Renal and Electrolyte Disorders
ME 521M.5
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
This clinical elective will provide the student with an immersive experience in Nephrology. Depending on the student's clinical interests and learning goals, this 4-week elective is highly flexible, offering a variety of experiences in the specialty of nephrology to provide a tailored and in-depth exposure to the field. Students will spend the majority of their time on the inpatient General Nephrology Consult service (including ICU), directly alongside a nephrology fellow (PGY4), attending nephrologist, and often a rotating Internal Medicine resident. This direct access to both fellow and attending nephrologist provides exceptional continuity of care within a comfortable learning environment, where the student will take full ownership of their assigned patients with electrolytes disorders (hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, hypercalcemia), acid-base disturbances, acute kidney injury, cardiorenal syndrome, hepatorenal syndrome, malignancy-related kidney dysfunction, and/or kidney replacement therapies (i.e., acute dialysis). Skills in urinalysis and urine microscopy will also be emphasized. Attendance at outpatient dialysis rounds can also be arranged with the clerkship director, if desired.
Most students will also choose to spend time on the inpatient Transplant Nephrology service, where a dedicated nephrology fellow, transplant nephrology fellow (PGY6) and attending transplant nephrologist care for patients with kidney or pancreas transplant-related complications, learning about immunosuppression management and how the kidney transplant process works. Outpatient experiences in both general and transplant nephrology provide a well-rounded exposure to the field, as the student is welcome to attend any outpatient clinic offered by our nephrology clinician-educators.
Students will attend all of the educational conferences provided to the nephrology fellows, held at 12 noon on most days of the week, including Journal Club, Nephrology Grand Rounds, Core Curriculum topics in dialysis and transplantation, as well as a flipped-classroom style "electrolytes session", led by our nephrology fellowship training program director. All rotating students are expected to present a case at one of our (low-stress and very supportive!) weekly Division Case Conference on Friday afternoons.
There is no night or weekend call on this elective.
Not Available for Cross Registration
Open to Domestic Visiting Students
Open to International Visiting Students
