USC.edu
Are You a Patient?
Division of Nephrology

Nephrology Fellowship

Are you a patient?

About The Program

The Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and Los Angeles General Medical Center offers a two-year clinical fellowship in nephrology accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The mission of the Nephrology Fellowship program is to provide exceptional training in the comprehensive assessment and management of renal disorders in preparation for subsequent careers in academic or community-based nephrology practice. We have a strong tradition of providing care to a diverse patient population, with a commitment to providing nephrology care to underserved communities.

Our fellowship is supported by the resources of Los Angeles General Medical Center, Keck Hospital of USC and the DaVita-USC Kidney Dialysis Center. The curriculum consists of inpatient block rotations, providing the opportunity to study and participate in a variety of models of renal health care delivery with exposure to a diverse spectrum of clinical nephrology, including the glomerulonephritides, acid-base and electrolyte disorders, acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, kidney transplantation, urgent-start peritoneal dialysis and bedside ultrasound.

In addition, fellows are assigned to a longitudinal clinic in a community-based outpatient environment. The curriculum also includes a core curriculum lecture series, Renal Grand Rounds, journal club, case conference, transplant conference and research conference. An outstanding faculty provides fellows with excellent mentors and role models.

We also offer transplant fellowship training to applicants who have already completed nephrology fellowship training and are interested in specializing in transplant nephrology.

Message from the Program Director

Interested in the Nephrology Fellowship at USC/LA General Medical Center? Hear from our Nephrology Fellowship program director about what makes our program unique.

photo of Neeraj Sharma, MD

Fellowship Program Leadership

Kenneth R. Hallows, MD, PhD, FASN

Chief, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
Director, USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center
Professor of Medicine

Neeraj Sharma, MD

Program Director, General Nephrology Fellowship
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine

Sapna Shah, MD

Associate Program Director, General Nephrology Fellowship
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine

Lodel Yerro Caplan, MSHA, C-TAGME

Fellowship Program Administrator
General Nephrology and Renal Transplant Fellowship Programs

Email: lodel.caplan@med.usc.edu

Phone: 323-409-7307

Faculty Members

View our roster

How to Apply

We accept applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Please click here to start your application.

Our institution will sponsor candidates with J1 visas.

Curriculum

Clinical Training

Clinical training is comprised of exceptional clinical experiences in both inpatient and outpatient nephrology.

Inpatient Experience

With rotations in two tertiary care academic centers, fellows are trained in Intensive Care Unit nephrology, continuous renal replacement therapies, glomerular disease, urgent-start peritoneal dialysis, renal transplant, nephrology care in nonrenal solid organ transplantation, renal disorders in pregnancy, onco-nephrology and many other areas covering the full spectrum of clinical nephrology.

Fellows receive excellent training and ample exposure to nephrology procedures, including both native and transplant kidney biopsies, temporary hemodialysis catheter placement and removal of tunneled hemodialysis catheters.

Fellows rotate on the consult services at both Keck Medical Center of USC and Los Angeles General Medical Center. In addition, fellows also rotate on the renal transplant service at Keck Medical Center.

Outpatient Experience

A longitudinal ambulatory experience allows fellows to care for an individual panel of patients over the course of fellowship. This longitudinal experience fosters patient-physician partnership and provides exposure to the evolution of renal disorders. Fellows gain experience in the assessment and management of secondary hypertension, acid-base and electrolyte disorders, lupus nephritis and a variety of other glomerulonephritides, chronic kidney disease, onco-nephrology, and renal transplant. The fellows’ longitudinal clinic is located at the Los Angeles General Medical Center’s Multispecialty Clinic. The fellows also gain outpatient dialysis experience when they rotate at the USC Kidney Center.

 

Rotation Schedule

  • Inpatient Rotations

    • 12 weeks at Los Angeles General Medical Center (LAGMC)

    • 6 weeks at Keck Hospital of USC

    • 8 weeks of Transplant Nephrology at Keck Hospital of USC

    • 6 weeks of Night Float

    Other Rotations

    • 6 weeks of Procedure

    • 6 weeks of Research

    • 4 weeks of Outpatient Dialysis

    • 4 weeks of Vacation

  • Inpatient Rotations

    • 10 weeks at Los Angeles General Medical Center (LAGMC)

    • 8 weeks at Keck Hospital of USC

    • 4 weeks of Transplant Nephrology at Keck Hospital of USC

    • 6 weeks of Night Float

    Other Rotations

    • 6 weeks of Procedure

    • 8 weeks of Research

    • 4 weeks of Outpatient Dialysis

    • 4 weeks of Vacation

     

Rotation Summary

Keck Hospital ICU & Non-ICU Consult Service

Fellows gain exceptional exposure to the breadth of inpatient consultative critical care nephrology, including continuous renal replacement therapy, acute kidney injury, fluid and electrolyte management and onco-nephrology. Learning is further enhanced by a nationally recognized liver transplant program, cancer center, and Heart Failure and Ventricular Assist Device Program.

To further enhance the fellowship training experience and optimize work-life balance, there is a nurse practitioner nephrology service, which covers additional patients in the hospital directly with a nephroloogist attending to ensure that patient volume for the fellows is not excessive.

 

Keck Hospital of USC Kidney Transplant Service

Fellows gain crucial experience taking care of renal transplant patients, as a member of a thriving and nationally recognized kidney transplant program.

Learn more about our Kidney Transplant Service here.

Los Angeles General Medical Center Consult Services

Fellows lead a consultative team comprised of internal medicine residents and medical students, which provides an excellent opportunity to teach. As a tertiary care referral center, fellows gain exposure to the full spectrum of nephrology, including glomerulonephritides, complex acid-base and electrolyte disorders, continuous renal replacement therapy modalities and urgent start-peritoneal dialysis. Fellows truly receive exceptional clinical training in this diverse clinical environment.

Night Float

We are committed to the education and well-being of our fellows. The implementation of a night float call schedule has eliminated the weekday call system to improve fellows’ quality of life, enhance educational experiences and reduce work hours during training.

Outpatient Dialysis

Fellows receive training in outpatient in-center hemodialysis and home dialysis modalities. With a stellar home dialysis program, fellows participate in the care of approximately 100 peritoneal dialysis patients and receive training in urgent start peritoneal dialysis. Our PD program has received national recognition.

 

Procedure Rotation

Fellows rotate on a procedure rotation, which provides additional exposure to interventional nephrology procedures such as tunneled hemodialysis catheter insertion, biopsies, fistulograms, and fistula/graft declotting procedures.

Research

Fellows in Nephrology are given protected time for research. They receive training in research design, IRB approval and the process of writing and submitting manuscripts. Mentored by our distinguished faculty, fellows are encouraged to explore research projects, presentations and writing opportunities in order to foster professional development and promote critical thinking. Our Fellows have successfully presented posters at national and international scientific meetings and have published book chapters, review articles and journal articles.

Conferences

Core Curriculum Conference

A concentrated series of didactic lectures delivered weekly on the essential topics covering the breadth of Nephrology.

Clinical Case Conference

A weekly case-based series on important topics in Nephrology, often involving the critical elements for diagnosis and management.

Renal Grand Rounds

A weekly clinically-based conference given by a faculty expert.

Pathology Conference

A series focused on learning histopathology of native and transplanted kidneys with our renal pathologist.

Journal Club

A series focused on interpreting and critiquing the medical literature. Fellows are mentored by our expert faculty.

Transplant Conference

A series focused on key concepts and updates in Renal Transplantation.

Visiting Professor Grand Rounds

Once every 2-3 months, nationally-renowned experts in different fields of clinical as well as basic science Nephrology are invited to give seminars to the Division.

Board Review Lecture Series

A series dedicated to reviewing practice board questions and help our fellows to prepare for their board certification exams.

Research Conference

Senior Fellows showcasing their research projects.

Simulations/Workshops

Fellows receive state-of-the art training in procedure competency on both mannequins and fresh cadavers in our two simulation centers on campus.

Training Locations

Keck Hospital of USC

A 400-bed tertiary care hospital, with multiple ICUs, including MICU, CT-SICU, CCU, Neuro ICU, and SICU.

Large abdominal transplant program, including a nationally recognized renal transplant program.

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital delivers exceptional, personalized care in 14 key areas of cancer treatment: breast cancer, cancerous brain tumors, gastrointestinal cancer, genetic counseling, gynecologic cancers, head and neck cancers, hematology, lung cancer, melanoma, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, sarcoma, skin cancer and urologic oncology. Our 60-bed hospital is an integral part of our academic medical center.

Using a multidisciplinary team approach, the world-renowned physicians and scientists of USC Norris treat and prevent cancer by developing new therapies, enhancing existing treatments and providing personalized, precision care that is the most advanced available.

Los Angeles General Medical Center

A 600-bed tertiary care hospital, with trauma center, burn unit, CCU, MICU, SICU, and Neuro ICU. Long history of providing care to the community and underserved populations.

Benefits and Salary

Physician Post Graduate Annual Salaries for Nephrology Fellowship GY Levels

Year Level Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025
PGY-4 $84,123.48
PGY-5 $90,019.06

 

  • Fellows are given two 2-week vacation blocks that are requested before the beginning of the academic year. Sick Leave is accrued to a maximum of 8 days per year. Three of these 8 days may be used for personal days with advanced approval from the Program Director.

  • Fellows can be reimbursed for up to $1400 for educational costs per academic year. This includes reimbursement for travel expenses for national meetings/conferences (requires advance approval from program director), textbooks, educational electronic devices, and home office equipment. Certain limitations apply.

  • Meals are provided free to Fellows at each rotation site: Los Angeles General Medical Center, Keck Hospital of USC, and Norris Cancer Hospital.

  • Malpractice insurance is provided without charge for all Fellow physicians during training. This coverage also includes legal defense and protection against awards from claims reported or filed after the completion of graduate medical education if the alleged acts or omission of the housestaff are within the scope of the educational program.

  • Fellows are given $10,000 annually for housing.

  • Nephrology has a dedicated workroom in the Los Angeles General Medical Center inpatient tower with 6 workspaces equipped with computers, video conferencing equipment, telephones and a printer. Additionally, Fellows are provided a call room for use by fellows on-call. The call rooms include amenities such as beds, telephones, computers, video conferencing equipment, printers, and bathroom facilities. Finally, Fellows have a shared office, located on the same floor as the Nephrology Education Office, with 3 workstations equipped with computers, video conferencing equipment, and a printer.

  • Parking is provided for free at Los Angeles General Medical Center and Keck Hospital of USC during Fellows rotations on-site.

For additional information about salaries and benefits, please refer to the LAGMC GME Applicant Information and the USC Employee Benefits pages.

Fellows & Alumni

  •  

    Samah Hoque, MD

    Residency: University of Southern California/Los Angeles General Medical Center

    		 Tracy Lin, DO

    Residency: University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
    Divya Patel, MD

    Residency: University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix

    		 Tachaporn Sangwattanarat, MD

    Residency: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
    Marina Tawadrous, MD

    Residency: College Medical Center

    		    

  •  

    Aisha Elahmadi, MD

    Residency: Detroit Medical Center

    		 Eddie Khav, DO

    Residency: Verde Valley Medical Center
    John Ong, DO

    Residency: Mountain View Hospital

    		 Sahil Parag, DO

    Residency: Northeast Georgia Medical Center

  • 2024 Graduates: Sumit Patel, MD; Angelica Trilleras-Gomez, MD; Naseem Khorram, MD; Arteen Pirverdian, DO; and Alex Juan Carlos, Jr., MD

    2023 Graduates: Samer Abdulkhalek, MD; Priyanka Gogte, MD; Bahman Moghadam, MD; and Sithu Lin, MD

    2022 Graduates: Sahar Semnani, MD; Jorge Sanchez, MD; Lin Wang, DO; Quinn Lougheide, MD; and Amin Motaref, MD

    2021 Graduates: Rangashree Varadarajan, MD; Tiffany Truong, DO; Annika Khine, MD; and Thanh Cao, DO

    • Nephrology private practices throughout Southern California
    • Kaiser Permanente
    • Cedars-Sinai
    • Private Practice in their hometowns (Chicago, Las Vegas, Florida etc.)
    • USC Nephrology Faculty
    • UCLA Nephrology Faculty
    • Los Angeles General Faculty
    • Loma Linda Nephrology Faculty

  • “USC Nephrology has been very welcoming, encouraging, and receptive to fellow needs. If I had a chance to pick again for a fellowship program, I would choose USC again.”

    “Very friendly!”

    “The LAGMC Nephrology Program has a lot offer in terms of teaching and broad-spectrum of pathology to learn.”

    “We get great exposure to caring for complex patients”

    “The diversity of clinical experiences here at USC is second to none. The attendings are genuinely interested in fellow development and education.”

    “Good breadth of pathology.”

Research & Scholarly Opportunities

USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center

The Nephrology Division’s Kidney Research Center (KRC) is supported by private funding, primarily from the University Kidney Research Organization, federal grants from the NIH and US Dept of Defense, University grants and supporting funds. The KRC is under the direction of Dr. Janos Peti-Peterdi as well as Nephrology Division Chief, Dr. Kenneth Hallows, Associate Professor Dr. Nuria Pastor-Soler and Assistant Professors Drs. Zhongwei Li and Eugene Lin. The KRC is staffed with a team of 13 faculty, staff, and students.

The University Kidney Research Organization (UKRO) is an LA-based philanthropic organization founded by entertainment lawyer, Kenneth Kleinberg, and USC nephrologist, Dr. Vito Campese. The mission of UKRO is to raise fundraising support for medical research and education related to the causes, treatment, and eradication of all forms of kidney disease. The UKRO joined the Keck School of Medicine in 2012 to create a premier center nationally recognized for kidney research, the KRC.

Please visit the UKRO Youtube Channel to learn more about the Kidney Center’s Research.

Areas of Basic & Translational Research:

  • Mechanisms of Hypertension
  • Kidney Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
  • Acute Kidney Injury
  • Acid Regulation and its role in CKD
  • Polycystic Kidney Disease
  • Metabolomic Biomarkers
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Noradrenergic Control of Blood Pressure in Kidney Disease

Areas of Clinical Research:

  • Testing of Novel Therapeutics in Polycystic Kidney Disease
  • Mechanisms & Management of Vascular Calcifications in Dialysis Patients
  • Health Economics of Kidney Disease
  • Urgent-Start Peritoneal Dialysis
  • Detection & Management of Cardiovascular Disease in Dialysis Patients
  • Prevention of Progressive Renal Disease in African-Americans
  • New Experimental Therapeutics in Kidney Transplantation
  • Enhancing Assessment of Intravascular Volume and Response to Ultrafiltration in Critically Ill Patients

To learn more about our division’s diverse and groundbreaking research endeavors, please visit our Research Page here.

Additional Information