Core Experiences

Inpatient Consultative Service:
Fellows round on the inpatient nephrology consult service at one single location - Cooper University Hospital. This 600-bed tertiary care center provides immediate care for the urban population of Camden, and also acts as a referral center for a wide geographic area covering South Jersey. It contains several ICUs and is home to a world-renowned critical care department and level 1 trauma center. The nephrology service is purely consultative. Medical students from Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, as well as Internal Medicine residents often rotate on service. A robust team of Advanced Practice Providers help ensure that the learning environment remains intact for a well-rounded educational experience. 

Outpatient Continuity Clinic:
Fellows take care of their own panel of patients at 3 Cooper Plaza, suite 215, located just across the street from the main hospital. Patient encounters are staffed by attending nephrologists, but the patients are primarily assigned to the Fellows to follow up on labs and return patient calls. This clinic occurs one half day each week. 

Transplantation Service:
We have a long-standing strong relationship with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where our fellows will complete their transplant rotations. This world-renowned institution completes hundreds of transplants a year. Fellows will gain exposure to cutting edge developments in this field through rounding on the inpatient transplant service as well as participating in outpatient transplant clinics.

Peritoneal Dialysis Clinic:
Fellows will be trained to assess patients for home modalities, and to engage with them in shared decision-making.  Fellows will play an integral role in coordinating with our surgery team and outpatient dialysis staff to ensure a smooth transition from CKD to home dialysis.  We have a robust peritoneal dialysis program, and fellows have the opportunity to take care of patients on a longitudinal basis to learn the nuances in management.  As a result, our fellows are well-equipped to handle the various complications associated with PD including access issues, infectious complications, and ultrafiltration failure among others.    

Outpatient In Center Hemodialysis:
Fellows will round with attendings at one of our several outpatient hemodialysis units. Here they will gain exposure to dialysis access issues, anemia management, fluid volume management, mineral and bone disease management, goals of care discussions, and transitioning patients to transplant and home dialysis. 

Medical Director Rounds:
Through these special blocks, fellows will gain experience with the business and management aspects of leading a dialysis unit. Fellows will help make decisions regarding patient admissions, help resolve human resources issues, and learn about water treatment at our outpatient dialysis clinics. 

Glomerulonephritis Clinic:
Fellows will rotate with two of our experts in complex glomerular disorders. They will be exposed to immunosuppression management along with its potential complications, review of kidney biopsies, and considerations for clinical trial referrals.

Onconephrology Clinic:
We are fortunate to have access to the resources of the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper University hospital, and fellows have the opportunity to rotate through this unique clinic. They will gain experience identifying and treating the side effects of different therapies used for the treatment of malignancies, as well as taking care of CKD patients and helping to navigate unique goals of care discussions in the setting of malignancy. 

Elective Opportunities:

Kidney Biopsies:
Fellows will have the opportunity to perform kidney biopsies under ultrasound or CT guidance. These are performed by a select group of our faculty and are performed in the main hospital. 

Critical Care Rotations:
Fellows will have the opportunity to rotate with our internationally recognized critical care teams. They will gain a deeper understanding of hemodynamics, advanced therapies including ECMO and IABP, and have the opportunity to place non-tunneled dialysis catheters. 

Medical Education Didactics:
Fellows with a particular interest in medical education, or who want to explore if this avenue is appropriate for them in their future careers, can participate in this didactic week to gain more education on a variety of topics from lecture creation, to providing feedback to learners, and how to manage anxiety while presenting.