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Renal medicine

Renal Medicine is an exciting specialty that encompasses both the acute and chronic management of patients with complex and challenging health problems. The specialty attracts trainees who aspire to be good diagnosticians and general physicians with a keen eye for detail. We provide holistic care to our patients who often have other health problems, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease and related complications, in addition to their underlying renal disease.

TRAINING IN WALES

We currently have fourteen trainee posts in Wales and frequently have several trainees who are out of programme. Being a relatively small training programme allows us to get to know our trainees well, and provide a very supportive training environment. Renal Medicine training in Wales is delivered in five hospitals:

Trainees will almost invariably spend time in at least two hospitals, trying where possible to keep this to one or possibly two moves. Training will include eighteen months to two years in Cardiff providing relevant tertiary centre experience in renal and transplantation. UHW is a centre for kidney, and simultaneous kidney pancreas transplantation. Posts also incorporate a dedicated renal registrar on call service for south east Wales. All trainees will also train in General (Internal) Medicine (GIM), obtaining the majority of that experience in one of the four centres outside Cardiff. All hospitals aim to offer an individualised and broad based experience of all aspects of nephrology, including management of severe AKI, acute and chronic haemodialysis management, peritoneal dialysis, management of the patient with a renal transplant, management of vasculitis and other autoimmune and systemic disorders involving the kidney and intrinsic renal disease.

Training days are held regularly. In south Wales training days are delivered jointly with south west England and in north Wales trainees attend the north west England training sessions. Facilities are available to join these meetings remotely or in person, giving the opportunity to network with trainees from other programmes in the UK.

As a Specialist Training Committee, we are very supportive of trainees wishing to go out of programme to undertake research. There are numerous research opportunities available in both south Wales and north Wales, with many trainees successfully completing an MD or PhD.

HEAR FROM OUR CURRENT TRAINEES

We receive consistently good feedback from trainees on training and supervision provided. On completion of training, many trainees choose to accept consultant posts in units in which they have trained in, reflecting the supportive working environment we aim to provide.