Clinical Training

The clinical training component of the Emory Genetic Counseling Training Program is designed to provide students with exposure to genetic counseling and other aspects of the provision of genetic services throughout their program experience and in a wide variety of settings. 

It is our philosophy that concepts learned through didactic coursework are better understood, better retained, and more meaningful if accompanied concurrently by real-world clinical experiences.

In the first semester of training, students participate in observations with genetic counselors working in a variety of practice areas.

The clinical practicum begins in the Spring semester of first year.  Each sixteen-week academic year semester is split into two 8-week long rotation blocks.  Each 8-week rotation block consists of an 8-week “Core” rotation or two 4-week “Specialty” rotations.  During the intervening summer, students participate in 280 hours of rotation activities.

In total, students participate in five “Core” rotations and five “Specialty” rotations. “Core” rotations are in the most common practice areas such as prenatal, oncology, or general genetics and are focused on student case acquisition.  “Specialty” rotations occur across a variety of specialty areas and involve experiences in direct patient care as well as opportunities outside direct patient care.

On average, students participate in two to three times the number of cases required by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling.