Michael James Choi, MD| Nephrology | MedStar Health

Michael James Choi, MD
Provider is directly employed by MedStar Health

4.9 out of 5 (106 reviews)

Specialties: Nephrology

Languages: English

877-625-1483

About me

Dr. Michael Choi is Director for the Division of Nephrology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. He has a focused interest in glomerular diseases and chronic kidney disease. He is the Fellowship Program Director in Nephrology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and was the Program Director at the Johns Hopkins University from 1996-2009. He is the Past-President of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and present member and past NKF Education Committee Chair. He was the Chairman of the 2011 NKF Spring Clinical Meeting. He was a member of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Program Education Committee for Glomerular Disease, He was Co-Editor of the NephSAP (the nephrology self-assessment program for Chronic Kidney Disease. He is presently on the American Society of Nephrology Ethics Committee. He is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Nephrology test writing committee elected for his expertise in glomerular diseases. He has several important publications on renal physiology, glomerular disease, and genetic kidney disease, including studies on APOL1 and CKD progression. 

Dr. Choi sees patients at the following location:
3800 Reservoir Road Northwest, Pasquerilla Healthcare Center
6th Fl Nephrology
Washington, DC 20007
202-444-9183

Clinical areas of focus

  • Acute Kidney Injury
  • Cardiorenal Syndrome
  • Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
  • Diabetic Nephropathy
  • End Stage Renal Disease
  • Glomerulonephritis
  • Hypertension
  • Kidney Disease
  • Medical Management Of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
  • Nephrotic Syndrome
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Conditions and procedures

Conditions I treat

  • Acute Interstitial Nephritis
  • Acute Kidney Injury
  • Acute Tubular Necrosis
  • Alport Syndrome
  • Amyloid Nephropathy
  • Anti Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease
  • Azotemia
  • Bartter Syndrome
  • BK Virus Nephropathy
  • Cardiorenal Syndrome
  • Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
  • Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) After Renal Transplant
  • Congenital Renal Disease
  • Contrast Induced Nephropathy
  • Cryoglobulinemia
  • Crystalluria
  • Diabetes Insipidus
  • Diabetic Nephropathy
  • Dialysis Related Amyloidosis
  • End Stage Renal Disease
  • Ethylene Glycol Poisoning
  • Familial Renal Amyloidosis
  • Fibromuscular Dysplasia
  • Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
  • Glomerulonephritis
  • Glomerulonephropathy
  • Glucocorticoid Remediable Hypertension
  • Gouty Nephropathy
  • Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis
  • Hematuria
  • Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
  • Hepatorenal Syndrome
  • HIV Nephropathy
  • Horseshoe Kidney
  • Hydronephrosis
  • Hypercalcemia
  • Hypercalciuria
  • Hyperkalemia
  • Hypermagnesemia
  • Hypernatremia
  • Hyperoxaluria
  • Hyperphosphatemia
  • Hypertension
  • Hypertrophy Of Kidney
  • Hyperuricemia
  • Hypocalcemia
  • Hypokalemia
  • Hypomagnesemia
  • Hyponatremia
  • Hypophosphatemia
  • Iga Nephropathy
  • Iga Vasculitis
  • Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion
  • Ischemic Nephropathy
  • Kidney Disease
  • Kidney Malformation
  • Lead Nephropathy
  • Liddle Syndrome
  • Light Chain Disorders
  • Lithium Nephropathy
  • Lithium Poisoning
  • Lupus Nephritis
  • Malignant Hypertension
  • Maternal Iga Nephropathy
  • Maternal Renal Disease
  • Medullary Sponge Kidney
  • Membranous Nephropathy
  • Metabolic Acidosis
  • Metabolic Alkalosis
  • Methanol Poisoning
  • Microscopic Hematuria
  • Microscopic Polyangiitis
  • Minimal Change Kidney Disease
  • Nephritic Syndrome
  • Nephritis
  • Nephrocalcinosis
  • Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis
  • Nephropathy
  • Nephrosclerosis
  • Nephrotic Syndrome
  • Nephrotoxicity
  • Obesity Related Glomerulopathy
  • Pauci Immune Glopmerulonephritis
  • Pheochromocytoma
  • Polycystic Kidney Disease
  • Postural Proteinuria
  • Proteinuria
  • Pseudohypoaldosteronism Type 1
  • Pyelonephritis
  • Radiation Nephropathy
  • Reflux Nephropathy
  • Renal Agenesis And Dysgenesis
  • Renal Anomalies
  • Renal Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)
  • Renal Artery Stenosis
  • Renal Cortical Necrosis
  • Renal Cysts
  • Renal Failure
  • Renal Hypoplasia
  • Renal Insufficiency
  • Renal Manifestations Of Sickle Cell Disease
  • Renal Osteodystrophy
  • Renal Tubular Acidosis
  • Renovascular Hypertension
  • Retroperitoneal Fibrosis
  • Rhabdomyolysis
  • Salt Balance Disorders
  • Secondary Hyperaldosteronism
  • Small Kidney
  • Solitary Kidney
  • Tubulointerstitial Nephritis
  • Uncontrolled Hypertension
  • Uremia
  • Uremic Encephalopathy
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Procedures I perform

  • Medical Management Of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
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Practice locations

Distance from Change LocationEnter your Location

3800 Reservoir Road Northwest
Pasquerilla Healthcare Center 6th Fl Nephrology
Washington, DC, 20007

202-444-9183

Fax 877-625-1483

Get Directions

miles away

Fax 877-625-1483

Insurance

MedStar Medical Group accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Medical Group, please call your insurance company.

  • List of insurance plans we accept
    • Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund) Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
    • Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
    • Aetna Student Health Insurance
    • Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
    • CFBCBS BlueChoice HMO
    • CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
    • CFBCBS Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
    • CFBCBS Maryland Indemnity or PPO
    • CFBCBS (NCA) Indemnity
    • CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
    • CIGNA POS/Network POS
    • Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
    • CIGNA Indemnity
    • Coventry Health Care of Virginia
    • Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
    • First Health PPO
    • FIRST HEALTH
    • Tricare Prime
    • Tricare for Life (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
    • MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
    • MedStar Select (MedStar Associates' Plan)
    • United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
    • United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
    • United Healthcare Choice Plus
    • United Student Resources
    • M.D. IPA (HMO)
    • M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
    • Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
    • Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
    • Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
    • Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
    • United Healthcare Choice
    • CIGNA HMO Open Access (OA)
    • Network OA
    • POS OA & OA Plus
    • CIGNA EPO
    • PPO and PPO Plus
    • Choice Fund PPO
    • CFBSBC Blue Preferred PPO
    • HealthyBlue PPO
    • CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
    • BlueChoice Open Access
    • Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
    • Innovation Health: Indemnity
    • Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
    • Innovation Health: PPO
    • Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
    • Innovation Health: POS Plus
    • Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
    • Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
    • Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
    • Innovation Health: POS
    • Open HMO
    • Opoen HMO Option
    • Open EPO Plus
    • Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
    • Choice POS & Choice POS II
    • Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
    • Open POS II
    • Aetna HMO
    • Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
    • Aetna Innovations: HMO & EPO Plus
    • Blue Choice Advantage & Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)"
    • CFBCBS EPO
    • CFBCBS Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
    • Kaiser MD Medicaid MCO
    • Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS
    • Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
    • Kaiser Permanente Select
    • Kaiser Permanente Signature
    • Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
    • Kaiser PermanenteSelect-Added Choice
    • Kaiser Virginia Premier
    • Medicare Fee for Service
    • Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
    • UHC Community Plan of MD
    • United Healthcare Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO, GEHA, Compass Rose)"
    • UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans/ UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans HMO, POS, PPO"
    • UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv/Special Needs Plans
    • Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select (aka Senior Advantage)"

Education

Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Nephrology

Fellowship Program: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (1994)

Residency Program: Johns Hopkins Hospital (1990)

Medical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (1987)

Awards

  • Baltimore’s Best Doctors, Baltimore Magazine, 2018
  • The Washington Post Magazine, Top Doctors, 2011- 2013
  • Best Doctors, 2010-2019
  • USA Today’s Most Influential Doctors, Hypertension- Baltimore- Towson, 2009
  • Patient’s Choice Awards, 2008 - 2010
  • Baltimore’s Best Doctors, Baltimore Magazine, 2007
  • Best Doctors, 2007,2008
  • Garabed Eknoyan Award – Outstanding Contribution to the National Kidney Foundation, 2015
  • Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence, Institution/Organization, 2018
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: Alpha Omega Alpha, Department of Medicine, 2016
  • Distinguished Teaching Society of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2016.
  • Master Mentor Award - Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2012
  • W. Barry Wood, Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2019
  • W. Barry Wood, Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2017
  • W. Barry Wood, Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2012
  • W. Barry Wood, Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2011.
  • W. Barry Wood, Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2005
  • VIP Grand Marshall Commencement, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2003
  • Department of Medicine Full-time Faculty Teaching Award. 2001
  • W. Barry Wood, Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2000
  • Outstanding Contribution Award, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2003
  • Department of Medicine Full-time Faculty Teaching Award. 2001

News and publications

He is the Clinical Discussant for the session: "Renal Biopsy: Clinical Correlations" for the 2021 American Society of Nephrology Scientific Meeting. 


  1. Choi MJ, Eustace JA, Gimenez LF, Atta MG, Scheel PJ, Sothinathan R, Briggs WA. Mycophenolate mofetil treatment for primary glomerular diseases.  Kidney Int 2002;61:1098-1114.

  2. Briggs WA, Choi MJ, Scheel PJ.  Successful mycophenolate mofetil treatment of glomerular disease.  Am J Kidney Dis. 1998;31(2):213-217.  

  3. Lipkowitz MS, Freedman BI, Langefeld CD, Comeau ME, Bowden DW, Kao WH, Astor BC, Bottinger EP, Iyengar SK, Klotman PE, Freedman RG, Zhang W, Parekh RS, Choi MJ, Nelson GW, Winkler CA, Kopp JB; the AASK Investigators. Apolipoprotein L1 gene variants associate with hypertension-attributed nephropathy and the rate of kidney function decline in African Americans. Kidney Int. 2012; 83:144-120.

  4. Parsa A, Kao WH, Xie D, Astor BC, Li M, Hsu CY, Feldman HI, Parekh RS, Kusek JW, Greene TH, Fink JC, Anderson AH, Choi MJ, Wright JT Jr, Lash JP, Freedman BI, Ojo A, Winkler CA, Raj DS, Kopp JB, He J, Jensvold NG, Tao K, Lipkowitz MS, Appel LJ; AASK Study Investigators; CRIC Study Investigators. APOL1 risk variants, race, and progression of chronic kidney disease. N Engl J Med. 2013;369:2183-96.

  5. Chen TK, Choi MJ, Kao WH, Astor BC, Scialla JJ, Appel LA, Li L, Lipkowitz MS, Wolf M, Parekh RS, Winkler CA, Estrella ME, Crews DC. Examination of Potential Modifiers of the Association of APOL1 Alleles with CKD Progression. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2015 Oct 1 [Epub ahead of print]

  6. Chen TK, Tin A, Peralta CA, Appel LJ, Choi MJ, Lipkowitz MS, Winkler CA, Estrella MM. APOL1 Risk Variants, Incident Proteinuria, and Subsequent eGFR Decline in Blacks with Hypertension-Attributed CKD. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2017 Nov 7;12(11):1771-1777

  7. King LS, Choi M, Fernandez PC, Cartran JP, Agre P.  Brief Report: Urinary concentrating defect in aquaporin-1 null individuals. N Engl J Med 2001;345:175-179.

  8. Choi MJ, Fernandez PC, Patnaik A, Coupaye-Gerard B, D'Andrea D, Szerlip H, Kleyman, TR. Brief Report: Trimethoprim induced hyperkalemia in a patient with AIDS. N Engl J Med. 1993;328:703-6.

  9. Trachtman H, Choi MJ, Somers M, Mariani L, Beck L, Waldman M, Langford C, Bomback A, Holzman L. KDOQI US Commentary on the 2012 KDIGO Clinical Practice Guidelines for Glomerulonephritis. Am J Kidney Dis. 2013 ;62:403-41.


Ratings and reviews

  • Explanations the care provider gave you about your problem or condition

    4.9
  • Extent to which the care provider listened to you

    4.9
  • Care provider's discussion of any proposed treatment (options, risks, benefits, etc.)

    4.8
  • Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your care

    4.8
  • Concern the care provider showed for your questions or worries

    4.9
  • Likelihood of recommending this care provider to others

    4.9
  • Jul 26, 2023

    The doctor explained very well my blood test results and answered all my questions and concerns. Informed me of the benefits the medicine I am taking.

  • Jul 12, 2023

    I have never seen a more caring or compassionate provider. Dr. Choi is the best of the best.

  • Jun 28, 2023

    Dr. Choi is an outstanding practitioner. He is thorough, supportive, caring and a good listener.