- Fellows appraise the medical literature and learn to understand basic statistical analysis through our journal club conference series.
- Fellows are paired with a faculty member who will work with them on their journal club presentations to help them choose appropriate articles to present, dive into the materials and methods sections, accurately present results, and analyze how this new information can be used in everyday practice.
The Nephrology Fellowship, in conjunction with the Wake Forest Department of Public Health Sciences, offers an optional track that extends one to two years beyond the two-year clinical fellowship during which a Master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology can be achieved.
During the post clinical years, the focus is chiefly on coursework and thesis development toward the M.S. degree. This track is a great option for those looking to pursue academic medicine, particularly in clinical research.
Research Focus and Expectations
The Section on Nephrology has a long history of strong clinical and translational research and maintains special focus in the following areas:
- Inherited kidney diseases
- APO-L1 related kidney disease
- Hemodialysis
- Peritoneal dialysis
- Interventional nephrology
- Acute kidney injury
- Electrolytes and metabolic acidosis
Learn more about the research interests of the nephrology faculty at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Several unique program resources help make fellow centered research a reality including:
- Cooperation with the Division of Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest University School of Medicine for readily available collaboration in statistical analysis.
- Access to our large outpatient dialysis system for observational research opportunities in the field of dialysis.
- A supportive staff at the Clinical and Translational Science Institute who provide resources for everything from grant writing to publication.
Fellows are required to complete one scholarly activity during their training, which can include a published manuscript, or a poster or presentation at a regional or national meeting. Fellows are also required to participate in continuous safety and quality improvement by attending some monthly Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) meetings held by medical directors of our dialysis units. Most of the nephrology faculty at Wake Forest University School of Medicine Nephrology Faculty serve as medical directors of at least one dialysis unit.