Glomerular Disease Education Experience across Nephrology Fellowship Programs: An International Survey

Glomerulonephritis (GN) education is an important, albeit a challenging, component of nephrology fellowship training. We hypothesized that trainee experience varies widely across programs, leading to differences in self-reported competency levels in the diagnosis and management of glomerular diseases.

The Glomerular Disease Study & Trial Consortium (GlomCon) conducted an anonymous online survey to determine the educational experience of nephrology trainees. We used multiple-choice questions to obtain data about (a) curriculum-based education, (b) dedicated specialty clinic, and (c) exposure to pathology. We leveraged a visual analog scale of 1-100 (with a higher number indicating a higher comfort level) to assess self-reported levels of clinical competency. The survey was disseminated via email to the subscribing members of GlomCon and through Twitter.

In total, there were 109 respondents to our survey, and 56% were from training programs in the USA. Exposure to a specialized GN clinic was reported by 45%, while 77% reported the presence of an onsite nephropathologist at their training program. Self-reported competency scores were 59 ± 25 and 52 ± 25 for diagnosis and treatment of glomerular diseases, respectively. Days spent in a GN clinic per year, years of fellowship, and dedicated nephropathology didactics were associated with higher diagnosis and treatment competency scores.

Trainees report a wide variation in glomerular disease education across fellowship programs. A lack of nephropathology exposure and a dedicated GN curriculum was associated with lower scores in self-reported clinical competency in caring for patients with glomerular disease.