The Nephrology Fellowship Training Program, recognized for excellence in clinical and research training, is led by Panduranga Rao, MD, DNB, MS, who is the Program Director, along with Laura Mariani, MD, who serves as the Associate Program Director.
Five fellows are typically appointed to the fellowship program each year. For all fellows, the first year is primarily focused on clinical training. For fellows intent on an academic career, two or three additional years are largely devoted to mentor-directed research in basic science, outcomes/epidemiology, or clinical research. Support during the second and third year may be provided by a NIH-training grant.
For those who desire a career in clinical nephrology, the second year is largely clinical with rotations in hypertension, pediatric nephrology, outpatient dialysis, renal consultation, and interventional nephrology, as well as a number of elective rotations in related disciplines.
Watch a brief overview of the program from our leadership team
Thank you for your interest in our Nephrology Fellowship Training Program at the University of Michigan. We hope that you will find the answers to most of your questions about our program on this site. We are proud of our program. We believe that because of the large size and diverse interests of our talented faculty, and because of the outstanding strengths of the University of Michigan, we provide one of the premier training experiences in nephrology in the United States.
As you will encounter on our website, our training program has the capacity to provide outstanding training in all aspects of clinical nephrology. We have a large solid organ transplant program that performs over 300 kidney allograft transplants per year and we have an independent transplant fellowship that some of our fellows choose to undertake in a third year of training. We also have a well-developed interventional nephrology unit. This unit has a well-trained staff and discreet facilities with its own fluoroscopic equipment and the ability to perform advanced procedures that include angioplasty procedures, tunneled catheter placement and removal, and peritoneal dialysis placements.
While we are anxious to train - and do routinely train - outstanding clinicians, the program is particularly interested in training future academic nephrologists. As described on our website, we have a long, successful history of training fellows particularly in the basic sciences, epidemiology and outcomes research, and in clinical trial design. We believe strongly in using the diverse strengths of the University and encourage our trainees to obtain formal training outside of the Division of Nephrology, if this serves their training goals. Finally, we recognize that many fellow applicants may not have well defined interests at the time that they apply for their nephrology training, particularly because this application process begins nearly two years before matriculation. For that reason, the program is flexible, allowing fellows without predetermined research interests during their first year of training to learn about opportunities and themselves, before making a decision about an academic career or before making a decision about what direction that career track might take.
Like most nephrology programs in the United States, we participate in the ERAS electronic nephrology fellowship program application process and the NRMP fellowship match program. Please see the How to Apply section for more information.
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity employer and makes every effort to train individuals from diverse backgrounds. We accept applications from those holding a Permanent Resident or J-1 visa. However, we do not sponsor H1-B visas.
Once again, thank you for your interest. We look forward to receiving your application.
Best Wishes,
Panduranga Rao, MD, DNB, MS
Professor of Internal Medicine
Director, Nephrology Fellowship Training Program
1500 E. Medical Center Drive
3914 Taubman Center, SPC 5360
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
- An unusual balance and depth in both clinical and research training
- Over forty-five dynamic faculty members whose expertise spans a wide range of clinical and research areas; many are national leaders in their fields and many have a demonstrated track record mentoring fellows
- Two large hospitals (University of Michigan Health and VA Ann Arbor) that provide complementary and diverse patient populations
- An outstanding renal transplantation program that transplants more than 200 new allografts per year
- Large outpatient clinics in general nephrology and subspecialty clinics in transplantation nephrology, chronic hemodialysis, home hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, glomerular diseases and nephrolithiasis
- A dedicated Interventional Nephrology Unit and training in interventional nephrology, including procedures such as dialysis catheter placement, fistulogram, angioplasty and renal biopsy
- Opportunities for research training in fields including cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, clinical physiology, vascular biology, molecular genetics, developmental biology, biomedical engineering, clinical trials, epidemiology and outcomes research, health services research and medical education
Postdoctoral Fellowship
In addition, we have a NIH-supported training grant, “The University of Michigan Kidney, Urology, and Hematology Research Training Network (UM KUHR)”, that was established to provide postdoctoral fellows with the opportunity to pursue training in diverse aspects of kidney research. Training grant mentors fall into major interest groups across the spectrum of KUH research: 1) basic mechanisms and model organism systems, 2) systems biology, bioinformatics, and translational discovery, 3) clinical and epidemiology studies, and 4) health services and implementation science studies.
- Pediatric Nephrology - a combined program available to properly qualified trainees
- Interventional Nephrology Fellowship Training Program – advanced training in dialysis vascular access care
- Transplant Nephrology Fellowship Program – specialized training in the outpatient and inpatient setting
The University of Michigan offers highly competitive salaries and generous benefits to our fellows and advanced trainees. Trainee salary will be commensurate with that of a House Officer at an equivalent level of training based on the HOA contract.
We are committed to equipping each fellow with the necessary tools they need to excel as experts and leaders, and empowering them to advance patient care, research, and education in nephrology.
Maham Ali, MBBS – Private Practice, North Carolina
Kunal Bailoor, MD – University of Michigan
Sunayna Gurnani, MBBS – Private Practice, New Mexico
Arpita Joshi, MBBS – Santa Clara Valley Medical Center/Stanford Healthcare, California
- Salar Alam, MB, BS – Private Practice, Michigan
- Ahmed Dakka, MD – Private Practice, Illinois
- Ibrahim El Halabi, MD – Private Practice, Alabama
- Raman Sohal, MD – Private Practice, Mississippi
- Christina (Thoonkuzhy) Kobe, MD – Private Practice, Pennsylvania
- Samer Akrawi, MD – University of Toledo
- Faiza Husain, MD – Private Practice, Michigan
- Ali Imtiaz, DO – Private Practice, Illinois
- Khaled Janom, MD – Private Practice, Idaho
- Toni Sabbouh, MD – Private Practice, Pennsylvania
The Department of Internal Medicine (DOIM) Division of Nephrology is committed to creating and cultivating a diverse and inclusive community that provides our faculty, learners, and staff with the opportunities and support they need to thrive. Visit the DOIM Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Well-Being to learn more.
Assistant Clerkship Director and Associate Fellowship Director - Nephrology
Expand your career trajectory in a high-volume academic medical center that also supports and excels in a wide range of basic science, translational and clinical research programs.
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