Table 7.

Feedback from fellows on completion of training program

Hands-on training

Most useful part of the training given opportunities to gain appropriate skills

Allowing for practical management of common kidney diseases in Africa

Doing on-calls with mentor support

Procedures

Under close supervision giving confidence in kidney biopsies, placing bedside PD catheters, and setting up PD and forming the basis of what fellows do and giving an ability to train others

Doing procedures meant that you cannot forget what you saw and exercised (practiced) as to do a procedure oneself is more effective than just watching it being done

Where one makes mistakes, the person is immediately corrected by the trainer, and gets the opportunity to do it again, thus acquiring the skill. If it were only an observership, the trainee will not benefit from the knowledge inherent in practical errors

Acquiring Skills

Acquiring skills while, e.g., renal biopsy being careful watched which allowed for correction of technique as well as a safe space to practice while feeling assured that there was someone who “had your back”

The training was also felt to be appropriate for the setting that the fellows were returning to in Africa and teaching adapted or improvised techniques of managing AKI

Specific training

Spending time in the HD unit provided knowledge and confidence to establish HD for children

Confidence was also gained in making decisions in managing transplant patients

Visiting other units while training

Our combined sister platform Paediatric Nephrology Unit at Tygerberg Hospital/University of Stellenbosch (TBH/US) for varying periods of time as well as telephonic on-call support

Short periods (1 month) were also spent at our adult unit Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH), but this was curtailed during the Covid pandemic