Academic Title:
Assistant Professor
Primary Appointment:
Medicine
Administrative Title:
Assistant Dean for Longitudinal Undergraduate Medical Education
Additional Title:
First Year Practice of Medicine Course Director, UMMS/School of Medicine Liaison, Vice Chair of Curriculum Coordinating Committee
Phone (Primary):
410-706-3539
Education and Training
Dr. Retener completed his undergraduate studies at New York University, where he majored in Molecular Biology and Political Science. He received his medical degree in 2006 from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center/Baltimore VA in 2009 and served as a Chief Resident from 2009 to 2010.
Biosketch
Dr. Retener joined the faculty in 2010 as an academic hospitalist in the Medical Intermediate Care Unit and on the General Medicine teaching service.
In 2011, he took over as Course Director for Introduction to Clinical Medicine, where he taught clinical skills. He has continued in this role through the launch of the new “Practice of Medicine” course in the revamped medical school curriculum. He was named Medical Director of the Medical Intermediate Care Unit and the Med 7 Hospitalist Team in 2016, serving in this capacity until 2019.
During the initial COVID-19 response, Dr. Retener served as acting Medical Director, alongside Dr. Dara Farber, for the converted IMC/ICU Biocontainment Unit at the University of Maryland Medical Center. This unit provided overflow care for critically ill COVID patients for three months during the spring wave of the pandemic.
Dr. Retener currently serves as the Assistant Dean for Longitudinal Undergraduate Medical Education, overseeing all longitudinal activities that span the four years of medical school, including Practice of Medicine/Introduction to Clinical Medicine, the Service-Learning Program, and Educational Tracks. He also serves as the School of Medicine liaison to the University of Maryland Medical System, coordinating the placement of medical students in system hospitals. Dr. Retener is the Vice Chair of the Curriculum Coordinating Committee.
Research/Clinical Keywords
Hospitalist Medicine, Intermediate Care, Simulation, Education
Highlighted Publications
Retener NF, Aje TO, Benitez M. Cardiology. In: Wolfsthal (ed) National Medical Series - Medicine. 7th ed. (2011)
Retener NF, Delapenha, A. Healthcare in the United States. In: Habicht and Gulati (ed) Hospital Medicine: Perspectives, Practices and Career Advancement (2016)
Frayha N, Bontemp LJ, Retener NF, et al. Core Entrustable Professional Activities. Medical Science Education, Online (2016)
Shah NG, Patel DM, Retener NF, Dittmar PC, Lacap C, Thom KA, Martinez J. Beginning a new medical school curriculum amidst a global pandemic. FASEB Bioadv, Online (2020)
Donohue KE, Farber DL, Goel N, Parrino CR, Retener NF, Rizvi S, Dittmar PC. Quality improvement amid a global pandemic: a virtual curriculum for medical students in the time of COVID-19. MedEdPORTAL, Online (2021)
D’Adamo CR, Workman K, Barnabic C, Retener N, Siaton B, Piedrahita G, Bowden B, Norman N, Berman B. Culinary Medicine Training in Core Medical School Curriculum Improved Medical Student Nutrition Knowledge and Confidence in Providing Nutrition Counseling. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. (June 2021)
Donohue K, Davis N, Farber D, Retener N, Dittmar P. An internal medicine residency preparatory curriculum for fourth-year medical students. Clinical Teacher. (2023)
Brady JE Jr, Retener NF, Holden VK, Cassady SJ. Recurrent Pneumothoraces in a 36-Year-Old Gravid Woman. Ann Am Thorac Soc. (Feb 2024)
Roesch A, Quattrini V, Retener N. Transforming Care through Simulation: An Interprofessional Education Project to Enhance Competence in Transgender and Gender Diverse Health. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 2024; 20(10).
Research Interests
Dr. Retener currently has research projects in IPE, clinical skills, and medical education.
Clinical Specialty Details
Dr. Retener served as the Medical Director for the Medical Intermediate Care Unit (MIMC) and the Med 7 IMC Hospitalist Team from 2016 to 2019. He continues to practice in the MIMC.
The MIMC is a 16-bed unit that cares for adult patients with complex medical issues requiring a higher level of monitoring than can be provided on a general medical floor. The unit is staffed exclusively by attending hospitalists who are present on the unit 24/7.
Common diagnoses include:
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation
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Gastrointestinal bleeding
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End-stage renal disease and its complications
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End-stage liver disease and its complications
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Diabetic ketoacidosis
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Asthma exacerbation
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Acute hypertensive crisis
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Transplant rejection
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Tachyarrhythmias
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Neutropenic fever
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Sepsis
Common clinical activities include:
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Hemodynamic monitoring, including ECG, arterial pressure, central venous pressure, and pulse oximetry
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Insertion of invasive lines for hemodynamic monitoring (e.g., arterial line, central venous pressure line, Quinton catheter, Cordis placement for volume resuscitation)
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Mechanical ventilation for both chronically ventilated patients and those requiring acute or transient ventilatory support
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Hemodialysis
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Chest tube placement
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Paracentesis
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Thoracentesis
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Transient hemodynamic support with IV fluids or vasoactive agents, with the goal of stabilization for ICU transfer
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Patient and family education regarding diagnosis, interdisciplinary treatment plans, prognosis, and adjustment to illness
Awards and Affiliations
2006 Gold Humanism Honor Society; University of Maryland School of Medicine
2016 Faculty Educator of the Year; Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine
2017 Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society; University of Maryland School of Medicine
2018 Fellow of the Academy of Educational Excellence; University of Maryland School of Medicine
2018 President’s Inter-Professional Education Faculty Scholar; University of Maryland, Baltimore
2019 Fellow, American College of Physicians
2021 Educators of the Year; University of Maryland, Baltimore
2022 "Top Doctor, Hospitalist Medicine" Baltimore Magazine
2023 "Top Doctor, Hospitalist Medicine" Baltimore Magazine