Kidney Week

Abstract: SA-PO1003

Access to Dialysis Education for Medical Students: Increasing Early Exposure to Nephrology

Session Information

• Educational Research
  October 24, 2026 | Location: Exhibit Hall A, Convention Center
  Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Category: Educational Research

• 1000 Educational Research

Authors

• La, Ashley Marie, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Ashley Marie La, MD

• Song, Ryan M., The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Ryan M. Song, MD

• Cuadra Aruguete, Sara Adelina, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Sara Adelina Cuadra Aruguete, MD

• Swamy, Varsha, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Varsha Swamy, MD

• Pincavage, Amber, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Amber Pincavage, MD

• Obaidi, Zainab, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Zainab Obaidi, MD

Background

Inadequate exposure, content difficulty, and insufficient access to mentorship have been reported as reasons for insufficient recruitment of trainees into Nephrology in prior studies. Despite the high prevalence of patients on dialysis encountered in all specialties, exposure to dialysis education is often limited during medical school. To address this gap, we developed and piloted a hands-on bedside small-group session for 3rd-year medical students led by Nephrology fellows.

Methods

We designed a bedside teaching session for 3^rd-year medical students during their Internal Medicine Clerkship focused on dialysis and access using Kolb's Learning Cycle as a framework for experiential learning. Each session was 90 minutes with 5-10 students and 1-2 Nephrology fellow instructors. The first half of the session included a didactic on dialysis modalities, access types, and complications. In the second half of the session, students were brought to patient rooms to see an active hemodialysis circuit, see a peritoneal dialysis machine, and examine various dialysis accesses (catheters, fistulas, and grafts). Students were asked to voluntarily complete an anonymous survey before and after the session to assess knowledge, confidence, and impact on future practice.

Results

Out of 81 students in the 2025-26 class, 78 students participated in the session, and 73 students completed both pre- and post-tests. Knowledge test scores and confidence in understanding mechanisms of dialysis and examining access all increased after the session (Table). Out of 74 students who completed the post-session survey, 71(96%) reported they were likely to apply knowledge learned during the session to patient care and 73(99%) reported they were likely to examine their patients' dialysis access. Twenty-six(35%) students reported the session likely increased their interest in Nephrology as a career choice.

Conclusion

Knowledge, confidence, and interest in Nephrology all increased after the session. Our study demonstrated that this novel fellow-led bedside session is a feasible and effective way to teach students about dialysis and access and increase specialty interest in early medical training.

Comparison of Pre-and Post-Session Scores