This is a one-time application for travel support to enable nephrologists in training to attend the only dedicated Geriatric nephrology conference in the US. This new direction in Nephrology is based on the realization that most patients treated by adult nephrologists are in the Geriatric age group, and currently adult nephrologists lack formal training in Geriatrics and/or knowledge about research breakthroughs in Geriatric Nephrology. Such changes in the population led to the ACGME mandate that all aspects of Geriatric Nephrology should be part of the teaching program for nephrology trainees. In order to address this new mandate and eliminate a potentially serious knowledge deficit an ambitious program has been rapidly developed to address this gap. The program consisted of establishing and conducting a formal teaching course at the annual American Society of Nephrology meeting and the development of a Geriatric Nephrology Curriculum which was posted on the American Society of Nephrology website. The course has been over-subscribed and the Nephrology Program Directors have endorsed the Geriatric Nephrology Curriculum attests to the broad support for training in Geriatrics by the adult Nephrology community and the full support of the Leadership of the American Society of Nephrology. However, due to the expenses of travel and conference fees less than 2% of all attendees were nephrology fellows in training. Conference Organizing committee and Geriatric Nephrology Advisory Group to the American Society of Nephrology has decided that increasing fellow participation is of paramount importance and therefore we need to overcome the financial barriers that prevent young physicians from acquiring the knowledge they will need to provide optimal care in the near future. This application for a conference support grant addresses aforementioned issue.
Bringing up physician training to the new standards that reflect changes in the community would improve the medical care and wellbeing of the patients who will be cared for by these physicians in the future. Support for this initiative is exemplified by the participation of the ASN in their commitment to forgo the conference registration fee for the fellows and the commitment from the ASP to partially support fellows'travels needs with a grant of their own.
