Kidney-Urology Pathway
Program Goal
The Kidney-Urology Pathway will provide students with an enriched experience in multiple aspects of nephrology and urology through their four-year medical school experience and is open to students interested in related topics including nephrology, urology, immunology, radiology and pathology. Recently, many of our Foundations1 students have elected to do research in nephrology or urology during the summer after their first year, and other students have expressed early interest in these fields.
Specific Elements of the Program
Foundations Years
Foundations 1
Students will be expected to participate in a basic or clinical research project relating to nephrology or urology during the summer between Foundations 1 and Foundations 2.
Foundations 2
Advances in Nephrology and Urology Course
During Unit 5 (which includes kidney and bladder), students will be required to attend 8 weekly seminars that focus on topics not normally covered during the pre-clinical years, including cutting-edge research topics. Examples may include but are not limited to:
- Metabolomics and Genomics in the diagnosis of kidney disorders
- Immunology and Immunosuppression in
- Kidney Transplantation
- Pediatric urology
- Advances in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy
- Robotic surgery in the treatment of urologic diseases
- Nutritional therapy for kidney stones
Students will also have the opportunity to attend special programs within the Divisions of Urology and Renal Diseases including Grand Rounds, Journal Clubs and the annual conferences on Kidney Transplantation and Hemodialysis. Students who have Posters accepted for presentation may attend the meetings of the National Kidney Foundation or American Society of Nephrology early in their third year.
Clinical Years
Students will be expected to take the renal elective as a third year student and also elect one session relating to kidney disease or urology during the fourth year (including pediatrics, radiologic or pathology electives directly relating to these topics). They will also have a chance to shadow a nephrologist or urologist including in the hemodialysis unit or vascular access center, pre-transplant and post-transplant clinics.
Students will also be expected to choose a topic for the “T-Sels, B-Sels” required sessions that relates to kidney or urologic topics.
At the end of the program, students will receive a certificate attesting to their participation.