Fellowship Program at Lurie Children’s on Tap to become one of the Largest in the Country

November 18, 2022

Newer Fellowship Director, Deborah Matossian, MD, MS, has not only grown the number of fellows recruited into the division but has also amped up the curriculum to offer trainees an optimal learning environment.  
  
The fellowship program had experienced an unfortunate, multifactorial demise with no new recruits from 2015-2017 until Dr. Matossian reinvigorated the program from within. The program currently has six fellows and the quota has increased to three per year for 2023, and is on track to become one of the largest pediatric nephrology fellowship programs in the nation.  Being a Hispanic woman, recruitment of a diverse work force happens naturally and forty percent of Lurie Children's Nephrology fellows are URiM. 

Dr. Matossian onboarded the first Med-Peds Nephrology fellow at Lurie Children’s. This combined position has enhanced the collaboration and connections with Northwestern Medicine, which has been very enriching for the trainees. She has created a pediatric nephrology curriculum to support fellows with individualized learning options aligned with their long-term goals. The new curriculum, unlike standard curricula, is longitudinal and integrated with the boot camp curriculum from Northwestern Medicine, thereby tapping into local strengths and increasing the diversity of the learning experience.   
  
Dr. Matossian actively seeks to understand the needs and learning goals of the fellows and actively advocates on their behalf, building a program with a strong educational mission. Most recently, Dr. Matossian partnered with the Division Head, Priya Verghese, MD,MPH, to engage and invest in renal biopsy training for the fellow, and many of the educational opportunities offered are collaborative with other divisions and departments across the country. Her efforts have led to an increased engagement and interest in nephrology from residents and fellows. Feedback for her program is excellent and her dedication has been truly remarkable, says Dr. Verghese. 

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