diff --git a/torchrec/distributed/model_parallel.py b/torchrec/distributed/model_parallel.py
index f8b32106b..492b8e348 100644
--- a/torchrec/distributed/model_parallel.py
+++ b/torchrec/distributed/model_parallel.py
@@ -709,7 +709,9 @@ def __init__(
         )
 
         self._remap_sharding_plan(
-            plan, self._global_rank, world_size // sharding_group_size
+            plan=plan,
+            rank=self._global_rank,
+            num_nodes=world_size // sharding_group_size,
         )
         super().__init__(
             module,
@@ -733,7 +735,7 @@ def sync(self, include_optimizer_state: bool = True) -> None:
         """
         Syncs the DMP weights across the allreduce (inter) process group
 
-        This method is called after each forward pass to synchronize the weights of the sharded modules.
+        This method is called after each train step to synchronize the weights of the sharded modules.
         It uses the `dist.AllreduceCoalescedOptions` to perform an all-reduce operation on the weights,
         which averages the weights across all processes in the inter-process group.
 
@@ -782,10 +784,10 @@ def _create_process_groups(
                 replication process group, and allreduce process group.
         """
         peer_matrix = []
-        step = world_size // local_size
+        num_nodes = world_size // local_size
 
         for group_rank in range(world_size // local_size):
-            peers = [step * r + group_rank for r in range(local_size)]
+            peers = [num_nodes * r + group_rank for r in range(local_size)]
             peer_matrix.append(peers)
 
         mesh = DeviceMesh(
@@ -805,7 +807,9 @@ def _create_process_groups(
 
         return mesh, sharding_pg, replica_pg
 
-    def _remap_sharding_plan(self, plan: ShardingPlan, rank: int, step: int) -> None:
+    def _remap_sharding_plan(
+        self, plan: ShardingPlan, rank: int, num_nodes: int
+    ) -> None:
         """
         Remaps the sharding plan to the local replica process group ranks
         ShardingPlan is remapped inplace.
@@ -816,22 +820,22 @@ def _remap_sharding_plan(self, plan: ShardingPlan, rank: int, step: int) -> None
         Args:
             plan (ShardingPlan): The original sharding plan.
             global_rank (int): The global rank of the current process.
-            step (int): The number of nodes.
+            num_nodes (int): The number of nodes.
         """
 
-        group_start = rank % step
+        group_start = rank % num_nodes
         for key in plan.plan:
             # pyre-ignore[16]
             for _, param_sharding in plan.plan[key].items():
                 new_ranks = []
                 for shard_rank in param_sharding.ranks:
-                    new_ranks.append(shard_rank * step + group_start)
+                    new_ranks.append(shard_rank * num_nodes + group_start)
                 param_sharding.ranks = new_ranks
                 if isinstance(param_sharding.sharding_spec, EnumerableShardingSpec):
                     shards = param_sharding.sharding_spec.shards
                     if shards is not None:
                         for shard in shards:
-                            shard_rank = shard.placement._rank * step + group_start
+                            shard_rank = shard.placement._rank * num_nodes + group_start
                             shard.placement = _remote_device(
                                 f"rank:{shard_rank}/cuda:{shard_rank % get_local_size()}"
                             )