Welcome to ISN

As one of the youngest disciplines in internal medicine, Nephrology became recognized as a specialty only in the second half of the 20th century. This recognition was soon followed by the development of training programs to educate future researchers, teachers, and practitioners in this field.

Recognizing the importance of improving the training of nephrologists in developing areas of the world, ISN COMGAN created an Education Advisory Committee (EAC) to provide clarity and support on this issue.

Made up of members from around the globe, in 2004 the EAC developed universal Recommendations as well as a detailed Core Curriculum for the optimal training of nephrologists. The Recommendations and Curriculum incorporate the input of various Nephrology societies as well as suggestions resulting from several ISN meetings.

The EAC acknowledges that many of the standards set here may not realistically be achieved in the near future in those areas of the world with severe limits on available resources. Consideration was given to developing an alternative set of recommendations for these areas, with less ambitious targets for training conditions and resources. The EAC decided in the end that only one set of standards should be created, so that physicians in all regions could advocate to their governments and healthcare systems for moving towards an optimal system.

This in no way diminishes the importance and impact of the work done under difficult conditions in areas of the world, where care for patients with kidney disease is provided by doctors and other health professionals with less sophisticated training opportunities.

The Recommendations and Curriculum are living documents that will mature over time with the input and constructive suggestions of colleagues from around the world.

Download the ISN Recommendations for Postgraduate Training in Nephrology here.

Download the ISN Core Curriculum for Postgraduate Training in Nephrology here.