accurately and succinctly on rounds
• Document all clinical responses to patient care needs legibly in the chart
• Develop skills to address frustration with our current healthcare system, or programmatic issues
in a productive and constructive manner
• Deliver bad news to patients with kidney disease (and their families) with empathy
• Create clinically useful discharge summaries for nephrologists and other health care providers
• Work effectively as a leader of the nephrology health care team
• Demonstrate effective listening skills and reliable responsiveness to the needs of students,
residents and co-fellows as well as the opinions and requests of multidisciplinary team members
• Provide education and counseling to patients, families and colleagues
• Communicate effectively with other consultants and primary care doctors to coordinate
effective care and follow-up for the patient with kidney disease
In addition, by the 2nd Year of Fellowship, one should be able to:
• Deliver polished and professional formal presentations on all nephrologic issues and renal
diseases
• Perform effective nephrology consultations
• Work effectively as a leader of the nephrology health care team
• Demonstrate skill in handling all difficult patient care situations
• Communicate near misses or mismanagement issues with the healthcare providers involved in
an educational manner
Professionalism:
• Display the elements of professionalism: altruism, accountability, excellence, duty, honor and
integrity, and respect for others
• Display the principles of confidentiality, integrity and conformed consent
• Recognize the signs of diminished professionalism, including abuse of power, arrogance,
greed, misrepresentation, impairment, lack of conscientiousness and conflict of interest
• Demonstrate respect, compassion, integrity, and responsiveness towards patients, families,
colleagues and all members of the nephrology health care team
• Demonstrate a personal sense of altruism by consistently acting in one’s patients’ best interest
• Demonstrate accountability by being punctual, completing patient care tasks, attending
conferences, completing administrative tasks
• Demonstrate understanding of the basic principles of patient autonomy
• Demonstrate leadership, serve as a role model for colleagues
In addition, by the 2nd Year of Fellowship one should be able to:
• Recognize and address physician impairment
• Conduct clinical nephrology research with honesty, integrity and protection of patients’ rights
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement:

• Identify and acknowledge gaps in personal knowledge and skills in the care of one’s patients
• Analyze nephrology practice experiences
• Develop and implement strategies for filling gaps in knowledge and skills
• Acknowledge limitations and errors and when to ask for assistance
• Perform directed study based on faculty feedback
• Seek and accept feedback from peers and faculty
• Participate in quality improvement activities and root cause analysis
• Perform directed study based on results of faculty feedback
Analyze one’s own practice by reviewing quality improvement projects
• Teach students, residents and peers effectively about various renal issues
• Use patient care errors to teach students, residents, and peers
• Use information technology to enhance care of complex patients with kidney disease
• Analyze and improve one’s own practice by reviewing charts through audits
Systems-Based Practice:
• Understand and utilize the multidisciplinary resources necessary to care optimally for
hospitalized patients with kidney disease

• Learn to collaborate with other members of the health care team to assure comprehensive care
of the patient with kidney disease
• Use evidence-based, cost conscious strategies in the care of patients with all forms of kidney
disease
• Learn to analyze complex systems of care to result in improved patient outcomes
• Collaborate with discharge planners to arrange safe and appropriate discharges for patients with
kidney disease
• Involve social workers in care of patients with kidney disease
• Recognize the systematic complexities that affect patient outcomes
• Function as the nephrology team leader within a multidisciplinary team
• Serve as a patient advocate in the outpatient and inpatient setting
• Develop a working knowledge of various care systems and the most appropriate disposition for
patients with kidney disease
By the end of the 2nd Year of Fellowship, one should be able to:
• Direct other subspecialty, surgical, nutritional, podiatric and social service consultations for
patients with kidney disease
• Use systemic approaches to reduce errors and effectively transition kidney disease patients
between care settings
• Strive to optimize patient follow-up by effective discharge planning to the nephrology clinic or
dialysis unit
• Promote medication reconciliation
• Practice effective allocation of health care resources to avoid compromising quality of care
• Recognize system deficiencies/complexities and strive for system improvement for patients
with kidney disease
DIDACTICS AND CORE CONFERENCES
Goals and Objectives
The core conferences take place approximately every week. This series of lectures covers the
core curriculum and is repeated annually. Topics covering both research and clinical practice
are covered throughout the year. Nephrology Faculty as well as allied specialties and
subspecialties are invited to present. A series of lectures in medical ethics and good research
practice is offered by the GCRC and the department of medicine.
Specific Objectives of Core Conference:
• Expand clinically applicable knowledge base of the basic and clinical sciences underlying the
care of medical inpatients
• Access and critically evaluate medical literature, and be able to apply knowledge to clinical
practice
• Demonstrate awareness and applications of newly emerging pathophysiology and therapeutics
concepts
• Promote appropriate, evidenced-based, and cost-effective use of diagnostic and therapeutic
interventions.
• Teach basic approaches to the analysis of problems and decision making

Other Departmental conferences:
- Renal Rounds: Friday 1:00 - 2:00 pm - Clinical and Physiologic discussions of case material
relevant to active patients presented by the consultation service in conjunction with the Pediatric
Renal group. Monthly guest speakers also present their current clinical or basic science research
in Nephrology.
- Renal Journal Club: Tuesday 8:30-9:30 AM presentation and discussion of important recent
articles on various aspects of the mechanism of renal disease.
• Bi-Weekly Renal Biopsy Conference: Thursday 8:30-9:30 AM - Case presentation of recent
patients biopsied with clinicopathological discussions run by the Renal Pathology division.
• Bi-Weekly Fellow’s Journal Club: Thursday 8:30-9:30 AM – In depth review of important
recent articles on various aspects of clinical nephrology.
-There are in addition two weekly "work-sessions" related to clinical care in which the clinical
fellow participates. These include:
- Bi-Weekly Dialysis Conference: Tuesday 2:00 PM - Joint session with psychiatry, social
service, nursing re active dialysis patients.
- Weekly Transplant Patient Conference: Monday 7:00-8:00 AM Joint session with psychiatry,
social service, and nursing services to review active transplant patient care problems. This is
followed by a weekly meeting with surgery, urology, and pediatrics to evaluate new transplant
candidates, and present topics of interest to the renal transplant team.
Specific Program Content

The participant is expected to gain experience in a wide variety of renal disease.
Every year, a questionnaire will be sent out to the fellows to gauge the depth
of exposure and to see if extra steps could be taken to deal with areas that are deficient.
1. Glomerular diseases
2. Diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy
3. Hypertension
4. Acute renal failure and intensive care unit nephrology
5. Chronic renal failure
7. Acid-base disorders
8. Fluid and electrolyte disorders
9. Cystic and inherited diseases of the kidney
10. Tubulointerstitial disease and urinary tract infection
11. Disorders of mineral and bone metabolism
12. Transplantation
13. Renal disease in pregnancy
14. Renal function testing
15. Pharmacology of drugs in renal disease
16. Professionalism and ethical conduct
17. Research design, methods. and responsible conduct
Glomerular Diseases
I. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Trainees should acquire a general understanding of the following areas:

1. Structure and function of the normal glomerulus and how alteration of these leads to
the cardinal features of glomerular injury (proteinuria and reduced GFR)
2. Principal immunologic mechanisms causing human glomerular diseases and the
features that distinguish them by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy
3. Fundamental features of the normal immune response and an awareness of current
concepts of autoimmunity and the factors that may be responsible for and mediate immunologic
glomerular injury
B. Trainees should be familiar with and develop an in-depth knowledge of:
1. The causes, clinical decision making, and treatment of common and uncommon causes
of hematuria and proteinuria
2. Etiology and clinical findings of glomerular syndromes. including nephrosis, nephritis,
and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis manifesting as renal-limited processes or associated
with systemic disease
C. Trainees should develop an in-depth knowledge of idiopathic glomerular diseases with
respect to pathology, clinical features and response to treatment of:
1. Minimal change nephropathy presenting in adolescents and adults, especially the
response to corticosteroid treatment, the development of acute renal failure in adults. and the
association with malignant tumors
2. Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, including types I, II, and III, and the
clinical and pathological features of this disorder in association with hepatitis C and
cryoglobulinemia
3. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), including its various pathological and

clinical syndromes and the association with conditions of reduced renal mass. The demographics,
clinical course, and outcome of the clinicopathologic syndromes of 'primary" focal sclerosis,
including collapsing FSGS, glomerular tip lesion, and perihilar FSGS
4. Membranous nephropathy, including the clinical, pathological, and diagnostic features
of both idiopathic membranous nephropathy and secondary membranous disease, and indepth
knowledge of the controversies regarding treatment of this disease
5. IgA nephropathy, especially its clinical course, natural history, and prognostic markers
6. Post infectious glomerulopathies, including bacterial, viral, parasitic, rickettsial, and
fungal infections, and their epidemiology, clinical course, and response to therapy, especially
with respect to HIV infections
D. Trainees should develop an in-depth knowledge of glomerular diseases associated with
systemic diseases with respect to pathology, clinical and serological features, and response to
treatment of:
1. Necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis
a. Anti-glomerular basement membrane disease
b. Immune complex diseases, including lupus nephritis, postinfectious
glomerulonephritis, and Henoch-Schonlein purpura
c. Pauci-immune glomerulonephritis and small vessel vasculitis
2. Renal manifestations of other rheumatic disorders, including systemic sclerosis,
Sjogren's syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Bechet's syndrome,
relapsing polychondritis, and familial Mediterranean fever
3. Renal disease in the dysproteinemias, including multiple myeloma, amyloidosis,
fibrillary glomerulopathy/immunotactoid glomerulopathy, and mixed cryoglobulinemia

II. PATIENT CARE EXPERIENCE
A Trainees should be familiar with and have experience in:
1. Diagnosis and management of patients with isolated proteinuria, hematuria, nephrotic
syndrome, and acute glomerulonephritis
2. Serological evaluation of glomerulonephritis, including the diagnostic value and
limitations of antiglomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM), ANCA, antinuclear and anti-
microbial antibodies, hypocomplementemia, and cryoglobulinemia
3. Indications for and complications of renal biopsy, as well as the morphological and
immunohistological features of the major glomerular diseases
4. Treatment of patients with nephrotic syndrome and acute glomerulonephritis, both
renal limited and secondary to systemic diseases, including the indications, complications, and
value of various immunosuppressive protocols
Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Nephropathy
I. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Trainees should. acquire a general understanding of current concepts of the pathophysiology
of diabetic glomerulosclerosis (DGS), including:
1. Epidemiology and course of nephropathy in insulindependent diabetes mellitus
(IDDM) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)
2. Pathophysiologic mechanisms and histologic manifestations of diabetic nephropathy
(DN)
3. Strategies for prevention of DN
4. Therapy of established DN
5. Modalities of therapy for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in DN, including
hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, kidney transplantation, and kidney pancreas transplantation
B. Trainees should develop an in-depth knowledge of:
1. Various ways in which diabetes mellitus (DM) may affect the kidneys and urinary tract
2. Cardinal clinical and histological features, as well as the epidemiology and course of
DGS in patients with IDDM and NIDDM
3. Results of clinical trials designed to prevent DN or slow its progression
4. Relative merits of different modalities of therapy for ESRD in diabetic patients,
including hemo- and peritoneal dialysis, kidney transplantation, and kidney-pancreas
transplantation
C. Trainees should be familiar with:
1. Definition, interpretation, prognostic value, and clinical use of "microalbuminuria"
2. Unique medical and surgical problems facing patients with advanced DN as well as
their management
A. Trainees must have experience in the evaluation and management of patients with progressive
diabetic nephropathy, both insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent. Experience with
treatment of blood pressure, fluid-electrolyte disorders, glycemia, and non-renal diabetic
complication is needed.
B. Trainees must have experience in the evaluation and management of patients with endstage
diabetic nephropathy who are receiving hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
C. Trainees must have experience with the evaluation of patients with diabetic nephropathy for
renal transplantation.
D. Trainees must have experience managing patients with diabetic nephropathy during and after
renal transplantation.
Hypertension
I. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Trainees must acquire knowledge and understanding of the following areas during the course
of their training:
1. Epidemiology of hypertension
2. Pathogenesis and natural history of primary hypertension
3. Evaluation of the hypertensive patient
4. Nonpharmacologic therapies of hypertension
5. Pharmacology and clinical use of antihypertensive agents
6. Hypertension in renal parenchymal disease during chronic dialysis and after renal
transplantation
7. Renovascular hypertension: pathogenesis, causes. clinical features, screening and
diagnostic tests, and management
8. Oral contraceptive-induced hypertension
9. Pheochromocytoma: pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and management
10. Primary aldosteronism: pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and
management
11. Other forms of secondary hypertension: Cushing's syndrome, congenital adrenal
hyperplasia, coarctation of the aorta, thyroid disease, hyperparathyroidism, acromegaly, sleep
apnea, and drugs

12. Hypertensive emergencies and urgencies
A. Trainees should be familiar with and have experience in the following areas in both the
outpatient and inpatient setting:
1. Trainees must be able to assess the severity of hypertension and end-organ damage.
They should be familiar with the role of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the evaluation
of the hypertensive patient.
2. Trainees must be able to define goals of treatment, be familiar with the
nonpharmacologic modalities as well as the use and side-effects of antihypertensive agents, and
be able to make appropriate therapeutic choices in the context of comorbid conditions.
3. Trainees must be familiar with the management of hypertension in renal parenchymal
disease during chronic dialysis and after renal transplantation.
4. Trainees must be able to identify symptoms and signs suggestive of secondary causes
of hypertension and be familiar with the various screening and diagnostic tests as well as the
management of these disorders.
5. Trainees must become familiar with the management of the various hypertensive
emergencies and urgencies.
Acute Renal Failure and Intensive Care Unit Nephrology
I. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Trainees must acquire knowledge and understanding of the following areas during the
course of their training:

1. Normal regulation of renal and glomerular hemodynamics
2. Differential diagnosis of acute renal failure
a. Pathophysiology of prerenal azotemia
b. Pathophysiology of intrinsic renal failure. including acute glomerular diseases, acute
i. tubular necrosis, and acute interstitial disease
c. Pathophysiology of obstructive renal failure
3. Mechanisms of acute renal failure (ARF) in the postoperative patient
4. Mechanisms of ARF in patients with hepatobiliary disease
5. Causes of ARF in patients with cancer and immunosuppression
6. Causes of ARF in patients with AIDS
7. Metabolic consequences of ARF
a. Hormonal
b. Nutritional
c. Electrolyte
d. Acid-base
e. Volume
8. Evaluation and management of ARF
a. Radiologic techniques in ARF
b. Biochemical evaluation of ARF
c. Role of the renal biopsy in ARF
d. Nondialytic therapy
e. Dialytic therapies
i. Role of hemodialysis
ii. Role of peritoneal dialysis
iii. Role of continuous therapy
9. Hemodynamic monitoring of the critically ill patient
10.Management of electrolyte/acid-base disturbances in the critically ill patient
11. Fluid management of the critically ill patient
12. Use of vasoactive drugs in the critically ill patient
13. Role of extracorporeal therapy in the management of drug overdose, specifically ethylene
glycol, methanol. lithium, theophylline, salicylate, and barbiturate
A. Trainees must have experience in the evaluation and management of acute renal failure.
B. Trainees must have experience in the evaluation and management of fluid-electrolyte and
acid-base disturbances in the critically ill patient.
C. Trainees should have experience in the evaluation of hemodynamics and the proper use of
fluids and vasoactive drugs in critically ill patients.
D. Trainees should have experience in the use of various ialytic techniques, including
hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and continuous venovenous hemodialysis.
E. Trainees should have experience in the use of extracorporeal therapy to remove specific
toxins.
F. Trainees should have experience in the placement of central lines.
Chronic Renal Failure

1. PROGRAM CONTENT
1. Various etiologies of chronic renal failure (CRF)
2. Evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of CRF resulting from glomerular, interstitial,
vascular, and obstructive processes including:
a. Diagnosis of glomerular processes
b. Diagnosis of interstitial processes
c. Diagnosis of prerenal processes
d. Diagnosis of obstructive processes
e. Diagnosis of systemic processes that led to CRF, specifically:
i. Diabetes mellitus
ii. Hypertension
iii. Ischemic renal disease
3. Current concepts and the results of clinical studies pertaining to the role of hypertension,
dietary composition, and divalent cations on the progression of chronic renal diseases
4. Predialysis management of CRF with particular regard to diet, anemia, metabolic bone
diseases, and drug dose adjustments
5. Role of anemia in the management of patients with CRF
a. Management of the anemia of chronic renal failure with the use of iron, erythropoietin
and other appropriate agents
6. Indications for initiation of ESRD therapy and placement of ESRD access in patients with
CRF
7. Appropriate use of drugs, including dose modification, for patients with progressive CRF
8. Interpretation of radiographic tests, including intravenous pyelography, computed
tomography, ultrasound, and radionuclide scan, in patients with CRF
A. Trainees must have at least one year of continuous outpatient clinic experience in the
management of patients with CRF.
B. Trainees must have a sufficient number of patients to evaluate and manage so that they
acquire expertise in the management of patients with glomerular, interstitial, and obstructive
renal processes. In addition, trainees should have a sufficient number of patients to work with
to be competent in the management of hypertension, anemia, and diabetes mellitus.
C. Trainees must be competent to interpret intravenous pyelograms, radiopharmaceutical
studies, renal arteriography, and renal ultrasound in the diagnosis of patients with CRF.
D. Trainees must be competent to perform - and must have performed a sufficient number of
percutaneous renal biopsies.
E. Trainees must have interpreted an appropriate number of renal biopsies so that they are
comfortable in reviewing histologic features and assigning appropriate diagnoses.
Dialysis
1.PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Types, advantages, disadvantages, complications, and management of acute and chronic
hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis access
B. Available water treatment and dialysis delivery machines for hemodialysis and connection
and cycling systems for peritoneal dialysis
C. Currently available hemodialyzers and their advantages and disadvantages, with
emphasis on differences in membrane composition, biocompatibility, and solute and water flux
D. Importance of and correct method of determining the dialysis prescription for hemodialysis
and peritoneal dialysis and of monitoring the actual delivered dose of dialysis
E. Most common complications of hemodialysis, including hypotension, cramps, arrhythmias,
hemolysis, and air embolism
F. Most common complications of peritoneal dialysis, including peritonitis, hypotension,
hernias, dialysate leaks, and inadequate dialysis
G. Available techniques, advantages, and possible drawbacks of dialyzer reprocessing
H. Continuous dialytic therapies, including continuous arteriovenous hemodiafiltration and
continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration
I. Nutritional considerations and management of ESRD patients
J. Evaluation and management of complications of ESRD, including anemia, renal
osteodystrophy, dialysis amyloidosis, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and acquired cystic disease
K. Appropriate use of drugs, including dose modifications for dialysis patients
L. Role of Medicare, the Health Care Financing Administration, Networks, US Renal Data
System, and voluntary organizations/societies (e.g., National Kidney Foundation, the ASN,
and the Renal Physicians Association) in the delivery and financing of care for ESRD patients

A. Trainees must manage patients with acute renal failure requiring dialysis treatment including
intermittent hemodialysis, continuous peritoneal dialysis, and the extracorporeal continuous renal
replacement therapies.
B. Trainees must manage patients with chronic renal failure on maintenance hemodialysis
longitudinally for a sufficient time to allow participation in the prescription of and monitoring of
the dose of delivered dialysis. assessment and adjustment of the need for and dose of
erythropoietin, evaluation and treatment of renal osteodystrophy, and ongoing evaluation of the
dialysis access
C. Trainees must manage patients with chronic renal failure on maintenance peritoneal dialysis
longitudinally as outlined above for hemodialysis patients. In addition. Trainees must participate
in the assessment of patients for suitability of various forms of dialytic therapy. along with a
multidisciplinary team.
Acid-Base Disorders
1. PROGRAM CONTENT
1. Acid-base chemistry and buffering
2. Determinants of arterial carbon dioxide tension and carbon dioxide balance
3. Determinants of plasma bicarbonate concentration and hydrogen ion balance, including
renal acidification processes and the physiology of bicarbonate reabsorption, titratable acid
excretion, and ammonium excretion
4. Clinical evaluation of acid-base disorders

5. Renal tubular acidosis: pathogenesis, clinical features, causes, diagnosis, and
management
6. Uremic acidosis: acid-base homeostasis in ESRD
7. Other types of metabolic acidosis: pathogenesis, clinical features, causes, diagnosis,
and management
8. Metabolic alkalosis: pathogenesis, clinical features' causes, diagnosis, and management
9. Respiratory acidosis: pathogenesis, clinical features, causes, diagnosis, and
management
10. Respiratory alkalosis: pathogenesis, clinical features, causes, diagnosis, and
management
11. Mixed acid-base disturbances
1. Trainees must assess the accuracy of the acid-base parameters and interpret serum and
urine acid-base data, including the anion gap.
2. Trainees must determine from the patient's history, physical findings, and laboratory
data the nature of the prevailing acid-base disorder and whether a simple or mixed acid-base
disorder is present.
3. Trainees must have experience in managing renal tubular acidosis, uremic acidosis,
and acid-base homeostasis in end-stage renal disease.
4. Trainees must have experience managing all other types of metabolic acidosis.
5. Trainees must have experience in the management of metabolic alkalosis.

6. Trainees must have experience in the management of respiratory acidosis and
alkalosis.
7. Trainees must have experience in the management of mixed acid-base disorders.
Fluid and Electrolyte Disorders
1. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Trainees must acquire knowledge and understanding of the following areas during the course
of their training:
1. Physiology of sodium balance, including sensors of extracellular volume, effecter
systems, tubular sodium transport processes, and the regulation of renal sodium excretion
2. Hypovolemia: pathophysiology, causes, clinical features, diagnosis, and management
3. Edematous disorders: pathophysiology, causes, clinical features, diagnosis, and
management
4. Clinical use and complications of diuretics
5. Physiology of water balance, including tonicity sensors, effecter systems, the
countercurrent mechanism for urine concentration, the cellular physiology of collecting duct
water reabsorption, and the regulation of water excretion by the kidney
6. Hyponatremia: pathophysiology, causes, clinical features, diagnosis, and management
7. Hypernatremia: pathophysiology, causes, clinical features, diagnosis, and management
8. Evaluation and management of the polyuric patient
9. Physiology of potassium balance, including the regulation of transcellular potassium
movement, tubular transport processes for potassium reabsorption and secretion, and the
regulation of potassium excretion by the kidney

10. Hypokalemia: pathophysiology, causes, clinical features, diagnosis, and management
11. Hyperkalemia: pathophysiology, causes, clinical features, diagnosis, and management
12. Disorders of sodium, water, and potassium balance in end-stage renal disease
1. Trainees must be able to assess the validity and relevance of serum and urine
electrolyte measurements for patient management.
2. Trainees must be able to assess volume status (including the interpretation of central
venous pressure and Swan-Ganz measurements) and recognize and manage hypovolemic and
edematous disorders.
3. Trainees must be familiar with the use and complications of diuretic therapy.
4. Trainees must be able to evaluate and manage hyponatremia in the acute and chronic
setting.
5. Trainees must be able to evaluate and manage hypernatremia in the acute and chronic
setting.
6. Trainees must be able to evaluate and manage the polyuric patient.
7. Trainees must be able to evaluate and manage the patient with hypokalemia for
hyperkalemia. They must be familiar with the acute as well as the long term management of
these disorders.
8. Trainees must be able to evaluate and manage disorders of sodium, water, and
potassium in patients with ESRD.

Cystic and Inherited Diseases of the Kidney
1. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Trainees should acquire knowledge of the following areas:
1. Genetics of inherited diseases
a. Understanding of Mendelian genetics
b. Understanding of gene linkage analysis
c. Knowledge of chromosomal localization and characteristics of the gene responsible for
the more common inherited renal disorders
2. Clinical, diagnostic and epidemiologic differences between simple, acquired, and inherited
cystic disorders and their potential for renal malignancies
3. Diagnosis of inherited and cystic disease
a. Use of gene link analysis and mutational analysis in the screening
b. Role of urinalysis, renal function testing, and radiologic testing
c. Possibilities of prenatal diagnosis and pretest counseling
4. Approach to the symptomatic patient
a. Familiarity with the natural history of inherited cystic and non-cystic disease
b. Knowledge of clinical presentations
c. Familiarity with extrarenal manifestations
5. Treatment
a. Knowledge of strategies to manage progression of renal failure, proteinuria, and
hypertension
a. in non-cystic inherited disease
b. Knowledge of management of pain, hypertension, renal stone, hematuria, infection, and
progressive
c. renal failure in patients with cystic disease
d. Familiarity with management of extrarenal manifestation of ADPKD, including mitral
valve prolapse diverticular disease, intracranial aneurysm, and hepatic cystic disease
A. Trainees should have experience in the diagnosis and management of various forms of
cystic renal disease, with particular emphasis on autosomal dominant polycystic kidney
disease (ADPKD) and its various renal and extrarenal complications.
B. Trainees should have experiences in the diagnosis and management of patients with non-
cystic inherited diseases, with emphasis on Alport's syndrome and its renal and extrarenal
complications.
C. Trainees should be familiar with the principles of genetic counseling of patients with inherited
renal disorders.
Tubulointerstitial Disease and Urinary Tract Infections
1. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Trainees should acquire a general understanding of:
1. Structure and function of the normal renal tubules and interstitium
2. Pathophysiological mechanisms of acute and chronic interstitial diseases

a. Immunologically mediated interstitial nephritides
b. Interstitial scarring as a consequence of primary reflux nephropathy
c. Obstructive nephropathy
3. Pathophysiology of interstitial disease
a. Immunopathogenetic and non-immune mechanisms
b. Relationship to glomerular function
c. Association with major tubular defects, including diabetes insipidus, acidification, and
potassium excretion
d. Effects of acute and chronic urinary obstruction
4. Diagnostic procedures
a. Assessment of tubular defects
b. Evaluation of obstruction
c. Definition of acute and chronic interstitial nephritis
5. Pathogenesis and treatment of bacterial urinary tract infections
a. Major pathogenetic species, routes, and course of infection
b. Appropriate antibiotic choices
c. Appropriate workup of the patient with multiple or resistance infections
A. Trainees should develop an in-depth knowledge of:
1. Clinical features, causes, course, and treatment of acute allergic interstitial nephritis
2. Clinical features, predisposing factors, complications, bacteriological profile, and treatment of
acute pyelonephritis
3. Management of patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic bacteriuria, including familiarity
with:
a. Major pathogenic species, routes, and course of infection
b. Appropriate antibiotic choices
c. Appropriate workup and treatment of patients with recurrent or resistant infections
d. Related syndromes, such as nonspecific urethritis, prostatitis, and hemorrhagic cystitis
4. Clinical and radiological features, course, and treatment of reflux nephropathy (chronic
pyelonephritis) and analgesic nephropathy, and the differential diagnosis of papillary necrosis
B. Trainees should be familiar with:
1. Pathological features of acute and chronic interstitial nephritides
2. Clinical laboratory tests to evaluate aspects of tubular function, concentrating ability, urine
acidification, potassium handling, and various reabsorptive functions
C. Trainees should be aware of unusual syndromes affecting the renal interstitium, such as
xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis, Iymphomatous infiltration, and variousgranulomatous
diseases
Disorders of Mineral and Bone Metabolism
I. PROGRAM CONTENT
1. Calcium and phosphorus balance in humans

2. Renal handling of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus
3. Physiology of calciotropic hormones, specifically parathyroid hormone, vitamin D,
calcitonin, and parathyroid hormone-related peptide
4. An integrated view of calcitropic hormone regulation in normal situations and in the
context of acute and chronic renal failure
5. Bone physiology
6. Methods to diagnose and treat different types of renal osteodystrophy, the interpretation
of bone turnover markers, bone mineral density and bone biopsies
7. Pathogenesis and treatment of calcium nephrolithiasis, urate nephrolithiasis, infected
stones, and cystine stones
8. Surgical procedures necessary for the treatment of stone disease
A. Trainees should also be familiar with, and preferably have experience in, the direct diagnosis
and management of the following areas, in both an outpatient and inpatient setting:
1. Different types of renal osteodystrophy
2. Hyper- and hypocalcemia, hyper- and hypophosphatemia, and hypoand
hypermagnesemia
3. Various forms of nephrolithiasis (significant exposure)
4. Interpretation of bone biopsies
Transplantation
1. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Immunology/lmmunogenetics
1. Normal immune response
2. Immune response to allografts
3. Inflammatory response to allografts
4. Mechanisms of tolerance
5. Immunogenetics and tissue typing, crossmatching, and surveillance for panel-reactive
antibodies
B. Transplant Pharmacology
1. Basic principles of pharmacology and the mechanisms of action of immunosuppressant
agents, including glucocorticoids, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine,
tacrolimus, sirolimus, and monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies
2. Basic principles of pharmacology of non-immunosuppressive medications used in
transplant for the prophylaxis of infection and the treatment of concurrent illnesses, with an
emphasis on anticipating and managing drug interactions
C. Organ Sharing and Allocation
D. Clinical Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation
1. Historical perspective
2. Pre-transplant evaluation of the recipient
3. Pre-transplant evaluation of the living donor
4. Pre-transplant evaluation of the cadaver donor/organ procurement
5. Surgical technique and surgical management
6. Physiology of the transplanted kidney
7. Pathogenesis and pathology of allograft dysfunction

8. Post-transplant care/in-hospital care
9. Post-transplant care/outpatient care short- and Iong-term
10. Expected clinical outcomes/analysis of risk factors
11. Special considerations in pediatric renal transplantation
12. Special considerations for pancreas and kidney/ pancreas transplantation
E. infectious diseases in transplantation/pre- and posttransplantation
F. Pregnancy and transplantation
G. Cancer and transplantation
H. Ethics of transplantation
I. Economics of transplantation
A. Pre-transplant: education. counseling, and evaluation of donor and recipient
B. Immediate postoperative management: evaluation and management of extracellular
fluid volume, falling urine output, and primary nonfunction of the transplanted kidney
C. Early post-transplant management: establishment of adequate immunosuppression;
diagnosis and therapy of rejection, infection. the hemolytic uremic syndrome, and urological and
vascular complications; and diagnosis and management of drug interactions and toxicities
D. Long-term post-transplant management: assessment for adequacy of
immunosuppression: management of complications of long-term immunosuppression, including
medication-induced allograft dysfunction, recurrence of the primary disease, de nova post-
transplant glomerulonephritis, post-transplant polycythemia, avascular necrosis, dyslipidemias,

glucose intolerance, liver function abnormalities, Lymphoproliferative diseases, and cancers
affecting the skin and other organs
Renal Disease in Pregnancy
I. PROGRAM CONTENT
1. Changes in the anatomy and function of the urinary tract during pregnancy, focusing
on the relevance of these changes to clinical circumstances, stressing alterations in the calyces
and ureters, renal hemodynamics, and tubular function (principally potassium and glucose)
2. Changes in acid-base metabolism in pregnancy, focusing on normal pH, HCO3, and
PCO2
3. An integrated view of volume homeostasis during pregnancy. This includes knowledge
of the normal gestational changes in weights intravascular and extracellular volume status, renal
salt handling, and the production of volume-regulating hormones.
4. Altered osmoregulation in pregnancy, focusing on changes in plasma sodium and
osmolality levels, as well as on certain disorders of water metabolism peculiar to gestation
5. Course and control of blocked pressure in normal pregnancy
6. Tests of kidney function, including indications for renal biopsy during pregnancy
7. Familiarity with the clinical spectrum and management of renal disorders in gestation.
This includes: pathogenesis and treatment or urinary tract infections; acute renal failure
(especially those primarily associated with gestation, i.e., septic abortion, abruption,
preeclampsia, acute fatty liver, and idiopathic postpartum renal failure); and chronic glomerular
and interstitial renal diseases antedating pregnancy.
8. Recognition of the presentation of stone disease during gestation and familiarity with
the effect of pregnancy on patients with nephrolithiasis
9. Familiarity with the administration of both acute and chronic renal replacement
therapy in pregnant women
10. Knowledge of the effects of pregnancy on the natural history of renal allografts and of
the conditions required for undertaking pregnancy in transplant recipients
11. Recognition and treatment of the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, particularly
preeclampsia and its variants such as HELLP syndrome. This includes the use in gravidas of
antihypertensive drugs and the prevention and treatment of eclampsia, including the
administration of magnesium sulfate.
12. Capability to perform preconception counseling pertinent for the maternal and fetal
prognoses for women with chronic hypertension and/or underlying kidney disorders
A. Trainees must diagnose and manage women whose pregnancies are complicated by acute
or chronic renal dysfunction as well as gestations complicated by hypertension. They should
have exposure to the presentation and management of gravidas experiencing acute
hypertensive crises, especially those crises complicated by systemic manifestations such as
liver dysfunction, thrombocytopenia, and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia.
Renal Function Testing

I. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Trainees are encouraged to develop knowledge and expertise in the following areas,
including indications, contraindications, complications, interpretation of results, cost
effectiveness, and application to patient care of:
1. Urinalysis, including dipstick and sediment
2. Measurement of renal plasma flow and GFR, including interpretation of serum
creatinine concentration and calculation of its clearance rate
3. Measurement of renal concentrating and diluting capacity
4. Measurement of microalbuminuria
5. Measurement of proteinuria, using semiquantitative and quantitative methods
6. Assessment of urinary acidification
7. Assessment of renal sodium and potassium handling
8. Renal radiology
a. Urography
b. Ultrasonography
c. Radionuclide scans
d. Computed tomography
e. Magnetic resonance imaging
f. Renal circulation imaging (angiography)
A. Trainees must be given sufficient direct experience to develop expertise in their
performance and interpretation of:
1. Urinalysis
2. Accurate and timed complete collection of urine for renal function testing, proteinuria,
and microalbuminuria
3. Fractional excretion of electrolytes
4. Renal function clearance studies
Pharmacology of Drugs in Renal Disease
I. PROGRAM CONTENT
1. Principles of drug pharmacokinetics
2. Renal handling of drugs and chemicals
3. Mechanisms of drug metabolism
4. Drug prescribing in disease states and during dial
5. Relevant drug-drug interactions
6. Mechanisms of drug nephrotoxicity
7. Management of drug-induced renal diseases
8. Therapeutic drug monitoring
9. Renal transplant immunosuppression
A. Trainees should also be familiar with, and preferably have experience in, the following
areas, in both an outpatient and inpatient setting:

1. Trainees must diagnose and manage patients with different drug-induced renal
syndromes.
2. Trainees should be able to prescribe for and adjust drug dosage in patients with renal
dysfunction.
3. Trainees should understand indications of therapeutic drug monitoring.
4. Trainees should be able to access drug and poison information.
5. Trainees should be familiar with common overdoses and the need for extracorporeal
therapy.
6. Trainees should prescribe and manage immunosuppression for renal transplantation.
Professionalism and Ethical Conduct
I. PROGRAM CONTENT
A. Programs are encouraged to use the resource document Project Professionalism, from the
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM; Philadelphia, 1995), to assist trainees in the
acquisition of knowledge and understanding of the following areas during the course of training:
1. Elements of professionalism
a. Altruism
b. Accountability, dependability, responsibility, and prudence
c. Excellence, but humility; continued education: commitment
d. Duty, justice, collegial collaboration
e. Honor and integrity, honesty and fidelity, trustworthiness
f. Respect for others, compassion, empathy
g. Common sense
2. Threats to professionalism
a. Abuse of power and position, sexual and other harassment
b. Arrogance, prejudice, bias
c. Greed and selfishness
d. Misrepresentation, clinical and scientific misconduct
e. Impairment, including substance abuse
f. Lack of conscientiousness
g. Conflicts of interest
B. Methods of evaluation of professionalism and ethical conduct in trainees
1. Utilizing ABIM peer evaluation professional associate rating forms from multiple
evaluators
2. Maintaining a critical events file documenting positive and constructive comments
3. Expanding traditional performance evaluation forms to incorporate components of
professional and ethical evaluation
4. Providing for professionalism and ethics evaluation in research performance
5. When necessary, providing a mechanism for remediation of professional and ethical
deficiencies
Research Design, Methods, and Responsible Conduct
I. PROGRAM CONTENT
1. Hypothesis development
2. Experimental design of human, animal, or other experiments

3. Elementary statistical analysis
4. If necessary, the writing of protocols that would be submitted to the institutional
review board (IRB) regulating research on humans or to the institutional animal care and use
committee (IACUC)
5. Preparation of data for publication
6. Acquisition, recording, and storage of data
7. Scientific integrity and the responsible conduct of research
a. Protection of animal and human subjects (IRB, IACUC)
b. Integrity in the collection and recording of data c. Integrity in the interpretation of data
c. Integrity in the authorship and publication
d. the Nuremberg Code, Helsinki Declaration, and Belmont Report
8. Scientific misconduct and fraud
a. Self-deception
b. Fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism
c. Conflicts of interest
i. Scientist-scientist relationship
ii. Scientist-industry relationship
II. RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
A. Trainees working in a laboratory must develop familiarity with and a working knowledge of
techniques and assays relevant to their project.
B. Trainees working on a clinical research project in a general clinical research center should
admit study subjects to the center, participate in obtaining informed consent, and play an active
role in the study.
C. Trainees participating in clinical outcomes studies must be familiar with the methods used
to acquire data and should participate in a meaningful way in the analysis of such information.
D. Trainees should participate in the preparation of abstracts, manuscripts, or reports that
originate as a result of the studies.
CURRICULUM FOR EACH ROTATION:
-DIALYSIS-HEMODIALYSIS AND PERITONEAL DIALYSIS
Goals and Objectives of the Dialysis Rotation:
Patient Care
Goals: Provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate and effective for the treatment
of patients with end stage renal disease treated with hemodialysis.
Objectives: By the end of the first year the fellow is expected to develop and demonstrate the
following skills:
i. Take a relevant history regarding patient responses to hemodialysis
ii. Be able to evaluate dialysis and ultrafiltration adequacy
iii. Be able to manage dialysis-related hypotension
iv. Be able to respond to fever and treat catheter-related infections
v. Be able to initiate hemodialysis in a new patient
vi. Be able to appropriately assess chest pain, nausea, vomiting, hypotension,
vii. weight gain and other acute symptoms associated with the hemodialysis procedure
By the end of the second-year fellows will be familiar with a more chronic picture provided by
the continuity of care afforded by following patients for up to a year. By the end of the year,
fellows are expected to develop and demonstrate the following skills:
i. Serve as the primary care provider for a cohort of patients receiving chronic
ii. outpatient hemodialysis
iii. Be able to assess and treat secondary hyperparathyroidism and understand
iv. the K/DOQI guidelines
v. Be able to assess the function of the hemodialysis access using physical
vi. examination and radiologic studies
vii. Be able to manage chronic hypertension in the hemodialysis patient
viii. Be familiar with the K/DOQI guidelines and protocols for management of
anemia
Medical Knowledge
Goal: The renal fellow must demonstrate knowledge of principles of hemodialysis including
technical aspects, indications for dialysis, management of dialysis and problems related to end
stage renal disease.
Objectives: The renal fellow is expected to become knowledgeable about:
i. the kinetic principles of hemodialysis
ii. the indications for dialysis
iii. the short-term and long-term complications of each mode of dialysis and their
management
iv. the principles of dialysis access (acute and long-term vascular and peritoneal),
v. including indications, techniques, and complications including thrombosis and

infections.
vi. urea kinetics and protein catabolic rate;
vii. dialysis modes and their relation to metabolism;
viii. nutritional management of dialysis patients;
ix. dialysis water treatment, delivery systems, and reuse of artificial kidneys;
x. the artificial membranes used in hemodialysis and biocompatibility; and
xi. the psychosocial and ethical issues of dialysis.
xii. the pathophysiology of disorders of calcium and phosphorus metabolism
xiii. contributing factors to accelerated atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients
xiv. reverse epidemiology of cardiovascular risk factors in hemodialysis patients
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
Goals: The renal fellow must demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of
patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and to continuously improve patient care
based on constant self-evaluation and lifelong learning. Residents are expected to develop skills
and habits to be able to achieve benchmarks established for the care of patients with end stage
renal disease outlined by K/DOQI and other professional society guidelines as they relate to
management of anemia, bone disease, cardiovascular risk factors, and nutrition.
Objectives: By the end of this rotation, both first and second year fellows are expected to
develop and demonstrate the following skills:
i. Identify and review one’s own errors in management
ii. Teach about errors in management (both one’s own, and those of others) with
tact
iii. Disclose errors to patients when appropriate
iv. Apply scientific evidence from the literature to one’s own patients and
distinguish evidence-based medicine from opinion
v. Become familiar with published guidelines for care of patients with ESRD and
be able to critically assess the evidence base for these guidelines
vi. Evaluate their panel of chronic dialysis patients for the degree to which they
have achieved adequate management of anemia, calcium/phosphorus
metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors
Systems Based Practice
Goal: Renal fellows must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger
context and system of health care, as well as the ability to call effectively on other
resources in the system to provide optimal health care for patients with end stage
renal disease being treated with hemodialysis.
Objectives: By the end of this rotation, first year fellows are expected to develop and
demonstrate the following skills:
i. Understand how nephrologists interact with general internal medicine,
cardiology, radiology, infectious disease, and anesthesiology services
ii. Be able to coordinate care of individual patients with other members of the
health care team
iii. Be able to call on system resources such as ethics consults and risk management
when appropriate
iv. In addition to the above, by the end of the second month of hemodialysis rotation,
first year fellows are expected to develop and demonstrate the following skills:
v. Be able to perform responsibilities in reporting of dialysis data (medical
evidence forms, death forms) ESRD networks and CMS when required
vi. Understand the government policies determining health care coverage for
patients with ESRD
vii. Become familiar with the systems issues related to home dialysis and
nocturnal dialysis
viii. Become familiar with the policies related to transport services for dialysis
patients
ix. Participate in a Performance Improvement (PI) project. This project will be
designed in collaboration with a nephrology attending. It will be desirable for
such a project to include adequate time for reassessment of results after
making an intervention if indicated
Professionalism
Goal: The renal fellow must demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional
responsibilities and an adherence to ethical principles. Renal fellows will be expected
to understand and become comfortable with the complex psychosocial issues related
to the treatment of ESRD.
Objectives: By the end of this rotation, all fellows are expected to develop and demonstrate the
following skills:
i. Demonstrate respect for other services, patients, and staff
ii. Maintain a focus on excellent patient care, and the patient’s needs
iii. Model professional behavior for the service
iv. Uphold basic ethical principles, especially as related to advanced directives,

medical futility, the withdrawal/withholding of life-sustaining treatments
v. Respect for patient privacy and autonomy
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Goal: Renal fellows must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in
the effective exchange of information and teaming with patients, their families, and
professional associates.
Objectives: By the end of the second month of the dialysis rotation, first year fellows are
expected to develop and demonstrate the following skills:
i. Be able to tell patients and family members about the initiation of the dialysis
procedure
ii. Obtain informed consent from patients for the hemodialysis procedure
iii. Be able to interact with vascular radiology and vascular surgery in the
management of the dialysis access
In addition to the above, by the end of the third month of the rotation, first year fellows
are expected to develop and demonstrate the following skills:
i. Explain to dialysis patients the important aspects of nutritional management
ii. Discuss implications of inter-dialytic weight gain with patients
iii. Work as part of the interdisciplinary team of nurses, nurse practitioner, surgeons,
psychologists in caring for dialysis patients
iv. Discuss end-of-life issues and advanced directives with patients and family
members
Teaching Methods:
i. Introductory (Core) Conferences given during the first 2 months of Fellowship
ii. Didactic Lectures during the remainder of the year
iii. Case-based conferences (including NephSAP)
iv. Multidisciplinary meetings held monthly
v. Monday Case Conferences and Morbidity/Mortality meetings
vi. Quality improvement projects/presentations
TRANSPLANTATION
Patient Care
Goals: Renal Fellows must be able to provide patient care that is compassionate,
appropriate, and effective for the treatment of renal transplant donors and recipients.
Objectives: By the end of the rotation the renal fellow is expected to develop and demonstrate
the following skills:
i. Communicate effectively and demonstrate respectful behavior when interacting
with patients referred for transplant evaluation.
ii. Gather essential and accurate information about their patients
iii. Make informed decisions about diagnostic and therapeutic interventions based on
medical knowledge, patient preferences and judgment
iv. Understand management plans, such as treatment of rejection, adjustment of
immunosuppressive medications and diagnostic procedures
v. Formulate and execute a plan to diagnose allograft dysfunction in the immediate
post-transplant period
vi. Interpret diagnostic tests including urinalysis, renal ultrasound, renal CT scan,
renal biopsy
vii. Use information technology to educate patients about transplantation and donation
viii. Perform transplant renal biopsies under supervision.
ix. Provide health maintenance and preventive health care, specifically aimed at
preventing complications of renal transplantation including toxicity of drugs,
opportunistic infection, malignancy, cardiovascular disease
x. Work with members of the transplant team, including surgeons, other consultants,
social workers, nurse practitioners, members of the organ procurement organization
and UNOS
xi. Demonstrate competency in performing transplant renal biopsies
xii. Independently formulate a diagnostic and treatment plan for complications of renal
transplantation
xiii. Diagnose and treat complications of pancreas transplantation
Medical Knowledge
Goal: The renal fellow must demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical,
clinical, epidemiological, and social-behavioral sciences related to renal and pancreas
transplantation
Objectives: By the end of the rotation the renal fellow is expected to acquire knowledge of:
i. Indications for renal transplantation, criteria for selection of donors and recipients,
understanding of the risks and benefits of marginal donors

ii. Post-operative management of transplant recipients: design of immunosuppressive
regimen, fluid management, recognition of technical complications and delayed graft
function, use of radiologic studies
iii. Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of cellular and antibody mediated rejection, use of
renal biopsy and immunohistochemistry
iv. Causes, evaluation and treatment of delayed graft function
v. Causes, evaluation and treatment of elevated creatinine at any time post-transplant
vi. Infectious complications of transplantation; prophylaxis, diagnosis and management
vii. Mechanism of and use of common immunosuppressive drugs,
viii. Long-term follow-up of transplant patients: management of hypertension, bone
disease, dyslipidemias, screening for malignancy, infectious diseases
ix. Long –term follow-up of renal function: chronic allograft nephropathy, calcineurin
effects, recurrent and de novo diseases
x. Preoperative evaluation of kidney donors and recipients
xi. Medical management of rejection: use of plasmapheresis, immune modulating
treatment
xii. Principles of tissue typing and management of living donor transplants with a
positive crossmatch
xiii. Epidemiology, screening strategies and treatment of post-transplant malignancy
including PTLD
xiv. Diagnosis and management of BK nephropathy
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement

Goals: The renal fellow must demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of
patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence and to continuously improve
patient care based on constant self-evaluation and lifelong learning.
Objectives: By the end of this rotation, first and second year fellows are expected to develop and
i. Analyze clinical experience and identify and review errors in management
ii. Participate in Transplant case management conferences and apply knowledge from
these conferences to patient care
iii. Use information technology to obtain and manage medical information relating to
the problems seen on the transplant service
iv. Apply information from large studies to improve care of patients, recognizing
limitations of study design statistical methods
v. Assess adherence to guidelines for transplant recipients management of
cardiovascular risk prevention, prevention of infections and malignancy
vi. Use knowledge obtained from the literature and experience to teach colleagues,
house staff and students
Systems Based Practice
Goal: Renal Fellows must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger
context and system of health care as well as the ability to call effectively on other
resources in the system to provide optimal health care.

i. Understand the resources involved in procuring and allocating organs for
transplantation: the role of UNOS, organ procurement organizations, donor
networks, tissue typing laboratories
Understand the cost-effectiveness of renal transplantation (deceased donor vs.
ii. living donor) as well as the cost-effectiveness of various immunosuppressive
regimens
iii. Assist patients with chronic kidney disease in obtaining access to evaluation for
transplantation
iv. Work with members of the transplant team to improve and consolidate cost-effective
health care delivery
Professionalism
Goal: The renal fellow must demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional
responsibilities and an adherence to ethical principles.
Demonstrate a commitment to ethical principles particularly as pertains obtaining
organs for transplantation and allocating them equitably
Demonstrate compassion and integrity by being responsive to patients’ needs
regardless of culture, age, gender, ability to pay
Interact professionally with other members of the health care team, colleagues and
students
Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Goal: Renal fellows must demonstrate interpersonal and communications skills that result in
the effective exchange of information and teaming with patients, their families and
professional associates.
Objectives: By the end of this rotation, first year fellows are expected to develop and
i. Establish rapport with patients from different backgrounds
ii. Provide appropriate counseling to patients and their families regarding their
therapeutic options: risks and benefits of renal transplantation, both from deceased
and living donors
iii. Communicate effectively with all members of the transplant team
iv. Interact with other physicians, nurses, and therapists caring for the patient
v. Interact with the staff of the transplant unit to promote cooperative care
vi. Provide teaching to residents and medical students
vii. Work with nurse practitioners to arrange transplant biopsies
viii. Communicate results of biopsies to nephrologists and transplant team
Teaching Methods: Attending rounds, multidisciplinary conference (Wednesday 7:00 am),
immunobiology conference, Q&A conferences, M&M conferences, transplant clinic.
Assessment Method (Fellow):
Fellows are evaluated by the Transplant Attending of the Month at the end of each month of
rotation; the evaluation is entered on the E*value system. In addition, the monthly Transplant
Attending gives the fellow verbal feedback at the end of the month.
Assessment Method (Program Evaluation):

The Transplant Rotation is discussed routinely at monthly Quality Improvement Meeting with
the Program Director and the Fellows, and at the periodic meetings with the Faculty and fellows.
The rotation is also evaluated in the written yearly evaluation of the program by the fellows.
Health Education Curriculum
1. Based upon the Health Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten through
Grade twelve, the scope of topics related to Chronic Kidney Disease in the Elderly
include:
a. Growth and Development
i. Explain how living things grow and mature
ii. Identify trusted adults who promote healthy growth and development
(E.G. physicians, nurses, dentist, optometrist, etc.)
2. Based upon the Journal of the National Kidney Foundation (2018), the scope of topics
related to chronic kidney disease in the elderly include:
a. Symptoms and Outcomes related to anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease
i. Symptoms/Quality of Life
ii. Mortality Risk
iii. Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
3. Based upon the Middle School and High School: Building a 21st Century Health
Curriculum, the scope of topics related to Chronic Kidney Disease in the Elderly include:
a. Mental/Emotional Health
i. The learner will analyze health standards at the state and national levels
and compare it to their school standards

ii. The learner will explain how personal health choices impact health
maintenance and disease prevention
4. Based upon the Standards of Learning for Public Schools of Virginia the scope of topics
related to chronic kidney disease in the elderly include:
a. Community Health and Wellness
i. Promotion of Healthy Communities
ii. Health Check for all ages
Community Resources
Four community resources for chronic kidney disease in the elderly include:
1. Fresenius Kidney Care
i. 440 W Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802
ii. (562) 462-4444
iii. https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com/
iv. The Fresenius Kidney Center provides clinical care for people with
chronic kidney disease as well as end stage renal disease. They offer
services such as in-house hemodialysis, in home hemodialysis assistance,
and patient support services, such as classes and educational materials.
v. Specific cost relating to the services they provide are unfortunately not
listed on their website.
2. National Kidney Foundation
i. 15490 Ventura Blvd., Suite 210, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
ii. (818) 783-8153
iii. https://www.kidney.org/
iv. Franco Reyna, Program Manager
v. The National Kidney Foundation is an organization focused on the
awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease. At the local Long
beach branch, they provide educational materials, kidney testing, dialysis,
pharmacy, and dietician services. Additionally, the National Kidney
Foundation is involved in advocacy and policy related to chronic kidney
disease.
3. UCLA Division of Nephrology
a. David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
i. 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095
ii. (310) 206-6741
iii. https://uclahealth.org/nephrology/default.cfm
iv. Reggie Mateo : [email protected]
v. UCLA Division of Nephrology offers a full consultative service for the
evaluation of patients. They also include an Outpatient Dialysis Service,
and have made a commitment to research, patient care, teaching, and
services.
4. Saddleback Church Kidney Disease Support Group
a. PEACE Center
i. 1 Purpose Drive, Lake Forest, CA 92630
ii. (949) 412-3210
iii. https://saddleback.com/care/supportgroup/kidney-disease-support-
group/lake-forest
iv. Helen Mills: [email protected]
v. It is a group of patients, friends, and family whose lives have been
impacted by Chronic Kidney Disease attending to encourage one another.
By sharing the experiences and knowledge about chronic kidney disease
with one another, they will have a strong support system throughout their
journey.
Work Cited
California State Board of Education. (2003). Health Framework for California Public Schools:
Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. Retrieved from
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Curricular Response: Chronic Kidney Disease in Elderly 1

Curricular Response: Chronic Kidney Disease in Elderly

HSC 440-02 4179

Professor Monica Montano

California State University of Long Beach

EACH ROTATION: In addition to educational and clinical requirements of the program,

socioeconomic, ethical, occupational environmental and behavioral issues in each rotation.

COMPETENCY-BASED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE NEPHROLOGY

disease in ambulatory, in-patient and intensive care settings.

Chronic Kidney Disease for the Elderly are:

Principal Educational Goals:

• Develop interviewing skills

• Develop physical examination skills

• Generate and prioritize differential diagnosis

• Develop rational, evidence-based management strategies

By the end of 1st Year of Fellowship, one must be able to:

the emotional content of the interview, and provide comfort

• Ensure patient’s understanding of nephrology and other terms used

• Perform an appropriate, technically correct physical examination

• Synthesize pertinent renal data into a differential diagnosis

• Formulate a diagnostic and therapeutic plan without supervision

• Overcome barriers to communication, including those derived from cultural differences or

physical and mental impairment

• Generate an appropriate differential diagnosis in all patients

• Develop an evidence-based therapeutic and diagnostic management plan independently for

• Establish and identify oneself as a responsible and responsive team leader

• Counsel and educate patients and families about kidney disease

CKD and ESRD

able to manage each during the interview

required by the ABIM

• Function competently as a nephrology consultant

skills to promote multidisciplinary management

the ill patient with CKD and ESRD.

Principal Educational Goals:

• Develop and apply an analytical approach to renal diseases and nephrology

• Learn to access and evaluate nephrology literature relevant to patient care

By the end of 1st Year of Fellowship, one must be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of commonly encountered nephrology problems

• Perform a thorough literature search for pertinent renal issues

• Describe basic pathophysiology for common nephrology and hypertension-related conditions

• Follow-up on questions regarding optimal, evidence-based patient care

types of renal diseases

• Demonstrate improvement in performance on objective knowledge assessment (NephSAP)

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of commonly encountered inpatient and ambulatory

• Demonstrate knowledge of nephrology literature analysis

• Demonstrate informatics skills to promote evidence-based medicine and quality care

• Demonstrate in-depth pathophysiology for common and uncommon

• Apply critical reading skills to current nephrology literature

• Read and review key journal publications on a regular basis

Interpersonal & Communication Skills:

Principal Educational Goals:

• Communicate effectively with physician colleagues at all levels

• Maintain comprehensive, legible records

• Ensure patients’ understanding of nephrology and other terms used

• Write appropriate nephrology admission and progress notes

• Communicate effectively with patients, families, nurses, and other staff

• Present nephrology cases accurately and succinctly on rounds

in a productive and constructive manner

• Work effectively as a leader of the nephrology health care team