Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship Training Program is one of the programs established at Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, King Abdulaziz Medical City Riyadh, and part of a joint program all over Saudi Arabia under the umbrella of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
The duration of the program is two years in which the trainee does most of the rotations at King Abdulaziz Medical City except those rotations that are not recognized yet by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (e.g., Pediatric Hemodialysis).
Our Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship Training Program aims to train postdoctoral fellows for a career in Academic Pediatric Nephrology:
- Train fellows to evaluate and manage patients with fluid and electrolyte disorders and renal disease.
- Gives didactic lectures and one-on-one teaching to provide a strong foundation in clinical nephrology.
- Designed to ensure the trainee's competence in the clinical diagnosis and management of disorders of the kidney, urologic system, hypertension, renal replacement therapy, and renal transplant.
Candidates for this program have expressed an intense desire to pursue academic careers devoted to enhancing the understanding of renal disorders and the care of children with kidney disease through innovative basic research, clinical investigation, teaching and advocacy, and a commitment to devote a minimum of two years of post-residency training to achieve these goals.
By completing the two-year training, the trainee will get a certificate if passed the written and the clinical examination, which the Pediatric Nephrology program committee usually arranges in the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
Overview of training level:
During the first year of training, the fellow is mainly responsible for the care of nephrology patients admitted to the inpatient service and consultations from other services, and this is usually known as general nephrology rotation, which is about 5-6 months duration. Also, he will do an outpatient clinic, and an attending consultant will supervise him.
The remaining six months of the first year, the trainee will do different rotations like adult hemodialysis (1-2 months), pathology(one month), radiology (one month), transplant rotation (1-2 months) in addition to annual vacation (one month) and in general it could be different orders according to master Rota for each trainee.
The fellow is supervised at all times by an attending physician. By the end of the first year, the fellow will be competent in performing percutaneous renal biopsies and prescribing acute dialysis (peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, continuous hemofiltration) and chronic dialysis.
There will be an end-year examination which will be at Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
There will also be an evaluation at the end of each rotation and at least twice in the General Nephrology rotation. Based on the collective result of all rotation evaluations, the trainee will be illegible to set for the end-year written examination.
The program's second year will be the same rotation as the first year; however, he will have more responsibilities.
The rotation includes general nephrology rotation (5-6 months), at which he should behave as a consultant in his clinical judgment and plans. Adult and/or pediatric hemodialysis (1-2 months) and urology rotation (1 month) might also be done in the first year. The rest of the second-year rotation can include research, and elective rotation depends on the master Rota of the trainee.
The fellow will be expected to present cases at appropriate conferences and give lectures to residents and medical students.
The fellow begins research training and may choose a project in either basic or clinical science.
There will also be an evaluation at the end of each rotation and at least twice in general nephrology rotation. Based on the collective result of all rotation evaluations, the trainee will be illegible to set for the final written examination.
Academic Activity of the program:
Different academic activities are usually done during the two years Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship Training Program, which includes:
- Daily general nephrology round with attending consultant at which most of the common pediatric nephrology cases will be discussed.
- The trainee will do a least two PowerPoint presentations per month: a journal club or case presentation.
- There will be a pathology round at least once per month at which most of the common pediatric nephrology cases will be reviewed and discussed.
- The trainee could attend the daily general pediatric morning reports also the weekly journal club of general pediatric.
- There will be a radiology-urology and nephrology case discussion at least once per month.
Contact Us:
Dr Abdullah Al Zulfah Al Qahtani
Program Director, Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship Training
King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh
Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs
Department of Pediatrics, MC 1510
- Address: P.O Box 22490, Riyadh 11426
- Phone: +966-11-8011111 ext .11917 Fax: 12318
- Email: zulfaha@ngha.med.sa
Ms. Maria Beatriz Miranda
Program Secretary
Administrative Assistant
King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh
Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs
Department of Pediatrics