The following is a summary of “American Society of Nephrology Kidney Tutored Research and Education for Kidney Scholars (TREKS) Program,” published in the April 2024 issue of Nephrology by Rubin et al.

Researchers conducted a prospective study evaluating the effectiveness of the Kidney TREKS (Tutored Research and Education for Kidney Scholars) program by surveying participants before and after the course. 

They included 381 participants, 242 of whom completed surveys, and longitudinal follow-up tracked their career choices. TREKS applicants not selected served as a comparison group.

The results showed that after TREKS, medical and graduate students showed increased interest in nephrology, with rank scores of 5.6±0.2 pre- to 7.5±0.1 post-course for medical students (n=189, P=0.001) and 7.3±0.3 to 8.7±0.3 for graduate students (n=53, P=0.001). Long-term, TREKS participants were more likely to choose nephrology residencies and engage in nephrology research compared to non-participants (TREKS medical students vs. Medical students overall; 57% vs.31%, P=0.01) and ( TREKS Participant vs. Non-participants; 47% vs 31%, P=0.04). PhD students and postdoctoral participants were likelier to engage in nephrology research than TREKS applicants (66% vs. 30%, P=0.01).

Investigators concluded that kidney TREKS effectively boosts short-term interest and long-term career choices in nephrology, especially among PhD students and postdocs. Further study is needed to gauge its impact on nephrology fellowship enrollment.

Source: journals.lww.com/jasn/abstract/9900/american_society_of_nephrology_kidney_treks.294.aspx