Overview and Objectives Clinical and Educational Activities Research Current Trainees Faculty Benefits Career Paths of Recent Graduates Contact Information and How to Apply

OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES
The Division of Nephrology and Hypertension offers fellowship training with a multidisciplinary approach across departmental lines, the common theme being an interest in kidney disease and physiology. Our program is designed to train nephrology experts by providing fellows with a broad-based experience in all aspects of clinical nephrology including kidney diseases, fluid-electrolyte and acid-base disorders, organ transplantation and hypertension. The training program starts with an initial clinical year followed by a second year, which combines consolidation of clinical experience with an opportunity to participate in clinical or laboratory investigation. This approach is aimed at the majority of fellows who are planning for a career mainly in clinical nephrology or who have not yet decided on specific goals. For those interested primarily in an academic career, additional years of research training may be arranged individually. During the second year, fellows have the opportunity to learn the essentials of preparing extramural grant requests (i.e., National Kidney Foundation).

The University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center also offers a one-year transplant nephrology fellowship, which is UNOS approved. Our program provides an all-around clinical experience in the art of multi-organ transplantation. This program is designed to train qualified transplant nephrologists in all aspects of transplant medicine, which includes a) direct day-to-day care of transplant recipients, both inpatient and outpatient settings, b) tailoring immunosuppressive therapy, c) performance and interpretation of transplant biopsies, d) observation and participation in donor organ procurements, e) sufficient experience in transplant immunology, including tissue typing and f) research experience in the field of transplantation.

All of the above aspects of transplantation are under the supervision of the attending transplant nephrologist with close interaction with the transplant surgeons, thus providing a comprehensive exposure to the field of transplant medicine, as well as state-of-the-art medical care. Interested candidates should have completed a two-year ACGME accredited nephrology fellowship. To apply, candidates should use the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) to upload required information.

CLINICAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Typically, first year fellows serve on the inpatient nephrology and hypertension consultation service and inpatient transplant service for eight and four months each, respectively. Fellows also attend two half-day ambulatory clinics throughout the year.

While exposure to acute hemodialysis is ample in the first year, exposure to chronic hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis is limited. The second year provides ample experience in chronic (outpatient) hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis through the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center and/or The University Hospital outpatient HD Unit, and the offsite, freestanding outpatient dialysis unit.

The renal consultation service sees approximately 600 nephrology referrals annually within The University Hospital system and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Fellows see all new consults and provide the initial assessment, followed by discussions with the consult attending. This experience provides intensive experience in the supervised management of patients with a broad range of renal problems, acid-base and electrolyte management, acute hemodialysis including continuous therapies and performance and interpretation of renal biopsies. The fellow shares teaching responsibilities with the rotating residents and medical students.

The university transplant service performs approximately 60 renal and 15 pancreas transplants per year. The Division of Nephrology and Hypertension works closely with the transplant surgery service, with three nephrologists fully committed to transplantation. The transplant rotation provides extensive experience in patient selection, medical management of transplant recipients and renal allograft biopsy and interpretation.

The University Hospital has a ten-station acute dialysis unit, as well as the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The Division of Nephrology and Hypertension operates two free-standing ambulatory dialysis centers that include a 28-station hemodialysis unit and a two-station peritoneal dialysis home training unit within several blocks of the medical center and two 12-station hemodialysis satellite units three and ten miles, respectively, northwest of the medical center. Currently, we care for approximately 400 dialysis patients of whom 15% are at home, mostly on CAPD.

In addition to the above services, the division operates a nephrology-hypertension outpatient clinic with more than 1,000 annual visits, a transplantation clinic with 2,900 visits and a renal-hypertension clinic with approximately 2,000 visits. The hypertension section provides comprehensive care to patients with complicated hypertension by evaluating risk factors and developing long-term treatment plans. The section is actively engaged in genetic hypertension research and in clinical drug trials. The Veterans Affairs Medical Center nephrology clinic has approximately 1,000 visits annually. Fellows participate in all of these outpatient services. The University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center complex includes The University Hospital, which has 695 beds; the adjacent Veterans Affairs Medical Center, which has 248 beds; and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center with 475 beds.

Our program is integrated with the pediatric nephrology program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center for education, research and patient care. Currently, our fellows have the opportunity to spend one month during the first year (exchange with Pediatric fellow) on the consult service at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Night call is taken at The University Hospital during that month.

Weekly teaching conferences include a clinical conference, a research conference and a core lecture series. An additional session is devoted weekly to NephSap and Brenner and Rector Physiology chapter reviews. The division also organizes a monthly biopsy conference and a monthly journal club that are primarily coordinated by the fellows. The departments of pediatric nephrology, urology and radiology organize optional clinical conferences. The division faculty members along with the departments of physiology and biophysics, molecular genetics, biochemistry and microbiology, and pharmacology and cell biophysics provide a wide variety of basic science seminars.

RESEARCH

The research opportunities include participation in ongoing clinical research in dialysis and transplantation. All fellows are required to participate in research and a publication is expected. For those interested in academic research, a three-year fellowship is required. Supervision of research training is provided by internationally recognized leaders in a variety of biomedical disciplines relevant to epithelial ion transports, including physiology, molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, immunology and pathology.

CURRENT TRAINEES

First Year Fellows:
Anmar Naser Al-Rabadi, MD
Medical School: Jordon University of Science and Technology
Residency: Good Samaritan Hospital

Subir Labana, MD
Medical School: Maulana Azad Medical College & Associated Hospital
Residency: Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

Arshdeep Tindni, MD
Medical School: University College of Medical Sciences
Residency: University of Tennessee

Sudhir Vyakaranam, MD
Medical School: Gandhi Medical College
Residency: Drexel University College of Medicine

Second Year Fellows:
Abhijeet Goyal, MD
Medical School: Kasturba Medical College
Residency: Wayne State University

Syed Saghir, MD
Medical School: Patna Medical College and Hospital
Residency: The Christ Hospital and University of Cincinnati

FACULTY

Name	Position
Alloway, Rita - PharmD	Research Professor
Amlal, Hassane - PhD	Research Assistant Professor
Boyle, Janet - MD	Assistant Professor
Cohen, Loren - MD	Associate Professor
Conforti, Laura - PhD	Research Associate Professor
Duncan, Heather - PhD	Field Services Assistant Professor
El-Khatib, Mahmoud - MD, PhD	Associate Professor
Galla, John - MD	Professor Emeritus
Amit Govil - MD	Assistant Professor
Kant, K. Shashi - MD	Professor
Lee, Timmy - MD	Assistant Professor
Luke, Robert - MD	Professor
Mogilishetty, Gautham - MD	Assistant Professor
Petrovic, Snezana - MD, PhD	Research Assistant Professor
Reif, Max - MD	Professor, Associate Director of Clinical Affairs
Roy-Chaudhury, Prabir - MD, PhD	Professor
Singh, Satwant - MD	Professor, Fellowship Program Director
Soleimani, Manoocher - MD	Professor, Division Director
Thakar, Charuhas - MD	Assistant Professor, Chief of Nephrology VAMC
N Ganesh Yadlapalli - MD	Assistant Professor

BENEFITS
You may find benefit information on the web site for the Health Alliance Office of Graduate Medical Education at www.med.uc.edu/residency.

CAREER PATHS OF RECENT GRADUATES

Program Graduate	Practice Name	Practice Location	Year of Completion
Joseph DeJonckheere, MD	Harrisburg Hospital	Harrisburg, PA	2002
Nega Woldehawariat, MD	Cobb Nephrology	Marietta, GA	2002
Vishwanath Halukurike, MD	Harlan Hospital	Baxter, KY	2003
Douglas Nicholson, MD	Private Practice	Rock Hill, SC	2003
Anthony Degenhard, DO	Kidney and Hypertension Consultants Inc.	Canton, OH	2004
Debby DeSalvo, DO	Grand Strand Hospital	Myrtle Beach, SC	2004
Krishna Konijeti, MD	Nephrology Associates of Kentuckiana	Louisville, KY	2004
James Davis, MD	Kidney and Hypertension Center	Cincinnati, OH	2005
Anil Jain, MD	University of Cincinnati	Cincinnati, OH	2005
Melissa Schnell, MD	Renal Physicians, Inc.	Dayton, OH	2005
Glenn Allen Bryant, III, MD	Kidney and Hypertension, Inc.	Lima, OH	2006
Rahul Mediwala, MD	Kidney and Hypertension Center	Cincinnati, OH	2006
Romanita Nica, MD	Private Practice	Scottsdale, AR	2006
Pankaj Dhingra, MD	All Saints Healthcare	Racine, WI	2007
Margaret Quate-Operacz, MD	Nephrology Physicians Services	Mishawaka, IN	2007
Shirisha Bodana, DO	Ochsner Clinic	New Orleans, LA	2008
Sushmitha Gandra, MD	Nephrology and Hypertension Associates	Langhorne, PA	2008
Ian Meyer, DO	Mt. Auburn Nephrology	Cincinnati, OH	2008
Paul Laflam, MD	Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center	Lebanon, NH	2009
Hsaio Lai, MD	East Carolina University	Greenville, NC	2009
John Ranker, MD	Lake Erie Nephrology and Hypertension Associates	Findlay, OH	2009
Ahsan Ullah, MD	Midwest Nephrology and Hypertension	Springfield, OH	2009

CONTACT INFORMATION AND HOW TO APPLY

Contact Information for this Program:
Nephrology Fellowship Program
Attn: Division Senior Administrative Assistant
231 Albert Sabin Way, P.O. Box 670585
Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0585
Phone 513-558-5471
Fax 513-558-4309
cinneph@uc.edu

To apply, candidates should use the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS).