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Clinical Track

Our Clinical Fellowship Training is centered around four training sites: Parkland Health & Hospital System, University Hospitals, the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and DaVita/UTSW Joint Venture Dialysis Unit. The breadth of experience afforded by this range of clinical settings is second to none. The program is designed to provide diverse training in all aspects of clinical nephrology. This experience is further enriched by close interactions with a deep faculty body, both in the lecture room and on teaching rounds. Faculty that have made major contributions to our understanding of kidney physiology and disease routinely attend on service and contribute to the didactic lecture series.

Unique Clinical Strengths

  1. Vast exposure to critical care nephrology afforded by the large number of ICU beds in three large training hospitals
  2. An immense population of patients with non-diabetic glomerular disease, cared for in a dedicated Parkland Glomerulonephritis Clinic
  3. Extensive experience in peritoneal dialysis afforded by one of the largest peritoneal dialysis clinics in the country
  4. Robust exposure to stone disease. The Charles and Jane Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism at UT Southwestern is where much of the pathophysiology and therapeutics of nephrolithiasis has been discovered
  5. A strong foundation of transplant nephrology. We have established the first renal transplant fellowship program in Texas
  6. An exceptionally well developed Integrated Curriculum

Typical Rotation Distribution in the Two Year Clinical Track

Rotation1st Clinical Year
(4-week blocks)		2nd Clinical Year
(4-week blocks)
University Hospital Transplant 2 1
University Hospital Consults 0 2
VA Consults 2 0
Float Fellow 1 1
Parkland Consults 1 1
Parkland Procedures/Transplant* 2 0
Ambulatory I* 1 2
Ambulatory II* 1 1
VA Dialysis* 1 1
Research* 1 2
Night Call* 1 2
*Rotations affording additional time for scholarly activity

Synopsis of Rotations

  1. Parkland Consults – Provide inpatient nephrology consultation at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Consults for maintenance dialysis are not seen as these are distributed to a non-teaching service. The rotation is capped at a total census of 25 patients for a service consisting of one faculty member, one fellow, two residents, and up to two students. Procedures are covered by the Procedure Service.
  2. Parkland Procedures/Transplant – Provide support to the Parkland Consult Service by performing renal biopsies and temporary vascular access for those trainees interested in gaining proficiency in these procedures. Additionally, provide inpatient consultation for patients with solid organ transplants admitted to Parkland Memorial Hospital. There are no primary service responsibilities as the fellow functions in a purely consultative role.
  3. William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital Transplant – Provide inpatient nephrology consultation at Clements University Hospital for patients with solid organ transplants or undergoing advanced heart failure therapies.
  4. William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital General Nephrology Consults – Provide inpatient nephrology consultation at Clements University Hospital for patients without functioning transplants. Consults for maintenance dialysis are not seen as these are distributed to a non-teaching service. The rotation is limited to second year fellows who take a lead role in service resident education.
  5. VA Consult – Provide inpatient nephrology consultation at Dallas VAMC. The fundamentals of nephrology are emphasized in this rotation which is limited to first year fellows. Consults for routine maintenance hemodialysis are primarily covered by an advanced practice provider.
  6. Ambulatory I and II – Evaluate and treat patients in the General Nephrology Clinic, Transplant Clinic, Glomerulonephritis Clinic, Mineral Metabolism Clinic, Peritoneal Dialysis Clinic, and Apheresis Clinic.  In addition, POCUS training is imbedded in these rotations.
  7. Research – Evaluate and treat patients in the VA Stone Clinic and VA General Nephrology Clinic for three half days per week. The remaining time is available to engage in scholarly activity under the mentorship of a faculty member.
  8. VA Dialysis - Evaluate and treat patients receiving outpatient hemodialysis.  Additionally, education in home hemodialysis is provided in this rotation.
  9. Night Call – Provide after-hours coverage for all of our teaching hospitals. Call is taken from home with the fellow going into the hospital to provide urgent nephrology consultation on approximately 30 percent of nights.
 
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