Veteran's Memorial Medical Center 

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The VMMC Department of Medicine, Section of Nephrology launched its Fellowship Training in Adult Nephrology in 1995 under the leadership of its current section chief, Dr. Corazon R. Macaraeg. It is the youngest training institution in Nephrology accredited by the PSN. In 2003, the PSN awarded the Section another 3 years accreditation.

The Section of Nephrology boasts of a new 17-machine hemodialysis center. Another machine is available at the Medical Intensive Therapy Unit (MITU) for emergency treatments after office hours and on weekends. A separate 12-bed Peritoneal Dialysis Unit for Intermittent Peritoneal Dialysis is located at the 2nd floor, adjacent to Ward 4, the Renal Ward. Two CAPD Rooms are located at Ward 4.

The Office of the Section of Nephrology is equipped with a mini-library. It maintains subscriptions to journals and publications vital to nephrologists and training fellows. Internet access is also available, where past issues of journals can be accessed in full text. Conferences are held in this office while conferences involving the Department of Medicine are held at The Ricardo Fullon Hall.

Fellowship Training

There are 1-2 fellows per year level who undergo a two-year training program. A Chief Fellow selected from among the senior training fellows will undergo an additional year of training.

Requirements for Fellowship Acceptance:

1. Must have completed a three-year training program in Internal Medicine from an institution duly accredited by the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP)
2. Must be a PCP Diplomate (passed both written and oral examinations)
3. Must successfully pass a competitive qualifying exam and personal interview.

The following activities of the Section are maintained:

1. Clinical Rounds (Teaching and working rounds)
2. Actual patient care (supervised and independent)
   
   1. ICU
   2. Emergency room
   3. In-patient
   4. Out-patient (Renal Clinic every Tuesday morning)
   5. Community service
   6. Hemodialysis & Peritoneal dialysis
   7. Renal Biopsy
3. Didactic lectures
4. Conferences:
   
   1. Nephrology grand rounds (Monthly)
   2. Nephro-Urology conference (Monthly)
   3. Morbidity-Mortality conference (Monthly)
   4. Renal pathology (Monthly)
   5. Journal club (Monthly)
   6. Brenner club (Monthly)
   7. Renal Physiology, Fluid & Electrolytes (Monthly)

Evaluation :

1. Feedback on demand
2. Quarterly written examination
3. Logbook - each trainee is required to maintain a logbook showing all cases he/she has handled and procedures he/she has performed while on training

Outside Rotation:

Senior training fellows rotate at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) for 8 weeks as follows:

1. Transplant service - 4 weeks
2. Pre-transplant clinic - 2 weeks
3. Renal histopathology - 1 week
4. Radiology - 1 week

Consultant Staff:

Corazon R. Macaraeg, MD, FPCP, FPSN - Section Chief
Ramon C. Mora, MD, FPCP, FPSN - Training Officer
Vincent Rafael A. Jocson, MD, FPCP, Dipl. PSN - Asst. Training Officer
Ricardo A. Francisco, Jr., MD, FPCP - Chief, Dialysis Units
Liberato A. Casison, MD, FPCP, FPSN (Visiting Consultant)

List of Graduates:

Elizabeth B. Estoesta, MD, FPCP (1997)
Marichu Therese Matas, MD (1998)
Rene A. Molina, MD, FPCP (1999)
Ronald Sales, MD (2000)
Ricardo A. Francisco, MD, FPCP (2001)
Vincent Rafael A. Jocson, MD, FPCP (2002)
Karin Mae B. Mape, MD (2003)
Francisco K. Ontalan, MD, FPCP (2004)