Nephrology: Education & Training

How to apply?

• U of T Residents:
  Students may start booking electives at UofT a year in advance using the registration system ROUTE on MedSIS. This system is made available to students in September of the third year of the UME curriculum.
  Electives may be 2-4 weeks in duration. One week electives may be requested in exceptional circumstances and require review and approval by the Electives Director. For more information, please visit the U of T MD Program Electives Site: https://md.utoronto.ca/electives
• Canadian & International Students:
  Undergraduate medical students whose Home Schools are in the United States or elsewhere in Canada may be eligible for our North American Electives Program. Undergraduate medical students whose Home Schools are elsewhere in the world may be eligible for our Visiting International Electives Program. For information on criteria, deadlines, application processes and required documents, students should review the University of Toronto's institutional profile on the AFMC Student Portal.
  For more information, please visit the U of T MD Program Electives Site: https://md.utoronto.ca/electives

• We currently offer the following electives:
  • General Nephrology
  • Home Dialysis
  • Hemodialysis
  • Kidney and Renal Transplantation
  • Onco-Nephrology

For all elective inquiries or requests, please contact our Program Coordinator first for availability at: nephro.div@utoronto.ca

For registration requirements and additional information, please visit the PGME website: https://pg.postmd.utoronto.ca/applicants/apply-for-elective-training/

We currently offer the following electives:

• Glomerulonephritis (GN)
•  Home Dialysis
• Kidney and Renal Transplantation
• Onco-Nephrology

For all elective inquiries or requests, please contact our Program Coordinator first for availability at: nephro.div@utoronto.ca

For registration requirements and additional information, please visit the PGME website: https://pg.postmd.utoronto.ca/applicants/apply-for-elective-training/

Jeffrey Schiff, MD FRCP(C)
Residency Program Director, Nephrology

Heather Johnston
Program Coordinator
Email: nephro.div@utoronto.ca

Upon completion of training, a resident is expected to be a competent specialist capable of assuming a consultant's role in nephrology. The resident must acquire a working knowledge of the theoretical basis of the specialty, including its foundations in the basic medical sciences and research.

Only candidates certificated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in internal medicine may be eligible for the Certificate of Special Competence in Nephrology.

On completion of the program, the resident who is competent in nephrology will be able to demonstrate the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to independently care for patients with kidney disease (including the management of chronic kidney disease, dialysis and renal transplantation) and with disturbances of acid-base, fluid and electrolyte metabolism; and also glomerular, genetic, hypertensive, and diabetic kidney diseases.

The resident will have a working knowledge of the basic sciences (physiology, pathophysiology and immunology) and applied sciences pharmacology, pathology) as they apply to renal disease and their treatments. The resident who is competent in nephrology will be able to conduct himself/herself as an attending physician and a consultant, work effectively in a variety of healthcare settings (acute and chronic care hospitals, dialysis units (hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis), ambulatory care clinics (general nephrology, pre-dialysis, renal transplantation) and function as a member of a multi-disciplinary team effectively collaborating with other health professionals. They will demonstrate an awareness of the need for ongoing personal education and will be able to access and critically appraise required literature. They will be punctual, dependable and conscientious in the care of patients and will exhibit appropriate personal and interprofessional behaviours. The resident will incorporate gender, cultural and ethnic perspectives in the practice of nephrology as a clinician and/or researcher (methodology, data presentation and analysis}.

Please apply through the CaRMs website: https://www.carms.ca/match/msm/

Sheldon Tobe, MD, MScCH (HPTE), FRCPC, FACP, FASH
Fellowship Program Director, Nephrology
    
Shelagh Cowie
Fellowship Coordinator
Email: shelagh.cowie@uhn.ca

Gillian Brunier
Administrative Support
Email: gillian.brunier@sri.utoronto.ca

Type of Fellowship: Clinical
Supervisor: Dr. Sheldon Tobe
Duration: 2 years, with possibility for extension
Application Open and Close Date: July 1
Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1
Number of position(s) per year: Variable
Description: Applicants must have nephrology certification.  The program encompasses extensive exposure to all aspects of clinical nephrology, dialysis, transplantation and home dialysis throughout the teaching hospitals in Toronto.
International graduates are welcome to apply, but the fellowship does not lead to a practice license in Canada.
Contact Name: Dr. Sheldon Tobe
E-mail: sheldon.tobe@sunnybrook.ca

Type of Fellowship: Clinical and Research
Supervisor: Dr. Joanne Bargman
Duration: 6-12 months
Application Open and Close Date: Flexible, July 1 start is preferred
Number of position(s) per year: 1-2
Description: The purpose of this fellowship is to acquire expertise in home dialysis modalities, comprising peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis. Fellows will attend clinics for both, manage drop-ins, and attend pre-dialysis clinics to learn more about education around choice of dialysis modality. Preference will be given to Canadian applicants.
Contact Name: Shelagh Cowie
E-mail: Shelagh.Cowie@uhn.ca

Type of Fellowship: Clinical and Research
Supervisor: Dr. David Cherney
Duration: 1 year
Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1
Number of position(s) per year: Varies
Description: The fellowship is designed to train emerging leaders is the area of the prevention of diabetes complications.  Areas of specific focus include: 1) mechanistic human physiology studies - Dr. Cherney’s research program; 2) clinical trials in cardiovascular physiology –at the Peter Munk Cardiac center; 3) clinical trials related to nephropathy and neuropathy prevention with Drs. David Cherney and Bruce Perkins; 4) closed loop insulin pump studies in type 1 diabetes – Dr. Perkins; 5) biomarker studies that will include the longitudinal collection of blood and urine samples for biomarker discovery.
In addition to training future leaders in diabetes research, CARE Fellows will gain expertise in providing integrated diabetes clinical care to patients in the “CaRE” Clinic across cardiac, renal and endocrine areas of expertise. They will gain experience in the use of remote monitoring techniques, such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and retinal cameras the can transmit images to off-site ophthalmologists for analysis.
Ultimately, the goal of the UHN-CARE Diabetes Fellowship is to advance knowledge leading to improved clinical outcomes for patients with diabetes.
Based on existing high-profile UHN Nephrology Fellowship programs in Home Dialysis, Geriatrics and Glomerulonephritis, we anticipate that the UHN-CARE Diabetes Complications Fellowship will attract outstanding and qualified candidates who will tend to be new academic physicians who have completed fellowship training and certification, generally in the fields of nephrology, endocrinology or cardiology.
The selection criteria for acceptance to the Fellowship are:
1)    The applicant’s academic and clinical aptitude
2)    A demonstrated interest in diabetes and its complications
3)    Support from the applicant’s home institution. Most applicants will have an understanding with their respective home institutions that they will return to establish diabetes – focused programs.
Fellows are appointed for a one-year period. In addition to their clinical obligations, they are required to participate in ongoing research studies lead by the Division of Nephrology, Cardiology or Endocrinology in the applicant’s area of interest. As such, we expect that all graduates of the program will publish the results of their research at the end of their Fellowship, thereby raising the profile of the program
Contact Name: Dr. David Cherney
E-mail: David.Cherney@uhn.ca

Type of Fellowship: Clinical and Research
Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Chan or Dr. Joanne Bargman
Duration: Flexible
Application Open and Close Date: Flexible
Number of position(s) per year: Flexible
Description: The EXPLORE program at University Health Network provides advanced training in the management of patients in home dialysis, with an emphasis on peritoneal dialysis and nocturnal home hemodialysis.
Contact Name: MaryJo Raposo
E-mail: Maryjo.raposos@uhn.ca

Type of Fellowship: Clinical and Research
Supervisor: Dr. SV Jassal
Duration: 6 months (maybe extended to 12 months)
Application Open and Close Date: 30 September (for following January); 30 April (for following July)
Anticipated Start Date(s): January 1st (July 1st)
Number of position(s) per year: 1
Description: Trainees will gain experience in applying the findings from a comprehensive geriatric assessment to the patient with renal disease with the goal of maximizing wellbeing in the context of renal therapies and chronic disease. Although the training experiences will extend across all stages of renal disease there will be a strong emphasis on palliative dialysis, symptom management, rehabilitation with dialysis and on providing comprehensive conservative renal care. Trainees will be exposed to critical appraisal and given the opportunity for clinical research training if applicable.
Contact Name: Samantha Ramsammy
E-mail: Samantha.rammsammy@uhn.ca

Type of Fellowship: Clinical
Supervisor: Dr. Heather Reich
Duration: 1 year
Application Open and Close Date: Flexible, July 1
Number of position(s) per year: 1
Description: The Toronto Glomerulonephritis (GN) Registry at the University Health Network (UHN) is accepting applications for a fellowship in GN.  The GN fellowship opportunity offers access to a breadth of specialized quaternary care clinics for treatment of GN at multiple hospital sites, and clinical care is fully integrated with research under the auspices of the Toronto GN Registry.
This training program will educate future leaders in the care and study of patients with GN.  Clinical activities will occur at UHN and Sunnybrook.
Fluency in English is required, and candidates will have completed clinical training in nephrology.  The applicant must have passed or be eligible for independent licensure in Ontario, or must be eligible for an educational license (minimum of 4 years of residency training following medical school).  Outstanding applicants with equivalent training in other medical systems are also encouraged to apply.
Interested individuals should provide a cover letter, their current curriculum vitae and contact information of 3 potential referees. 
Contact Name: Marion Butt
E-mail: marion.butt@uhn.ca

Type of Fellowship: Clinical
Supervisor: Dr. York Pei
Duration: 1-3 years
Application Open and Close Date: Open September 1 & Closes February 1
Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1
Number of position(s) per year: 1-2
Description To provide a stimulating and nurturing environment for the trainee to acquire:
(i) Expertise in clinical care of patients with polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD, ARPKD and other rare renal cystic diseases) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), including the management of renal and extra-renal complications, the use of clinical, image-based and molecular diagnostic tests, as well as conventional and experimental drug treatments.
(ii) Expertise in clinical care of patients with other rare familial renal disorders (e.g. familial glomerulonephritis (GN) including Alport’s syndrome, familial renal tubular acidosis, cystinosis, Bartter’s and Gitelman’s syndrome).
(iii) Expertise in advanced imaging technologies for diagnosis and for monitoring progression and complications in ADPKD and TSC.
(iv) Clinical, genomic, and translational research opportunities in polycystic kidney disease and familial GN.
Contact Name: Dr. York Pei
E-mail: York.pei@uhn.ca

ype of Fellowship: Clinical
Supervisor: Dr. Jeffrey Zaltzman
Duration: 1 year
Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1
Number of position(s) per year: 1
Description: Eligible candidates will have completed a minimum of two years of core training in adult nephrology and be eligible for licensure by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
The one year fellowship is intended to provide the recipient with focused training in one of the following disciplines in nephrology: hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, critical care nephrology or kidney transplantation. In parallel with the clinical experience, it is expected that the training period will foster the development of an academic program, in the domains of clinical research, health quality improvement or medical education. The selected fellow will be based at St. Michael’s Hospital and receive mentorship from members of the St. Michael’s Division of Nephrology as well as scientists and researchers based at the hospital’s Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and the University of Toronto..
Contact Name: Dr. Jeffrey Zaltzman
E-mail: Jeff.Zaltzman@unityhealth.to

Type of Fellowship: Clinical
Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Chan
Duration: 1 year
Application Open and Close Date: January 4 to Feb 28
Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1
Number of position(s) per year: 1
Description: Since January 2015, the Divisions of Nephrology and Hematology/Oncology at the University Health Network have collaborated to form an Onco-Nephrology clinical program.  The present clinical fellowship program aims to extend the clinical training of recently graduated nephrology trainees to:
1. Enhance clinical care of Oncology patients with specific renal disorders.
2. Facilitate and standardize the ongoing clinical management of certain renal disorders in Oncology patients.
3. Provide a clinical unmet need for cancer survivors who require ongoing management of chronic kidney disease and hypertension.
Areas of specific focus will include one or more of apheresis, bone marrow transplantation, myeloma, amyloidosis and clinical epidemiology and translational Research. Salary will be $76,210 CAN per annum and $8,790 for attending conferences and meetings.
Successful candidates will be fluent in English, have completed clinical training in Nephrology, and be eligible for an educational license as an internal medicine specialist in the province of Ontario (minimum of 4 years of residency training following medical school).
Contact Name: Dr. Christopher Chan
E-mail: christopher.chan@uhn.ca

Type of Fellowship: Clinical
Supervisor: Dr. Jeffrey Schiff
Duration: 1 year
Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1
Number of position(s) per year: 3-4
Description: This fellowship will allow trainees to develop competency in managing all aspects of kidney and kidney-pancreas transplantation. It includes rotations on both the renal transplant and pancreas transplant inpatient services. The remaining blocks may include rotations on the Transplant Infectious Diseases service; HLA lab; outpatient clinics; renal transplant pathology; pediatric transplant nephrology; and research. There is an assigned longitudinal post-transplant clinic, as well as pre-transplant donor and recipient assessment clinics.
The educational program includes renal transplant seminars, transplant journal club, Multi-Organ Transplant (MOT) rounds and MOT Fellows’ seminars. There is also a hands-on seminar in renal transplant ultrasound and biopsy performance. The fellowship is based at the Toronto General Hospital, with some clinics at St. Michael’s Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children. It is accredited by the American Society of Transplantation Transplant Nephrology Fellowship Training Accreditation Program.
Contact Name: Lisa Gallant-Labelle
E-mail: Lisa.gallantlabelle@uhn.ca