The University of Louisville Nephrology Fellowship Program

Goals, Philosophy, Orientation, Structure

The University of Louisville has an active, vibrant, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited fellowship program that was first established in 1964 with funds from the National Institutes of Health. For the past 50 years, our goal has been to train outstanding clinical nephrologists and physician scientists.

The program is open to all eligible applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age.

Throughout their training, fellows have the opportunity to experience and become proficient in all aspects of nephrology including inpatient and outpatient general nephrology, hemo and peritoneal dialysis, renal transplantation, interventional nephrology, renal pathology, and basic and clinical research. Fellows can also pursue other nephrology interests through a variety of electives that can be tailored to individual interests [see list of elective opportunities]. The program is flexible enough to allow fellows the opportunity to create an elective that currently is not offered. This structure allows the individual fellow to discover and explore a wide variety of potential career paths prior to completion of training.

About the Program

The Kidney Disease Program accepts three to four new qualified candidates each year into our two or three year training program. During the first two years, fellows complete their core requirements for eligibility to sit for the Nephrology Board Examination sponsored by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), with the first year being devoted to the basics while ample time for electives is provided in the second year. Fellows who wish to pursue an academic career or who wish to engage in more in depth training in a particular aspect of nephrology are encouraged to spend an optional third year engaged in either clinical or basic science research or training in interventional nephrology or glomerular disease. Fellows may take classes in the Basic Science Department at the University and are encouraged to seek an advanced basic science degree during their fellowship.

Getting Started

Thank you for your interest in our Fellowship Program. We will be accepting applications through ERAS for positions starting in July 2024. Our Nephrology Training Program participates in the National Match Program. We will begin downloading applications in July of 2023.  Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams on Fridays in  August, September and October of 2023. 

• In order to serve as a Fellow in our program, you must be eligible to take the American Board of Internal Medicine certification exam or be certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. In addition, you must qualify for a Kentucky medical license.
• One requirement for licensure in Kentucky is completion of a least a PGY 1 (Internship) training year in the United States or Canada. The University of Louisville does not support H1-B visa for a clinical fellowship applicant. International graduates must be Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certified.
• If you have finished your residency please send your ABIM board scores. Fellows are selected for interview at this program based on academic performance, quality of pre-fellowship training, and evidence of significant interest in the subspecialty of nephrology.
• The Division is committed to selecting applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Locations for the Program

Fellows receive their clinical training at four hospitals on the Medical Center Campus, the University Kidney Disease Center dialysis unit, the outpatient offices, and the Interventional Suite.

• UofL Health - UofL Hospital is one of Kentucky’s only level-one trauma centers and has an active bone marrow transplant unit. Fellows gain experience in all aspects of extracorporeal circulation for acute kidney failure, including acute hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, slow continuous dialysis/ultrafiltration and plasmapheresis.
• UofL Health - Jewish Hospital is the site of the University of Louisville’s solid organ transplant programs and is one of the top kidney transplant programs in the United States. More than 80 kidney transplants are performed each year. Fellows gain experience in tissue typing, the management of immunosuppressive drugs, and the treatment of transplant complications. Jewish Hospital also has programs in transplantation for multiple solid organs including heart, lung, pancreas, and liver; innovative research in mechanical assist devices for the treatment of heart failure; and world-recognized novel treatments for spinal cord injury at its neighboring partner, Frazier Rehabilitation Institute.
• Some of the Kidney Disease’s Program patients are also admitted to the adjacent Norton Hospital. The Norton Health Care system boasts two hospitals on the downtown medical campus including the Norton Hospital and Norton Children's Hospital where many of our dialysis patients are admitted for care related to vascular access or other medical problems. Renal fellows have the opportunity on elective months to see pediatric patients in the outpatient and inpatient setting.
• The Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center is an integral part of the nephrology training program. Located less than three miles from the University Medical Center, this hospital cares for veterans throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
• The outpatient program located within the UofL Physicans Outpatient Center is across the street from the Kidney Disease Program and is the site for most of the outpatient general nephrology and subspecialty clinics.
• The Interventional Nephrology Suite is located in the same building and is directly adjacent to the outpatient clinics. This full service facility is equipped with fluoroscopy, ultrasound, and infusion capabilities.

Opportunities for Research

• Research opportunities are available to Fellows in the basic science research labs in the Baxter buildings or in the clinical research program of the Kidney Disease Program. Basic science research interests include proteomics, molecular biology, signal transduction, and cell biochemistry. Clinical research projects in drug dosing in renal disease, nephrotoxicity, Erythropoetin Stimulating Agents, dialysis outcomes, dialyzers, transplantation, and interventional nephrology are available for Fellows.