Career Development
Career development is a central priority of the Nephrology Training Program. Trainees are supported in exploring career options that align with their interests, strengths, and long-term goals. One of the priorities of the program is to facilitate our trainees find a job.
To facilitate mentorship and skill development, trainees may engage with one or more career development streams: academic nephrology (research), academic nephrology (education scholarship and teaching), and community nephrology. These streams are intended to provide guidance rather than fixed pathways. Trainees are not required to select a stream early in training, and career direction may be reassessed and changed at any time.
The primary goal of this framework is to ensure trainees are well prepared to pursue and obtain positions that best reflect their professional aspirations and personal priorities. Trainees may have the opportunity to continue their career development plans during their PGY6 year.
Academic (research)
Preamble
The Academic (Research or Quality Improvement) Stream is designed for nephrology trainees with an interest in developing skills in clinical research, health services research, or quality improvement. This stream provides a flexible framework to support scholarly development while maintaining strong clinical training.
Participation in this stream allows for customization of the second year of training to align with individual career goals. Depending on trainee interests and program feasibility, this may include enrollment in a relevant master’s program, dedicated protected time to conduct a research or quality improvement project, and structured mentorship to support scholarly productivity.
The overarching goal of the Academic Stream is to equip trainees with the skills, experience, and academic output needed to pursue careers in academic nephrology, while ensuring that training remains individualized, feasible, and aligned with long-term career objectives.
Career Mentorship
To support trainees in this pathway, a mentorship committee may be established, composed of faculty with relevant expertise in research, quality improvement, or methodology, as appropriate. This committee provides guidance on project development, academic progression, and career planning.
If a master’s training program is desired, then trainees will be encouraged to apply for the program in their PGY4 year to be able to start the program in their PGY5 year.
Example
Trainees who elect to pursue the research stream apply to master’s programs during their PGY4 year. To support this career pathway, the program permits trainees to use all four elective blocks to attend required in-person coursework and complete their master’s training longitudinally alongside their training. In parallel, they establish mentorship committees and engage in research projects, with opportunities for scholarly dissemination and publication.
Trainees wishing to pursue advanced research training may also apply to the Clinician Investigator Program at Western during their PGY6+ years. Throughout this process, the program maintains flexibility to ensure that individual research objectives are met and supported.
Academic (Education)
Preamble
The Academic (Education Scholarship and Teaching) Stream is designed for nephrology trainees who wish to develop skills in medical education, education scholarship, and teaching, while maintaining strong clinical training.
This stream allows for customization of the second year of training to align with individual career goals. Opportunities may include enrollment in a relevant master’s program in education, dedicated protected time to develop and complete an education-focused scholarly project, and structured support to facilitate dissemination of work through conference presentations and manuscript publication. Trainees may also choose to be more involved in undergraduate and/or postgraduate medical education, including teaching, curriculum development, and educational leadership activities.
The overarching goal of the Academic Stream is to provide trainees with the skills, mentorship, and scholarly experience needed to pursue academic careers in nephrology with a focus on education, in a manner that is flexible, individualized, and aligned with long-term professional goals.
Career Mentorship
To support trainees in this pathway, a mentorship committee may be established, composed of faculty with relevant expertise in medical education and education scholarship. This committee provides guidance on project development, scholarly output, and career planning.
Example
Trainees who choose to pursue the education stream apply to Master of Education programs during their PGY4 year. The program supports this career development by allowing trainees to dedicate all four elective blocks to attending in-person coursework. They then complete their master’s degree longitudinally alongside their clinical training. Trainees also actively participate in undergraduate medical education teaching. Notably, a previous trainee has contributed to updating the nephrology pathology curriculum as part of their master’s program.
Community Nephrology
Preamble
The Community Nephrology Stream is designed for nephrology trainees who plan to pursue careers in community-based practice, while maintaining a strong foundation in comprehensive nephrology care.
This stream allows for customization of the second year of training to align with individual career goals. Trainees may complete electives at community or regional sites where there is potential for future employment, enabling exposure to local practice models and practice environments. Selective experiences may also be chosen to develop additional expertise in desired subspecialty areas of nephrology, including opportunities for focused clinical or research skill development.
Career planning within this stream is aligned with subspecialty training during the PGY6 year to gain additional, unique skills for the job market. Trainees may also be encouraged to undertake a junior consultant elective, during which they will function at a consultant level under direct supervision, including leading inpatient ward care, to support the transition to independent practice.
The overarching goal of the Community Nephrology Stream is to provide trainees with tailored clinical experiences, mentorship, and practice-ready skills that position them to obtain community nephrology roles that best align with their professional goals and practice preferences.
Career Mentorship
Mentorship and career guidance within the Community Nephrology Stream occur primarily through annual career development meetings, with a focus on networking trainees with colleagues at sites that may have potential for future employment.
Sample PGY5 Electives
• Junior Consultant
• Electives (at community sites)
• Transplant
• Home Dialysis
• Glomerulonephritis
