Inpatient/Outpatient US Clinical Experience in Nephrology in St. Louis

Information about this clinical experience:

You will be under the supervision of a physician who is board-certified in Nephrology. The preceptor is on staff at multiple hospitals including Mercy Hospital and Missouri Baptist Medical Center. As a former faculty member at the Washington University School of Medicine, the physician was actively involved in resident education. Because of dedication to teaching, the preceptor received multiple awards for teaching excellence. In the past, the physician has also delivered lectures to the internal medicine residents at Mercy Hospital.

In this experience, you will be exposed to a wide range of patients with kidney disorders. These will include primary kidney disorders as well as systemic conditions affecting the kidney. You will learn how to evaluate and treat patients with AKI, CKD, ESRD, electrolyte abnormalities, and acid-base disturbances. There will be opportunities to take part in the care of dialysis patients. As this preceptor also practices hospital medicine, you will see how nephrologists provide in-hospital consultations.

During your experience, you will learn the following U.S. medical practices under the preceptor’s supervision:

• Taking patient histories.

• Examining patients under supervision.

• Presenting patients.

• Researching the literature to answer clinical questions at the point of care.

• Giving topic presentations.

• Spending time with other healthcare professionals in the office to understand their roles and responsibilities.

The activities above will mostly take place in the outpatient setting. As a result of hospital policies, inpatient activities will be more observational.

There may be opportunities to attend the following conferences:

• Renal Grand Rounds at Barnes Jewish Hospital

• Grand rounds at Mercy Hospital

• Grand rounds at Missouri Baptist Medical Center

During the pandemic, these conferences have been virtual. Students interested in gaining access to these conferences should let the preceptor know early in the rotation. The preceptor and colleagues hold a Journal Club once a month. Rotators may have the opportunity to present at Journal Club.