Department of
Medical Education

Jennifer Bergeron, MD, FASN

Jennifer Bergeron, MD, FASN

Board Certification: Nephrology and Internal Medicine

Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine, Maine Track

Residency: University of Vermont Medical Center

Fellowship: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Faculty Rank: Assistant Professor of Medicine

Special Clinical/Research Interests: Geriatric/Palliative nephrology and ESRD care, sharing my love of renal physiology, and mentorship.

Is there a particular population of students (e.g., ethnicity, spiritual, sexual orientation) that you would particularly like to advise?

I have particular experience in working with first generation college and medical students, as well as students who find that their faith integrates into their practice, but I love advising all students!

What does a typical day in the life of a Nephrologist include?

Nephrology is really fun because we have several different roles. One week a month, I am working on the inpatient consult service, helping patients in the hospital with acute kidney injuries, electrolyte abnormalities, end stage kidney disease, or patients with problems that require plasmapheresis. The rest of my weeks are a combination of different things. I have chronic kidney disease clinic two days a week and my subspecialty glomerulonephritis clinic once a week. Once a week, I go to my dialysis unit to round on patients I have seen at least monthly the entire time I have been here, talk about continuity! This also includes being a medical director of the dialysis unit where I lead patient care and safety policies and procedures, quality improvement, water compliance, and staff education. The other two days of the week, I get to teach fellows, residents, and medical students as well as work on my research.

What is the biggest challenge of being a Nephrologist?

The biggest challenge is caring for some of the most complex patients in all health care. Over 50% of advance kidney disease patients have complex multimorbidity, meaning they suffer from at least 4 chronic conditions simultaneously, and they take on average 20 pills a day. We also use the most physiology every day which when you are starting out can seem intimidating, but it does become one of the most fun parts of the job!

How do you foresee Nephrology changing over the next 20 years?

Nephrology is really the field experiencing the most growth the last few years, so it is hard to imagine how different it will be in 20 years! We think that thanks to several new medications, we may be able to halt chronic kidney disease. If patients do continue to end stage kidney disease, we will have two new exciting modalities to offer rather than traditional dialysis – either xenotransplantation (using pig kidneys instead of relying on human donors) or implantable bioartificial kidneys.

What advice would you give a student who is considering an Internal Medicine residency or even Nephrology Fellowship?

Build a strong foundation in physiology! Both internal medicine and nephrology can be unlocked when you spend a little extra time learning physiology rather than trying to memorize several different algorithms. Physiology during 1st and 2nd year medical school can seem like a blur, so going back to those notes or even better finding a FOAMEd resource (I’m always recommending like The Acid Base and Electrolyte Companion) that makes sense to you will make you stand out in residency!

Furthermore, get engaged with the field, and that doesn’t just mean doing research and case reports. Volunteer for free health clinics and community screening programs, join your local or national ACP (or other professional society), participate in quality improvement projects, work with FOAMEd, join legislative and policy advocacy groups, or even look into biomedical technology companies that look for trainee voices to participate in workgroups. There are so many opportunities out there, find the ones that actually excite you!