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Training

Renal Medicine

About the specialty

Renal Medicine offers the challenge of looking after both acutely ill patients and those with a chronic disease requiring long term care with the help of a multidisciplinary team. The majority of renal physicians receive training in both Renal and General Internal Medicine and most general medical problems in renal patients are managed by the Renal team who have a close working relationship with many branches of medicine reflecting the various problems of co-morbidity present in most patients with chronic renal disease.

Most renal physicians will have responsibility for the care of patients with end stage renal failure requiring long term renal replacement therapy either by dialysis or transplantation They also manage patients with a wide variety of general nephrology problems and those with acute renal failure many of whom may require acute renal replacement therapy in the critical care setting. 

There are many opportunities for research, either laboratory based (underlying mechanisms of renal disease, immunology of transplantation); clinical based (examining effects of treatment on various renal conditions), or epidemiological (looking at incidence of various renal diseases in different populations which impact on the planning and delivery of renal services).

Entry into Renal Medicine training is possible following successful completion of both a foundation programme and a core training programme. There are two core training programmes for Renal Medicine training:

  • Internal Medicine Training (IMT)
  • Acute Care Common Stem - Internal Medicine (ACCS-IM)

Latest news and developments

A new curriculum for dual training in Renal Medicine and Internal Medicine will be implemented in August 2022. Trainees already in training in 2022 will need to transfer to the new curriculum unless in their final year of training. Please see our transition page for further information.

Curriculum

The curriculum for each specialty defines the process of training and the capabilities needed for the award of a certificate of completion of training (CCT). The curriculum includes the assessment system for measuring trainees’ progress comprising workplace based assessment and knowledge based assessment. Information on the European Specialty Examination Nephrology (ESNeph) can be found on the MRCP(UK) website.

A new curriculum was approved by the GMC and implemented in August 2022.

Renal Medicine 2022 curriculum

The previous curriculum for Renal Medicine is available below. Earlier versions of the curriculum are no longer available online but copies can be requested from curriculum@jrcptb.org.uk.

2010 Renal Medicine (amendment 2019)

ARCP Decision Aids

The ARCP decision aid for each specialty defines the targets that have to be achieved for a satisfactory ARCP outcome at the end of each training year. The ARCP decision aid for the new 2022 curriculum is given below.

Renal Medicine 2022 ARCP Decision Aid

The decison aid below should be used for trainees remaining on the previous curriculum. 

Forms and guidance

Guidance for the implementation of the 2022 curriculum

A webinar was held on 27 April 2022 and a recording is available below.

The SAC has produced the following guide for training programme directors, supervisors and trainees to support the implementation of the new curriculum. 

Renal Medicine 2022 Rough Guide