Thank you for your interest in the University of Maryland Nephrology Fellowship Training Program. We have trained outstanding clinical and academic nephrologists for over 40 years. We provide a broad range of clinical experiences and research opportunities in Nephrology. Our goal is to best prepare graduating fellows for a successful career as a private practitioner or an academic nephrologist.

Our fellowship training program is approved by the ACGME (Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education). We typically accept 4 fellows per year and are approved for a total of 8 fellows. 

Distinctions of Our Program

We provide outstanding and comprehensive training in all aspects of clinical nephrology. However, the following features particularly distinguish our program from others. 

General Nephrology

General nephrology is a core strength of our program. Fellows benefit from high volume and clinically diverse training across the full spectrum of nephrology, with a strong emphasis on developing well-grounded nephrologists.  

What sets our program apart: 

• Breadth of clinical exposure: Fellows work across numerous medical and surgical services including Labor & Delivery, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Oncology. 

• High acuity critical care nephrology experience: Fellows care for complex patients in Medical ICU, Surgical ICU, Cardiac Surgery ICU, Neuro ICU, CCU and the renowned R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center.  Training includes extensive experience with CVVH, CVVHD, CVVHDF and ECMO with CRRT.  

•  In-House Kidney Biopsies: Direct fellow involvement with native and transplant kidney biopsies, supervised by both general and transplant nephrologists 

• Integrated renal pathology curriculum: Regular case-based teaching sessions led by a dedicated in-house renal pathologist, emphasizing clinicopathologic correlation.  

• Dedicated nephrology focused Point of Care ultrasound curriculum  

• Longitudinal outpatient dialysis experience with exposure to incenter hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and home hemodialysis 

Maryland PKD Research Core Center

The University of Maryland is home to one of three NIDDK-funded PKD research and Translation Core Centers in the world. Maryland’s PKD core center provides innovative research resources to a national and international community of investigators. Fellows have an opportunity to rotate with Dr. Terry Watnick, a national leader in PKD care, and learn first-hand about the intricacies of PKD management. 

Glomerular Disease Clinic

The clinic offers fellows broad exposure to a wide range of complex glomerular disorders.  Fellows work closely with Dr. Preeti Chandra, an expert in glomerular diseases, gaining direct hands-on experience in evaluation and longitudinal management. The emphasis is placed on diagnostic precision and the development of individualized treatment plans.   

Maryland Poison Center

The University of Maryland is home to the Maryland Poison Center, one of 53 poison centers across the United States, with medical direction from one of only several nephrologist-medical toxicologists in the world. The center receives more than 60,000 calls per year, from the routine to life-threatening.

Organ Transplant Program

The University of Maryland Organ Transplant Program is one of the largest programs in the U.S., performing approximately 200 kidney transplants every year, along with dozens of liver, pancreas, heart, and lung transplants. Maryland is one of the leading programs in the transplantation space, making international news for the first (and only) heart xenotransplantations, and has performed innovations such as organs delivered by drone. The University of Maryland Medical Center transplant team has performed more than 6,000 kidney transplants since 1988. The UMMC Transplant Center is also part of the APOL1 Long-term Kidney Transplantation Outcomes (APOLLO) Network, a national study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Research/ Quality Improvement

The University of Maryland School of Medicine offers a strong environment for research in basic, clinical and translational nephrology. Focus areas include tubular biology, hypertension, genetic kidney disease, and translational nephrology.  Our faculty hold multiple NIH, foundation and industry grants. Fellows participate in bi-monthly research meetings to discuss ongoing projects, and our graduates have successfully published in peer reviewed journals, and completed meaningful quality improvement projects. For more information on specific research interests of the Division, please see individual faculty pages where research programs and publications are discussed.   

Additional Resources for Prospective Fellows

Prospective UMMC Residents and Fellows | University of Maryland Medical Center

Applicant Communication Package, Contract and Salaries | University of Maryland Medical Center

Contact Information

Cintia Crumedy
Fellowship Coordinator
University of Maryland Division of Nephrology
22 South Greene Street, N3W143
Baltimore, MD 21201
Tel: (410) 328-5720
Fax: (410) 328-5685
Email: ccrumedy@som.umaryland.edu

Neil K. Agarwal, MD
Fellowship Program Director
University of Maryland Division of Nephrology
22 South Greene Street, N3W143
Baltimore, MD 21201
Email: nagarwal@som.umaryland.edu