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Early-career nephrologists and trainees often face challenges related to unmet needs in education, research, and advocacy. A regional Young Nephrologist Committee (YNC) can help overcome these difficulties. The number of dedicated committees and societies consisting of and representing young nephrologists remains rare in many parts of the world. To build capacity and help motivated young nephrologists to either create their own regional society or form a sub-committee of their national or regional society, the YNC of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) took the initiative of building a “How to create a young nephrologist committee/society” toolkit.
Online interviews and discussions were held with numerous successful YNC’s leaders and members worldwide. The ISN YNC Young Nephrology Network (YNN) subcommittee then developed the first draft of the toolkit. The toolkit was independently reviewed by leaders of the Young African Association of Nephrology (AFRAN), Plataforma Jóvenes Nefrólogos Españoles (JOvSEN), Club des Jeunes Néphrologues (CJN), UK Kidney Association Renal SpR Club, Young Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (yANZSN), and Community of Young Nephrologists of the NIS and Russia. Critical feedback was analyzed and integrated into the final version of the draft sent for review by the executive committee of the ISN.
The toolkit contains several sections covering different aspects of the creation and development of a YNC: defining the concept and mission, elaborating the structure of the future society, negotiating with existing local or regional nephrology associations, funding and fundraising, recruiting and rewarding members, and involving them as representatives in national or regional societies. Each section comprises a series of questions and answers disclosing various challenges and potential solutions. The toolkit was illustrated with flowcharts and figures to guide the early phases of the creation of the young nephrologists’ committee/ society (Figure 1), as well as establishing the main instruction and tips for effective networking, education and research (Figure 2).
This toolkit developed by the YNC is the first effort of its kind to develop a comprehensive manual for young nephrologists willing to create a dedicated committee/society able to address their challenges and career development needs.