Fellowships

Kidney ultrasound

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 HospitalSt Paul’s Hospital
Salary & Benefits: $75 000 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
  • 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, 2025.

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 HospitalSt Paul’s Hospital
Salary & Benefits: $75 000 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.

Application Process

Application deadline is September 1st for a start the following year – July 1 2025.

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 Home Therapies Fellowship

Through this one-year program, fellows gain exposure to clinical, administrative and evaluation experiences related to home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. The Home Dialysis Fellowship is offered in partnership with, and funding from, BC Renal.

Number of Positions: 2 each year
Duration:
 1 year (starting Jan 2 or July 1 with flexibility) 
Application deadline: Closed, will reopen in March 2025 for 2026 intake
Location: Vancouver General HospitalSt Paul’s Hospital, and across BC 
Salary & Benefits: $75 000 per annum + benefits

The Home Dialysis Fellowship is a 12-month program offered in collaboration by BC Renal and UBC’s Division of Nephrology.

Home-based dialysis is an important means for improving the quality of life of dialysis patients, and there is a growing recognition that expertise in home-based therapies requires more intensive exposure than may be obtained during a general nephrology fellowship. 

Details

The Home Dialysis Fellowship helps successful applications develop expertise in the delivery of home-based therapies (peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis) through extended exposure to clinical, administrative, and leadership activities. The program aims to help successful applicants advance their knowledge, as well as communication, administration, managerial, collaborative, professional and scholarly skills. It also involves extensive training in home therapy program development, implementation, management, evaluation, and resource allocation. 

Eligibility

  • Completed at least 24 months of nephrology training in an accredited training program (or, under special circumstances, those who have completed 12 months may apply with the approval of the Residency program supervisory and the Home Dialysis Special Fellowship Training Director)
  • Graduated from medical school within 10 years of starting this fellowship 
  • Preference given to applicants who are enrolled in the Master’s of Health Administration program.
  • 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

More information on the Home Dialysis Fellowship (pdf)

How to apply

Applicants for starts in 2025 should complete the application form and attach their letter of intent (include proposed start date), CV, and three references. 

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:  $75 000 per annum + benefits

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 2025 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

This two-year program provides nephrologists or allied health professionals with the opportunity to learn about the administrative aspects of healthcare delivery through exposure to BC Renal operations and strategic initiatives, while completing a Master’s or PhD level (if not already held). This Fellowship is offered in partnership with, and funding from, BC Renal.

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 2026 (Flexible)
Application Deadline: September 1 2025 for the following year’s start date (2026)
Location: Flexible within British Columbia
Salary & Benefits: $75,000 per annum, plus benefits

Details

BC Renal offers an Administrative & Research Fellowship Program to nephrologists or allied health providers who are committed to pursuing health services leadership roles or health services research as career goals.

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). 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.

More information on the Administrative & Research Fellowship BC Renal UBC AdminResearch Fellowship_Overview_v3.pdf

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.

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, proof of admission letter, and three references.