Image: Pixabay

Every month, AJKD features an image-based Quiz that allows readers to test their knowledge of unusual but clinically important diagnostic or therapeutic problems. Cases may focus on evaluation of clinical findings, interpretation of laboratory values, or assessment of pathologic material or radiologic images.  All Quizzes are freely available in an online collection at AJKD.org.

To recognize fellowship programs’ educational mission, AJKD will be using its popular Quiz feature to highlight Nephrology Fellowship programs when an author is a Nephrology Fellow. To participate, Fellowship Program Directors mentor fellows in submitting prospective Quizzes and work with them to address revision requests. If a Quiz is accepted for publication, the Program Director is encouraged to include a brief description of the fellowship program.

The Quiz for the July 2017 issue is “An Unusual Cause of Hypokalemia,” submitted by Mohamad Hanouneh et al. Dr. Hanouneh is a Nephrology Fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The Program Director, Dr. Derek M. Fine, provided the following description of the program:

The individuals selected annually as Nephrology Fellows at Johns Hopkins have the unique experience of training at an institution in which the first attempts at dialysis in vivo (“vividiffusion”) were performed by John Jacob Abel and colleagues in 1912-1913.

One of the original models of the dialyser in the Jacobs library in the Department of Pharmacology (photo courtesy of Dr. Derek Fine)

Today, the Nephrology Fellowship program trains 12 fellows to be outstanding nephrologists through learning opportunities in inpatient, outpatient, and research settings. The inpatient experiences occur at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where fellows are exposed to a diverse patient population with a broad spectrum of kidney disease, including highly complex conditions necessitating collaboration across specialties. Fellows perform numerous kidney biopsies and work closely with our renal pathologists; also, through formal training, fellows gain expertise in use of point-of-care ultrasound. In the outpatient setting, fellows have opportunities to manage patients in specialty clinics, such as those focusing on lupus nephritis and renal vasculitis. In addition, a research-rich environment enables fellows to pursue research interests under the mentorship of outstanding faculty.

We encourage other Nephrology Fellowship Programs to submit Quizzes, which should be organized thus: The first section includes a concise clinical history (<200 words), a maximum of 4 figures/tables, and up to 4 brief questions pertaining to the case. An answer to each question, further information regarding the clinical entity, and a brief statement of the final diagnosis are provided in a separate answer section, which may include up to 4 additional figures, 400 words, and 5 references. Authors must ensure that Quizzes comply with AJKD’s policies regarding Patient/Participant Protections.

Prospective Quizzes should be submitted through our online submission portal, Editorial Manager. Please follow the formatting guidelines and contact the Editorial Office at ajkd@pennmedicine.upenn.edu with any questions or requests for assistance.

We hope to see your submission soon!