Inpatient Rounds
Overview of the Clinical Training Sites
We offer a comprehensive clinical training environment and our trainees are involved in all aspects of kidney disease. Our graduates highlight the diversity of patients and healthcare systems along with dedicated teaching faculty as the main strengths of our training program. From glomerular diseases to complex acid-base and electrolyte disturbances to pregnancy-related kidney disease to critical care nephrology, our fellows truly see it all!
This is an approximation, as the exact number of weeks may vary yearly for each fellow.
PGY 5 Rotations in Weeks
- Ben Taub: 15 (inpatient rotations)
- Baylor St. Luke’s: 10 (inpatient rotations)
- Houston Methodist: 5 (inpatient rotations)
- VA Medical Center: 10 (inpatient rotations)
- Ben Taub Histopathology and Glomerular Diseases: 2 weeks
- Baylor St. Luke’s Plasmapheresis: 2 weeks
- Elective: 2
- Night Float: 2
- Vacation, Conference and Educational Leave: 4
PGY 6 Rotations in Weeks
This is an approximation, as the exact number of weeks may vary yearly for each fellow based on preference- some prefer more nights, others prefer more inpatient rotations.
- Ben Taub: 2 (inpatient rotations)
- Baylor St. Luke’s: 2 (inpatient rotations)
- Houston Methodist: 4 (inpatient rotations)
- VA Medical Center: 11 (inpatient rotations)
- Outpatient Rotations: 8
- Night Float: 6
- Elective: 14
- Vacation, Conference and Educational Leave: 5
Outpatient Rotations
We believe that a robust outpatient experience is critical to educating the future nephrologist. The table below highlights the various clinics that our fellows rotate through during the fellowship.
Outpatient Clinic | Location(s) |
| General Nephrology | Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center Harris Health Smith Clinic |
| Kidney Transplantation (Pre- and Post-) | Houston Methodist Hospital Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center |
| Pediatric Nephrology | Texas Children’s Hospital |
| Home Dialysis | Davita Home at the Museum |
| In-Center Hemodialysis | Harris Health Riverside Dialysis Clinic U.S. Renal Baylor Scott Street Dialysis Unit |
| Glomerulonephritis | Harris Health Smith Clinic |
| Elective Kidney Biopsy | Harris Health Ben Taub Outpatient Center |
| Vascular Access | Orbis Vascular |
| Medical Directorship Clinical Quality Meeting | U.S. Renal Baylor Scott Street Dialysis Unit Davita Home at the Museum Riverside Dialysis Clinic |
| Kidney Pathology | McGovern School, University of Texas Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center |
Each fellow will have 12 months of monthly continuity clinic at the above in-center and home dialysis clinics. This will involve longitudinal care with the same patients and faculty mentor.
Inpatient Rotations
The variety in hospital systems is a major strength of our program. Our program is like a podocyte, interdigitating with all pavilions in the Texas Medical Center! Each four-week block exposes the trainee to the diversity of patients that reside in or travel to Houston, Texas. Kidney transplantation is a major strength of the program. Our fellows directly participate in the care of around 150 new kidney transplants each year at three different transplant centers: Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center (BSLMC), Houston Methodist Hospital, and Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.
Hospital | Rotation |
| Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center | General Nephrology Critical Care Nephrology |
| Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital | General Nephrology/Dialysis |
| Baylor St Luke’s Medical Center | General Nephrology |
| Houston Methodist Hospital | Transplant/General Nephrology |
| Texas Children’s Hospital Pavilion for Women | Obstetric Nephrology |
Night Float
We are committed to the well-being of our fellows; therefore, based on internal feedback, our fellowship program switched to a night float system as of the 2020-2021 academic year to replace traditional weeknight at-home call. The night float system also reduced on-call time on weekends. This system has effectively reduced fellow fatigue, improved fellows’ well-being/quality of life, and ensures patient safety.
Starting 2023, the night float rotation will be done primarily by second-year fellows. We designate one fellow to take overnight calls for all pavilions from Sunday through Friday nights, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. This fellow has no daytime responsibilities. The fellow typically manages consults that require urgent evaluation. The night float rotation is home call, and we have a dedicated call room at Baylor McNair Campus if needed.
Elective Rotations
Our fellowship program added blocks of elective rotations into fellow schedules as of the 2023-2024 academic year. Below is the list of electives fellows get to choose:
- Ben Taub Histopathology and Glomerular Diseases
- Riverside PD and Interventional Nephrology
- Riverside HD and Interventional Nephrology
- Riverside Hemodialysis with Medical Directorship Course
- Riverside Nutrition Management
- McNair Outpatient Nephrology
- Baylor Medicine Home Dialysis
- Baylor St. Luke’s Hepatorenal+Transplant
- Baylor St. Luke’s Histopathology
- Baylor St. Luke’s Plasmapheresis
- VA Transplant
- VA Intensive Care + Procedures
- VA Outpatient Nephrology
- VA Inpatient Transplant and Interventional Nephrology
- VA Interventional Radiology/Nephrology
- VA Research
