Transplant Nephrology Fellowship

Houston Methodist Hospital has been at the forefront of Transplant in Houston for over 60 years. We lead nationally in multi-organ transplants and perform over 250 kidney transplants per year. The transplant nephrology fellow is integrally involved in the pre-operative evaluation and assessment of candidates, peri-operative management, and post-operative longitudinal care. The fellow gains exposure to transplant infectious disease, living donor evaluation, and transplant immunology . The fellowship is divided into 6 months on the inpatient service and 6 months in the outpatient setting. The inpatient service is a census of 15-20 patients and consists of multidisciplinary rounds, with a focus on management of new kidney alone and multi-organ kidney transplant recipients and post-transplant complications. A dedicated plasmapheresis rotation provides ample exposure to pre-transplant desensitization and post-transplant antibody-mediated rejection. Outpatient months include living donor and recipient evaluations, participation in the multidisciplinary Medical Review Board for kidney and non-kidney solid organ transplant listings, HLA rotation, and outpatient renal transplant biopsy, with two months protected for research.

During these research months, the fellow works on a project of their interest under the direction of either transplant nephrologists, surgeons, or the HLA lab personnel. The transplant fellows has a dedicated weekly post-transplant continuity clinic to allow longitudinal follow-up of transplant patients within the first three years post-transplant. Educational resources include access to the American Society of Transplantation (AST) Core Curriculum, transplant textbooks, and attendance at national transplant meetings, including the AST Fellows Conference and the American Transplant Congress. Didactic sessions include a dedicated weekly conference covering all aspects of transplant in conjunction with our transplant pharmacists, monthly multidisciplinary transplant journal club in conjunction with our transplant surgery team, bi-monthly transplant case review and performance improvement meetings, weekly transplant biopsy conference with our 5 dedicated transplant nephropathologists, and weekly transplant grand rounds. The transplant fellow is encouraged to submit case reports for presentation and publication. They are also involved in reviewing and updating clinical practice guidelines for key elements of pre-and post-transplant comprehensive care, involving immunosuppression, infectious disease prevention/surveillance, cardiovascular, mineral bone disease, and malignancy screening and treatment.

Thank you for your interest in the Houston Methodist Transplant Nephrology Fellowship Program. For the 2024 recruitment cycle, all applicants will be interviewed virtually.

Application Requirements

To be considered for the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship, certain requirements must be met:

 

• Submit a complete application to the program coordinator by deadline outlined in Selection Process
• Be of good professional character with at least two letters of recommendation attesting to your academic and personal qualifications
• Graduate of a U.S. or Canadian Medical School accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), or a medical school outside the United States and Canada with a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
• Graduate of an ACGME-accredited or RCPSC-accredited (Canadian) two-year nephrology fellowship training program
• All applicants must have taken and passed all three steps of USMLE exams. DO graduates must have taken and passed all three steps of COMLEX USA.
• American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)-board certified in internal medicine and board-eligible in nephrology by completion of nephrology fellowship
• Applicants must be eligible for licensure (Physician-in-Training permit or Full license) by the Texas Medical Board
• Our program sponsors J-1 visas. If you are a J-1 visa holder, you must be eligible for one year of training at the beginning of the fellowship.
• Training is from July 1 through June 30 (no exceptions)
• 2-3 letters of recommendation
• Curriculum Vitae
• Submission deadline – September 30, 2024

Responsibility

Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees, and communities around us. As a health care provider, it’s our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.

 

• Drug and Tobacco Screening- Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
• Background Check - Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.

 

We recruit for one fellow per academic year. The fellow is selected from among eligible applicants on the basis of their ability, academic credentials, aptitude, communication skills, intellectual and humanistic qualities, personal attributes (such as motivation and integrity), preparedness, and their ability to benefit from the program. These qualities may be accessed through the review of academic records, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores and other means, including interviews. The department does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, age, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Interviews are conducted from May through October. If the deadline for submission has passed, you may reach out to the program coordinator. We will consider late submissions on a case by case basis.