WashU Nephrology Fellows Attend 2024 Nephrology Business Leadership University

The popular Nephrology Business Leadership University (NBLU) recently concluded its 2024 session, with all six of our WashU Nephrology’s second-year fellows proudly attending the graduation.

Now in its ninth year, the event brings together nephrology professionals to prepare senior fellows for the economics and business aspects of their future careers in nephrology. The week-long session is hosted through a collaboration of U.S. Renal Care, the University of California San Diego Division of Nephrology & Hypertension and the Dallas Renal Group, a large private nephrology practice in Dallas.

Our current senior fellows, Drs. Atlee Baker, Yasir Baloch, Alex Calderon, Felina Dass, Audrey Netzel, and Olga Postovitenko, in addition to Dr. Abdullah Jalal, who recently graduated from our fellowship program, attended the event. The program is intentionally hands-on, highly interactive, and provides real-world insights and practical knowledge. Attendees leave the NBLU program with a stronger understanding of the business of nephrology and how it fits into the complex and evolving healthcare landscape. The program also provides the opportunity for invaluable networking opportunities.

Speakers for the event included practicing nephrologists, faculty from multiple academic institutions and leaders from national renal trade associations including the American Association of Kidney Patients, Renal Physicians Association, and Women in Nephrology, as well as the presidents of the American Society of Nephrology and the National Kidney Foundation. See the list of speakers for 2024.

As part of the learning experience, the fellows participated in a Shark Tank style competition. Ten teams, each named after a specific location such as El paso, Queens, Houston, and Indianapolis, and Long Beach, were tasked with coming up with an idea for a new nephrology practice. They had to tackle challenges unique to their city’s geographical locations and make a convincing pitch to the judges, who were experienced nephrologists from both academic and private practice settings. The team with the most convincing business idea won. WashU fellows were in the top three teams this year. The winning team was Queens, which included Dr. Postovitenko; second place went to El Paso with Dr. Baloch, and third place was awarded to Cincinnati with Dr. Netzel.

Other highlights involving our fellows include Dr. Calderon making it to the top 16 in the table tennis competition and Dr. Baloch (who oversees WashU Nephrology’s newly launched Instagram account, @WashUNeph) winning the NBLU social media award.

WashU Nephrology attendees:

**Yasir Baloch**, **MBBS**
Took home the social media award.
@Myasirbaloch

“I highly recommend the NBLU conference to any second-year nephrology fellow, whether their career path leads to academics or private practice. It’s a unique opportunity where most second-year fellows from across the country converge for five days of invaluable experiences. The conference is not only packed with fun, team activities, and laughter but also offers crucial insights into the real-world dynamics of nephrology that are often overlooked in fellowship training.

“From understanding the intricacies of billing to the mathematics behind nephrology practices, NBLU covers it all. The event also features a diverse range of expert panelists, including the presidents of ASN and NKF. The highlight for me was connecting with fellow nephrology trainees – it’s a fantastic networking opportunity that fosters collaboration and advocacy in our field.”

**Alex E. Calderon**, MD
Made it to the top 16 in the table tennis competition.

“Attending NBLU gave me valuable insights and skills specifically tailored to leaders in the nephrology field. I got to learn about nephroeconomics, which plays a significant role in optimizing kidney care and ensuring that patients receive effective treatment within the constraints of available resources. I totally recommend NBLU because it empowers nephrologists to deliver better patient care, advocate for effective health policies, and utilize resources wisely—all of which are critical in the landscape of kidney.

“Besides acquiring knowledge, we also had plenty of fun activities and lots of networking opportunities – especially meeting fellows/nephrologists from other programs, administrators, and policy makers – which fosters valuable relationships and collaboration.”