Nephrology Fellowship Program Sees Record Number of Trainees

As one of the busiest pediatric nephrology programs in the nation, several years in a row, growth continues to be necessary within the Division of Nephrology. This year, the program awarded the first graduate in a combined adult-pediatric fellowship. Currently, there are only a small number nationwide that offer this program. Andrew Vissing, MD, was hired by Lurie Children’s and Northwestern Medicine to serve this young adult population with high-risk chronic renal disease.
 
All nine fellowship spots are currently filled, including one Med-Ped trainee, following Dr Vissing’s footsteps. Debora Matossian, MD, MS, Fellowship Director since 2017 and Jill Krissberg, MD, MS, named Co-director in 2023, are credited for growing the number of fellows recruited into the division in addition to reinventing the curriculum, offering trainees an optimal learning environment.  “Representation in medicine is key for adequate communication, trust, and better patient outcomes,” says Dr. Matossian. 

Dr. Matossian added that fellows in the program pursue individualized curriculums based on their aspirations and interests. They can pursue further training and education during their fellowship which have included opportunities such as quality improvement scholars training, a Master of Arts in Bioethics, a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation, and specialized transplant nephrology training. 

“With such a large fellowship program, we have also been able to create a sense of community and comradery amongst our fellows that come through our program,“ says Dr. Krissberg. “Offering the fellows protected time to spend as a group outside of the hospital setting has been invaluable. We have seen them lean on each other in times of need, and partner with each other on projects that have improved the care we provide for our patients.”