Research
Clinical
Journal Club
Biopsy
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Morbidity and Mortality
Medical Grand Rounds
Multidisciplinary Conferences |
Research Conference
The faculty conduct a formal research conference two to three times per month. The conference is designed to provide the nephrology fellows with the necessary guidance to conduct clinical research, including research design and methods. The conference also provides the fellows with a venue to learn the appropriate methods for ethical research practices. |
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Clinical Conference
The nephrology fellows present interesting cases and/or cases resulting in complications or death to a faculty moderator twice per month. The conference is conducted in an informal setting and provides a venue for the fellows to discuss adverse events and difficult cases and to provide suggestions for improvement in patient management. |
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Journal Club
The nephrology fellows present a formal conference to the faculty, visiting attendings, rotating internal medicine residents, and medical students twice/month. Journal Club is designed to enhance the nephrology fellow’s knowledge base and presentation skills. Residents typically select patient care issues that have arisen during their monthly rotations. The conference is mandatory for nephrology fellows, and all available nephrology faculty members are expected to attend as well. The fellows present articles from the current medical literature.
The following are examples of Journal Club presentations prepared by our fellows: |
| Urinary Markers |
| Cardiac MRI Presentation |
| Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy |
| Intravenous Iron and Infection Risk |
| Renin Inhibitor - Aliskiren for the Treatment of Essential Hypertension |
| Role of Plasmapheresis in Treating Myeloma Cast Nephropathy |
Biopsy Conference
A renal pathologist presents a formal monthly conference to provide the nephrology fellows additional experience in interpreting renal pathology. The conference is designed to permit the residents to directly interpret slides in the presence of the faculty and renal pathologist and discuss pertinent findings. Pathology residents often attend this conference, providing multidisciplinary interactions between Pathology and Nephrology. |
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Morbidity and Mortality Conference
The nephrology fellows present interesting cases and/or cases resulting in complications or death. The conference provides a formal venue for monthly discussion of adverse events or difficult cases. Suggestions for improvement in patient management form the basis of discussion at this conference. |
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Medical Grand Rounds
The Department of Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital presents Medical Grand Rounds each week which the nephrology fellows and faculty are required to attend. Lectures are presented by nationally recognized experts and enhance the nephrology fellows’ internal medicine knowledge base. Topics include areas of general interest to both internists and subspecialists. |
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Multidisciplinary Conferences |
1) ESRD Conference: A multidisciplinary conference is conducted twice each year for every dialysis outpatient. Nephrology subspecialty fellows are required to attend these meetings for each of their assigned dialysis panel patients. Attendees include: the nephrology faculty attending and nephrology fellow caring for the patient, nurse manager, renal dietitian, and renal social worker. Each patient’s care plan is discussed in detail and recommendations are made for improvements in quality of care. |
2) Transplant Conference: A multidisciplinary conference is conducted weekly by the Division of Transplantation Services. Attendees include: the nephrology faculty attending and nephrology fellow assigned to the Nephrology Transplant Service, transplant surgeons, a renal social worker, and transplant coordinators. A review of prospective recipients for transplant surgery (kidney, pancreas, or kidney/pancreas) takes place, and input is gathered from the various disciplines involved in the decision-making process. The conference allows the nephrology fellow to participate in the multi-disciplinary venue necessary to determine if patients qualify as potential transplant recipients. |
3) Q.A. Conference: A multidisciplinary Quality Assurance (Q.A.) conference is held monthly in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension. Attendees include: the Medical Director of the AGH Outpatient Dialysis Unit, the nephrology fellow assigned to the Ambulatory Rotation, the nurse manager of the dialysis unit, renal social worker, and renal dietitian. Quality assurance issues pertaining to the dialysis unit and patients are discussed in detail. Participation in the conference provides the nephrology fellow with an overview of the responsibilities of a dialysis unit medical director. |
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