Scottish Medical Training

The North of Scotland Renal Medicine Training Program is based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) and offers comprehensive training in all aspects of nephrology. ARI is a 975 bedded tertiary referral centre with a complete range of medical and surgical specialties It is co-located on the same site as the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, and the University of Aberdeen Medical School including the Institute of Medical Sciences and the Suttie Centre for Learning in Healthcare.

ARI Renal Unit covers a large and beautiful geographical area including Grampian, Moray, the Orkney and Shetland Isles. All trainees will accredit in Renal and Internal Medicine, with an expectation that they will spend a minimum of 6 months in another centre. This is usually Raigmore Hospital, Inverness which covers the Highland region and Western Isles, but opportunities are also available in Dr Gray’s Hospital, Elgin and the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Shetland.

All aspects of training in nephrology are provided including:

• Comprehensive and supervised training with an ethos of multi-disciplinary team working.
• In-patient care in a 20 bed Renal Ward in the purpose built Emergency Care Centre.
• Training in and exposure to High Dependency and Critical Care.
• Training in all methods of renal replacement therapy including transplantation, peritoneal and haemodialysis (including Home HD and frequent/long hours haemodialysis) and haemodiafiltration.
• Wide range of out-patient clinics including General Nephrology, Transplant Follow-up, Haemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, Low Clearance, Conservative Kidney Care, Vasculitis, Renal Metabolic Stone Clinic, Young Adult Transition Clinic.
• Close links with the Transplant Unit in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh which undertakes Renal and Pancreatic Transplantation. Patients typically return to ARI around 7 days post-transplant. Trainees are expected to spend a minimum of six weeks working in an Acute Transplant Centre.
• Training in all relevant procedures including native & transplant renal biopsy, and central venous catheter insertion.
• Protected study time for Registrar Teaching in Renal Medicine.
• Protected study time for Registrar Teaching in General (Internal) Medicine.
• Support to participate in an active Quality Improvement and Clinical Audit programme.
• A full range of CME opportunities including a weekly Renal Biopsy Pathology meeting; weekly Radiology CPC; weekly Transplant Review Meeting; Journal Club; Teaching programmes for ST & FY/CMT trainees; monthly Morbidity & Mortality Meetings; annual Scottish Renal Association Trainee sessions.
• An active programme to promote and support study leave including courses and conferences.
• A multidisciplinary Renal Simulation Course.
• Support to study and prepare for the Nephrology SCE.
• Opportunities for secondments/training in Critical Care and other specialties.
• An active programme for out of programme opportunities including laboratory based projects, clinical epidemiology, clinical training in other specialties, medical education. We support and encourage all trainees to consider out of programme opportunities.

The Renal Unit has strong links to the University of Aberdeen. Trainees are encouraged to participate in an active Quality Improvement and Clinical Audit programme. We support and encourage all trainees to consider out of programme training and have an active programme for out of programme opportunities including:

• Laboratory based research projects
• Clinical epidemiology and applied health sciences
• Clinical training in other specialties
• Medical education.