Nephrology Los Angeles Medical Center / Cedars-Sinai

Message from the Program Director

View LAMC Nephrology Overview (power point file)

Welcome!  I am delighted to introduce you to our combined Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (LAMC)/Cedars-Sinai Nephrology Training Program. Our fellows have the opportunity to work in both a vertically integrated health care system and a private practice hospital setting and to become proficient in both systems Our program is designed to provide a balanced exposure to both hospital and outpatient nephrology in an ethnically and economically diverse community and academic setting. Our fellows have robust exposure to:

  • Multi-disciplinary CKD care, including each fellow having his/her own nephrology clinic
  • All aspects of renal replacement therapy—hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, CRRT, nocturnal hemodialysis, home hemodialysis
  • Apheresis
  • Kidney transplantation in both the outpatient and inpatient setting
  • Diverse clinic outpatient experience, including:
    • Nephrolithiasis
    • Peritoneal dialysis
    • Renal genetics clinic, including interaction with pediatric nephrologists
    • Tertiary care glomerulonephritis clinic

Structured didactics are important aspects of our clinical training. Fellows play an active role in the departmental conferences that are typically held four days a week, including Journal Clubs, lively clinical case conferences, grand rounds, board review, physician wellness, quality improvement conferences, and pathology slide review. If desired, fellows have the option of doing rotations at other institutions or gaining additional experience in interventional radiology. Flexibility and the ability to customize training to meet each individual fellow’s needs are important aspects of our program.

Our program is part of a vibrant GME community and our fellows work alongside trainees from a broad range of specialties and sub-specialties, including Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Neurology, and Radiology. Additionally, there are teaching opportunities with medical students from the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine that opened in Pasadena in 2020, as well as from other local medical schools, including UCLA.

Our fellowship has unique research opportunities with access to the large diverse KPSC membership and the world’s largest electronic health records with over 30 years of follow up. Fellows have opportunities to collaborate or participate as primary investigators on epidemiology, comparative outcomes, prospective patient centered, and quality improvement research projects.  They also have an opportunity to participate in many clinical trials in areas such as acid-base, glomerulonephritis, cardiorenal syndrome, polycystic kidney disease, dialysis, and transplantation. They have access to mentors from the nephrology faculty as well as other researchers within KPSC including research scientists from the department of Research and Evaluations.  Fellows participate in monthly research meetings with the Area Research Chair to enhance their knowledge in research methodology and receive direct feedback and guidance on their projects. Many of our faculty actively conduct research, giving the fellows ample opportunity to participate in research and publish in peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, we have a vigorous Quality Management program and our fellows have an opportunity to participate in evidence-based Quality Improvement initiatives.

In summary, our program offers a robust clinical, educational, and research experience in a supportive and inclusive environment. We are a balanced program and while we all share a passion for nephrology, there are marathon runners, golfers, gamers, martial artists, and musicians amongst us. We are committed to preparing our fellows for life beyond training and are proud to watch them make the transition from our fellows to our colleagues and embark on careers in clinical or academic nephrology. Our graduates are playing leading roles in the communities they serve, providing excellent care to their patients, as well as contributing to the science of Nephrology in their publications and teaching. I am convinced that training in our program will prepare our fellows for whatever the future of Medicine may hold.

Sincerely,

Richard Treger, M.D.
Program Director