Guidelines
and Descriptions
Clinical training is integral to the overall graduate training experience.
Much learning is by doing rather than reading. Our philosophy is for the student
to be involved with the clinics at the earliest possible time so that he/she
gains as much experience as possible during the program. Graduates have always
had the quantity and variety of cases required to apply for the ABGC board
examination.
The first quarter consists of classes, participation in section activities
such as patient review and journal club, role-playing, and observation of
genetic counseling cases. Beginning in the second (winter) quarter, students
rotate through six five-week rotations at Northwestern University-affiliated
hospitals or at nearby hospitals. Students are always supervised while counseling
patients. All students will have 1-2 rotations in each of the following areas:
• Prenatal counseling: Students perform preconception and prenatal genetic
counseling regarding amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, ultrasound
abnormalities, abnormal maternal serum screening results, first trimester
screening, carrier screening, and family history indications.
• Cancer genetics counseling: Students learn to elicit comprehensive
cancer family histories, perform cancer risk assessment, and counsel patients
regarding cancer family history.
• Pediatric and general genetics: Students participate in clinics such
as spina bifida, neurofibromatosis, general genetics, skeletal dysplasia,
and other pediatric genetics areas.
In addition to the required rotations above, each student also will be assigned
to several of the following rotations:
• Teratogen counseling. Students perform intakes, research, risk assessment,
and teratogen counseling for telephone inquiries regarding exposure to medications,
chemicals, or infections during pregnancy (http://www.fetal-exposure.org/
).
• Pediatric Hematology/oncology. This rotation allows the student to
research conditions and counsel families regarding sickle cell, thalassemia,
hemophilia, and other hematological genetic conditions.
• Neurogenetics. This rotation allows the student to participate in
neurogenetics research and clinics such as muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis, Huntington disease and other dementias.
• Genetic Counseling Research. Students learn the complexities of working
in research by working with counselors in diverse research settings: neurogenetic
research, cardiovascular research, a large scale genetic association study
or a molecular diagnostics laboratory.
• Adult Genetics. Students learn to research genetic conditions affecting
the adult population, and counsel patients with a personal or family history
of these conditions.
Additional elective rotations may become available over time. Every effort will be made to provide each student with a well-rounded combination of rotations that both provide breadth of training and meet specific needs of students and faculty.