The Harvard Medical School Medical Genetics training program is structured to include an initial year of intensive clinical training followed by two years of in-depth clinical and basic research training during which time an additional six months of clinical experience will be obtained.
The first year of training in clinical medical genetics includes rotations at Boston Children’s Hospital (6 months), Massachusetts General Hospital (2 months), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (2 months), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (1 month) and Dana Farber Cancer Institute (1 month).
The second year of training includes research, laboratory rotations in cytogenetics, molecular genetics, and biochemical genetics, and 3 months of additional clinical training.
The third year of the program includes research and 3 months of additional clinical training.
The research may be done at any of the Harvard affiliated institutions, with a continuity clinic at a site of the resident’s choice and approved by Joan Stoler, MD, Program Director and Cynthia Morton, PhD, Training Program Education Director. Residents are required to participate in a core didactic program during the entire period of training.
The overall goals of the training program are to:
- Provide training in medical genetics and genomics, including dysmorphology, inborn errors of metabolism, prenatal diagnosis, cancer genetics, adult genetics, and genetic counseling.
- Familiarize residents with the performance and interpretation of cytogenetic, biochemical genetic, and molecular genetic laboratory tests for patient care including next-generation, whole exome, and whole genome sequencing.
- Expose residents to basics of bioinformatics.
- Help residents become proficient in risk assessment based on family history and laboratory data.
- Allow residents to develop good communication skills with patients, families, and colleagues.
- Provide a knowledge base of the basic science of genetics and development.
- Allow residents to become sensitive to ethical issues in genetics and genetic counseling.
- Provide an opportunity to participate in a research project and develop clinical and laboratory research skills.