The Focus Internship is a unique feature of the Emory Genetic Counseling Training Program. It spans the 2 years of the students' training and is intended to provide an extended and in-depth experience in one area of clinical/public health/laboratory genetics practice and/or research. In addition to participating in activities and meetings, and offering valuable work of benefit to their mentor, the Focus Internship provides the basis for the student’s Capstone Project which includes:
- Project design and execution, review/collection and analysis of data.
- Submission of an abstract to a national genetics meeting.
- Development and completion of a first-author publishable manuscript based on their project.
Mentors
Students work under the guidance of a mentor and committee on research project(s) in one of several possible clinical, laboratory and public health areas, spending an average of 6 hrs/week (90 hrs/semester) on their focus activities during the fall and spring semesters of their 1st and 2nd years, and the equivalent of 4-5 full-time weeks during the interim summer.
Mentors and focus projects are drawn not only from multiple departments within Emory but also through affiliated clinics/rotation sites and external institutions, including the CDC.
Information about the various focus opportunities and mentor contacts are made available to the students in the summer before their matriculation.
Students complete the interview and selection process during the pre-fall term week.