
The UBC Division of Nephrology has an active and diverse set of fellowship programs, most of which take place at Providence Health Care and Vancouver Coastal Health sites. Some of these fellowships are done in partnership with other health entities, such as BC Renal. Please review UBC PGME and CPSBC for eligibility.
Advanced Clinical Nephrology Program
This program is open to individuals who have completed core nephrology training in an accredited program, and who seek additional exposure to academic and tertiary care skill acquisition. This program is accredited by the Australian and New Zealand Royal College organizations, and thus has been highly subscribed to by individuals from those countries.
Number of Positions: 2+ each year
Duration: 1 year (starting Jan 2 or July 1 with flexibility)
Application deadline: September 1 for next year start date, currently reviewing applications, for 2026
Location: Vancouver General Hospital & St Paul’s Hospital
Salary & Benefits: $91,710.67 per annum + benefits
The Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia is pleased to offer the Advanced Training in Nephrology Clinical Program.
This is a post-certification program, and is open to those who have completed at least 2 years of nephrology in an accredited training program. A certificate from UBC Division of Nephrology will be issued upon completion of the 12 month program.
The Division of Nephrology at UBC has a unique model of integrated care for patients within the greater Vancouver area, and an outreach program to remote communities in BC and Whitehorse. The clinical care of renal patients in BC is administered within a provincial network of services, under the direction of the BC Provincial Renal Agency. Provincial leadership for Transplantation, Home Based Therapies (both Home Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis), Extracorporeal Therapies and Vascular Access, and Chronic Kidney Disease and Complex Care Models reside within the Division.
The fellowship position gives opportunities to gain expertise in different aspects of nephrology including Home Dialysis Therapies, Renal Transplantation, Intensive Care Nephrology, Fluid-electrolyte issues and Acute and Chronic Renal Replacement Therapies. The successful candidates to this application will identify specific areas of interest, and a 12 month curriculum will be developed to meet the expectations of the fellowship. In addition to the identified area of specialty the fellows are expected to rotate through different services throughout to enrich their knowledge and advance their clinical skills broadly.
Fellows are expected to attend and participate in all the divisional academic activities; Nephrology Lunch Rounds, Provincial Nephrology Grand Rounds, Biopsy Rounds, Journal Clubs. Presentations and participation at academic half days, and participation in educational, quality improvement or formal research projects is expected, under guidance of one or more staff members.
College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC English Language Requirement for Registration
The College has considered in the interest of patient care, any candidate applying for licensure in British Columbia must have the ability to speak, read, and write, English. If the language of primary medical education and patient care was not in English the successful completion of IELTS Academic examination is required (waiver will not be granted).
- Minimum score of 7 in each component
- Graduation from medical school within 10 years of starting this fellowship
- Test Report Form (TFR) is valid for a period of two years from date taken
Application Process
Application deadline is September 1st for a start the following year.
The application should include curriculum vitae and the contact details for three referees.
Applicants should apply to Maeve Lalor, UBC Division & Programs Administrator: Maeve Lalor
We are offering a choice between two starting dates: March 1 or July 1, 2026.
Transplant Nephrology Clinical Fellowship
UBC offers a one-year transplantation fellowship that covers all aspects of care related to kidney transplantation. This includes pre-, peri-, and post-transplant medical care, organ donation processes, and laboratory experience related to transplant immunology. This fellowship is accredited by the AST/ASN.
Number of Positions: 4 each year
Duration: 1 year
Start Date: July 1
Application deadline: September 1 for next year start date
Location: Vancouver General Hospital & St Paul’s Hospital
Salary & Benefits: $91,710.67 per annum + benefits
This is a one year Clinical Fellowship accredited by the American Society of Transplantation under the direction of Dr. Olwyn Johnston. UBC has an active kidney, kidney/pancreas program performing more than 300 transplants per year at two sites. The fellowship involves all aspects of pre-, peri-, and post-transplant medical care. It also includes donor evaluation, donor acceptance, patient wait-list management, and all medical aspects of care. The fellowship offers a comprehensive multidisciplinary clinical training including dedicated blocks to transplant infectious disease and transplant immunology laboratory experience. Graduation from medical school within 10 years of starting this fellowship is a requirement.
Application Process
Application deadline is September 1st for a start the following year – July 1 2026.
Qualified applicants must have completed Nephrology training and be eligible for an educational license in British Columbia.
The application should include curriculum vitae and the contact details for two referees.
Applicants should apply to Maeve Lalor, UBC Division & Programs Administrator: Maeve Lalor
UBC & BC Renal Glomerulonephritis (GN) Fellowship
This two-year fellowship aims to help successful applicants gain more exposure to glomerulonephritis (GN), and develop clinical and scholarly expertise to improve the ability to diagnose and treat glomerular diseases. This Fellowship is offered in partnership with, and funding from, BC Renal.
Number of Positions: TBD
Duration: 2 years
Start date: July 1 (flexible)
Application deadline: September 1 for next year start date, currently reviewing applications, for 2026
Location: Vancouver General Hospital & St Paul’s Hospital
Salary & Benefits: TBD
This is a two-year combined clinical, health administration and research fellowship offered in partnership through UBC. During the fellowship, the successful applicant is required to be enrolled in a Master’s or PhD degree program relevant to their area of research interest (which can be deferred for applicants with a previous comparable degree and research training with approval of the GN fellowship director). The clinical training may be combined with formal graduate coursework leading to Masters or Doctoral degrees in Experimental Medicine, Health Care and Epidemiology or related disciplines through the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Details
There is growing recognition that the management of glomerulonephritis (GN) requires specialized training, and that expertise in the management of GN requires more intensive exposure than what is typically provided during the general nephrology 2-year residency training program. The GN Fellowship therefore aims to help successful applicants:
- Develop expertise in the clinical diagnosis and management of glomerular diseases, including in the context of pregnancy
- Develop an in-depth knowledge of nephropathology related to glomerular diseases
- Gain an understanding and experience in the administration of health services related to glomerular diseases; the development, implementation and evaluation of GN health programs; and in resource allocation in GN-related healthcare
- Gain the necessary education, training and experience in research methodology, manuscript preparation and publication, and grant development to ensure successful transition to a career as independent researcher of glomerular diseases
The fellowship also includes the following GN-specific learning opportunities:
- Twice-weekly GN clinics
- Pregnancy nephrology clinic
- Lupus clinic (in collaboration with rheumatologists)
- Vasculitis clinic (in collaboration with rheumatologists)
- Pathology rotations (in collaboration with the UBC Department of Pathology)
- Participation in a Masters or Doctoral degree program at UBC, as outlined above.
Fellows are expected to attend all biopsy rounds, province-wide nephrology rounds, and BC GN Committee meetings, and present GN-related topics at academic half days, UBC Division of Nephrology province-wide rounds, and other educational rounds.
Eligibility
- Has completed 24 months of training in an accredited nephrology program (or equivalent with approval of the GN fellowship director)
- Concurrent registration in a relevant Master’s or PhD program is mandatory during the fellowship but not required at the time of application (for applicants with pre-existing Master’s or PhD research training, this requirement can be deferred with approval of the GN fellowship director).
- Graduation from medical school within 10 years of starting this fellowship
- Can speak, read, and write in English to fulfill the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC English Language Requirement. If the applicant’s language of primary medical education and patient care was not in English, the successful completion of IELTS Academic examination is required.
- Minimum score of 7 in each component
- Test Report Form (TFR) is valid for a period of two years from date taken
How to apply
Applicants for starts in 2026 should complete the application link and attach their letter of intent (include proposed start date), CV, and three references.
UBC & BC Renal Administrative & Research Scholarship
NOTE: This fellowship is intended for physicians and allied health professionals who wish to pursue their interest in administration and/or research in the healthcare system. This fellowship is not offered every year.
Number of Positions: To be determined, contingent upon the applicant’s dedication to a career in research and/or administrative work.
Duration: 2 years
Start Date: July 1 (Flexible)
Application Deadline: September 1 for the next start date
Location: Flexible within British Columbia
Salary & Benefits: TBD
Details
BC Renal offers an Administrative & Research Fellowship Program to nephrologists or allied health providers, currently involved in clinical work, who are committed to pursuing health services leadership roles or health services research as career goals. The successful candidate is required to dedicate 70% of their time to the fellowship. Their remaining time may be allocated to clinical work, should they choose to do so.
The program provides health care professionals the opportunity to learn about the administrative aspects of health care delivery through exposure to the BC Renal operations and strategic initiatives, the value of data in informing decision making, and the conduct of research to inform care, assess technologies or implement strategies. This is accomplished through participating in a research/fellowship program of work, including one or more discrete projects, and completion of a Master’s or PhD level degree (if not already held).
Master’s level degree can be the UBC Master of Health Administration, or equivalent (e.g. Master’s in quality and safety, health economics, organizational theory, implementation science). PhD level degree can be in clinical epidemiology, statistics, or an equivalent relevant field. For those already holding these higher degrees, then specific course work or programs may be recommended, and this Fellowship would be considered a Postdoctoral (for PhD).
Research projects undertaken by successful applicants can span the continuum of kidney disease and can include health services research, implementation science, observational analysis, prediction modeling, epidemiological evaluation of population trends, and biomarker and translational studies. The research project will reflect the collaboration between the applicable BC Renal provincial modality committees and the UBC Division of Nephrology, as appropriate.
Successful applicants take on a range of activities, which may include participation in projects, development of research protocols and analysis plans, preparation of manuscripts, and development of grant applications.
Successful applicants and reporting supervisor will create the curriculum based on BC Renal priorities, matched to the fellow’s interests, wherever possible. They are invited to participate in the activities of at least one of the BC Renal core committees to gain exposure to the health services and health policy implications of the work, and identify additional opportunities.
BC Renal and the UBC Division of Nephrology oversee the application process, including interviews and selection of successful applicants. Successful applicants are supervised by BC Renal and the UBC Division of Nephrology affiliated principal investigator(s).
Eligibility
- Practicing nephrologist or allied health providers who have completed an accredited training in nephrology or nephrology related discipline programs (e.g. pharmacy, nutrition, social work, nursing).
- Confirmed admission or evidence of completion of Master’s or PhD level degree appropriate to the fellowship.
- Preference given to those who completed research training with a proven record of scholarly academic research achievement and peer-reviewed publications.
- If the applicant is a physician and intends on doing clinical work during the fellowship, then they will also need to meet the English Language requirements as below, and have graduated from medical school within 10 years of starting the fellowship.
College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC English Language Requirement for Registration:
The College has considered in the interest of patient care, any candidate applying for licensure in British Columbia must have the ability to speak, read, and write English. If the language of primary medical education and patient care was not in English the successful completion of IELTS Academic examination is required.
- Minimum score of 7 in each component.
- Test Report Form (TFR) is valid for a period of two years from date taken.
Deliverables
The Fellow is expected to complete the following activities to gain exposure to the renal network and raise awareness of policy implications and health services from their fellowship work:
- Participate/Develop/Complete a research/fellowship project with the reporting supervisor, with identified clinical content co-supervisor if/as appropriate; for review and vetting.
- Attend and engage in applicable BC Renal provincial modality committees and provide support to the committees’ projects/initiatives based on committee data and requirements.
- Work with the statistical and analytic team at BC Renal in the context of work.
- Attend and present at BC Renal/UBC Province-wide Rounds (at least once per year), hospital academic rounds, UBC Division of Nephrology Research Forum, and biopsy rounds.
- Participate and present (if applicable) at BC Kidney Days, BC Renal’s bi-annual conference, including submission of an abstract and development of a poster to support knowledge sharing/translation related to the fellow’s project(s).
- Teach at academic half-day for Fellows at least twice per year, with oversight from the fellow’s supervisor.
- Contribute an article to the BC Renal network newsletter, Renal News Express, or Research in Focus newsletter.
- Complete the San’yas Core Indigenous Cultural Safety Health Training, if not yet completed.
Complete the simplified project plan, evaluations, and comprehensive report assigned by BC Renal.
How to apply
Applicants should complete the application link and attach their letter of intent (include proposed start date), CV, proof of admission letter, and three references.
Geriatric / Palliative Care Advanced Nephrology Fellowship
This is a 12-month fellowship focusing on either Geriatrics or Palliative Care Nephrology and offered through collaboration of BC Renal and the UBC Division of Nephrology
Number of Positions: 1 per year
Duration: 1 year
Start date: July 1, 2026
Application deadline: September 1, 2025
Location: Vancouver General Hospital & St Paul’s Hospital
Salary & Benefits: TBD
Rationale: Palliative care and Geriatric medicine are vitally important components in the spectrum of integrated nephrology patient care. There is growing recognition that those impacted by chronic kidney disease are geriatric and would benefit from expertise in delivering a truly palliative approach to care. The Geriatric/Palliative Care Nephrology Advanced Fellowship is a 12-month program, offered in collaboration with BC Renal and the UBC Divisions of Nephrology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, focuses on the intersection of nephrology, geriatrics and palliative care. The 12-month fellowship will be offered to focus primarily on either geriatrics or palliative care to permit adequate enhanced capacity development for the trainee and for the BC/Canadian nephrology community. Given the intersection between Palliative Care and Geriatrics, the program will be tailored to the successful applicants primary interests and may include some components of both specialties.
Given the long relationship that Nephrologists have with the chronic kidney disease patient group, there is a need to integrate geriatric comprehensive assessment/management, serious illness conversations/advanced care planning, and end of life and symptom management, into Nephrology training. The advanced age of many nephrology patients highlights the intersection of geriatrics and nephrology and the inherent value of combined skills and enhanced training to deliver optimal care. This dedicated fellowship supports the development of skills and expertise in comprehensive geriatric medicine, and/or conservative care, end of life discussions/decisions, and symptom assessment and management in treatment plans.
Objectives:
- To develop expertise in comprehensive Geriatric assessments, including cognitive/memory assessment and management, falls and mobility issues, and polypharmacy and deprescribing.
- To develop expertise and enhanced skills in appropriate Geriatric pre-surgical assessments.
- To develop expertise in the clinical assessment and management of symptoms, and of conservative care in the context of all patients with CKD irrespective of modality (non-dialysis, dialysis, or transplant).
- To develop knowledge of palliative care methodologies and frameworks applicable to CKD patient care.
- To develop an in-depth knowledge of biology and pharmacology related to symptom management in CKD.
- To gain an understanding and experience in the administration of provincial health services within the context of BC Renal and Health authorities Nephrology services, as well as Geriatric and Palliative care resources.
- To gain experience in the development, implementation, and evaluation of integrated Geriatric and Palliative care programs, and in resource allocation.
- To gain experience in development and implementation of educational programs, tailored for nephrology staff.
- To gain experience in evaluation of program and quality metrics.
Eligibility: Individuals who have completed 24 months of training in an accredited Canadian Nephrology program. Currently, we are accepting applications from Canadian residents though we will consider trainees who have completed at least one year of training in Canada and intending to continue to work and live in Canada.
Application:
Applicants should complete the application form by clicking on the application link here and attach their letter of intent, CV, and three references.