First-year students carry out rotations in genetics clinics, with genetic research teams and in clinical genetics laboratories. Students also participate in community-based education and healthcare programs and meet periodically with a family raising a child with a genetic disorder. Starting in the summer following the first year and continuing through the second year, students participate in three intensive clinical internships at prenatal, pediatric, general, cancer or specialty genetic clinics. Satisfactory completion of the three clinical internships is required for graduation from the program. Attendance at two professional meetings is also required in the second year.
Funds are available to defray costs.
The residence requirement for this program is two years of full-time study. There is no foreign language requirement for the master's degree. A master's project is required. Students may work with a genetic counselor to design and evaluate an innovative educational tool or counseling strategy relevant to their clinical work, or should their interest lean toward basic research, they may pursue either a laboratory-based project, or a qualitative or quantitative study in the field. Section 2 is open only to students in the Genetic Counseling Program.