Teaching renal physiology in the 21st century: focus on acid-base physiology.

A thorough understanding of renal physiology, and in particular acid-base physiology, is essential for an understanding of nephrology. Difficulties in both teaching and learning this material are major impediments to attracting medical trainees into nephrology. Approaches to teaching renal physiology include collaborative learning, computer-based learning and laboratory-based learning. Computer-based learning applications are becoming increasingly popular and can be useful, but are most successful when they incorporate interactive components. Students also note that the presence of a live instructor remains desirable. Some concepts of renal and in particular acid-base physiology can be taught using structured self-experimentation, a practice with a long tradition that possibly should be revitalized.