Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship Program

Victoria Norwood, MD, Program Director

The Division of Pediatric Nephrology at the University of Virginia is proud of our commitment to excellence in patient care, education, research, and community outreach. Our Fellowship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and successful completion qualifies the trainee to take the Pediatric Nephrology exam for certification by the American Board of Pediatrics.

The aim of our program is to train competent pediatricians for a career in academic pediatric nephrology. We accomplish this through a focus on:

• acquisition of skills in treating infants and children with renal disorders, hypertension, fluid and electrolyte abnormalities, and end-stage renal disease, including all forms of dialysis and renal transplantation
• development of research proficiency in developmental renal physiology or transitional clinical research, progressing toward independence in conducting research after completion of training
• advanced teaching skills and development of scholarship

In 1995, the first National Institutes of Health Research Center of Excellence in Pediatric Nephrology and Urology, “Developmental Physiology of the Kidney and Urinary Tract” was awarded to us via a joint program with the University of Iowa and Georgetown University. This grant and others — most notably the O’Brien Center of Excellence held in collaboration with the Department of Urology — have advanced the outstanding basic research programs available at our institution. In collaboration with the UVA Department of Medicine/Division of Nephrology, we have an active pediatric clinical research program that has completed over 25 protocols since its inception in 2001.

Our program selects one fellow each year from a competitive pool of applicants. We accept applicants through ERAS, or you may request application forms from our office (contacts below). For the class initiating in July 2010, all applicants must participate in the NRMP match for Pediatric Nephrology. U.S. citizens and resident aliens are eligible for research training support through two NIH-funded T32 training grants. Research/salary funding for non-U.S. citizens must be obtained through the foundation or other sources. In general, two years of U.S. or Canadian residence are required before fellowship to meet certification requirements of the American Board of Pediatrics.