Curriculum and Course Requirements
The curriculum consists of 41 semester hours: 22 semester hours of didactic course work and a minimum of 6 semester hours of thesis research. Additionally, there are four 8-week clinical rotations and one 6-week summer rotation required of all students, which provide an additional 13 credit hours. Students also participate with predoctoral graduate students in a number of other activities in the Department of Genetics. Courses include material covering basic genetics concepts, eukaryotic genetics, embryology, medical genetics, biochemical genetics, molecular genetics, cytogenetics, population genetics, genetic counseling principles, human development, psychosocial issues, interviewing techniques, ethical and professional issues in genetic counseling.
Clinical rotations include one intensive four-week laboratory rotation in diagnostic cytogenetics and clinical molecular genetics as well as the Maternal Serum Screening program. There are three eight-week clinical rotations one each in General Genetics (children and adults) including Specialty Clinics such as Marfan Clinic, Prader-Willi Clinic and Craniofacial Clinic; Prenatal Diagnosis Clinic, and Cancer Genetics Clinic. These rotations take place at The Center for Human Genetics at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. Additionally, there are two off-site rotations - a four week rotation at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland and a six-week clinical rotation which is held at Akron Children's Hospital in Akron Ohio during the summer.
Students are also required to attend and participate in a number of other activities such as weekly Clinic Conference, Genetics Grand Rounds, Departmental Seminars and Journal Club. Students also have an opportunity to give educational talks to local schools and other groups when available.
Course Descriptions
Principles and Practices
Fundamental principles needed for the practicing genetic counselor. Topics include skills in obtaining histories (prenatal, perinatal, medical, developmental, psychosocial and family); pedigree construction and analysis, physical growth and development; the genetic evaluation; the physical examination and laboratory analyses; prenatal issues, prenatal screening and diagnosis; and teratogenicity.
Psychosocial Aspects of Genetic Counseling
Fundamental principles regarding the psychosocial aspect of birth defects and genetic disease, its psychological and social impact on the individual and family. Topics include the genetic counseling interview process, issues regarding pregnancy, chronicity, death and loss, as well as the impact of cultural issues. Resources for families are also explored. Basic interviewing skills are addressed. Students will have an opportunity for practice of skills through role play and actual interviewing situations.
Ethical and Professional Issues in Genetic Counseling
Professional issues inherent in medical genetics and genetic counseling are addressed including ethical, legal, religious and cultural concepts. Fundamental principles of ethics are explored in some depth as they relate to genetic issues such as confidentiality, privacy, discrimination, autonomy and informed consent. The course is centered on weekly cases that are presented for discussion.
Health Research Methods
This is a course in research methods focusing on practical issues in the conduct of health services research studies. Topics include: an overview of health services research; ethics in health services research; proposal writing and funding; the relationship between theory and research; formulating research questions; specifying study design and study objectives; conceptualizing and defining variables; validity and reliability of measures; scale construction; operationalizing health research relevant variables using observation, self and other report, and secondary analysis; formatting questionnaires; developing analysis plans; choosing data collection methods; sampling techniques and sample size; carrying out studies; preparing data for analysis; and reporting of findings.
Family Systems Theories
This course covers development of the family over the life span, with an emphasis on normal family stages and tasks. Life cycle stages include marriage, parenting young children, families with adolescents, launching children and moving on, and families in later life. Divorce, remarriage, and forming a stepfamily are considered. The course covers a range of family forms based on culture and socioeconomics as well as changes in the family life cycle over time. Families coping with various life stresses such as alcoholism or drug addiction, children with chronic illness or developmental disabilities, care of elderly family members, and living in impoverished conditions also are discussed.
Advanced Medical Genetics: Cytogenetics
Fundamental principles regarding clinical cytogenetics including discussion of autosomal numerical and structural abnormalities; sex chromosome abnormalities; population cytogenetics; mosaicism; uniparental disomy; contiguous gene deletions, and cancer cytogenetics.
Advanced Medical Genetics: Clinical Genetics
Fundamental principles regarding congenital malformations, dysmorphology and syndromes. Discussion of a number of genetic disorders from a systems approach: CNS malformations, neurodegenerative disorders, craniofacial disorders, connective tissue disorders, skeletal dysplasias, hereditary cancer syndromes, etc. Discussions include diagnosis, etiology, genetics, prognosis and management.
Advanced Medical Genetics: Molecular Genetics/Quantitative Genetics
Molecular: Fundamental principles of gene structure; mechanisms, detection and effects of mutations; imprinting; triplet repeat disorders; X-chromosome inactivation; mitochondrial disorders; animal models for genetic disease and gene therapy. Quantitative: Fundamental principles of pedigree analysis, segregation analysis, Bayes theorem; linkage analysis and disequilibrium; multifactorial inheritance; risk assessment; consanguinity and paternity testing.
Advanced Medical Genetics: Biochemical
Fundamental principles of metabolic testing; amino acid disorders; organic acid disorders; carbohydrate disorders; peroxisomal disorders; mitochondrial disorders; etc. Discussion of screening principles and newborn screening as well as therapy for metabolic diseases.
On-line Clinical Embryology
This on-line course, developed by the faculties of the Genetic Counseling Program and Department of Anatomy at the University of Cincinnati, provides students with an in-depth review of normal human development and provides a basis for explaining the process of developmental anomalies. Moreover, the course provides an introduction to the treatment of patients with congenital anomalies as well as counseling options for families of affected individuals. Students are given access to the course prior to being classes of the first year. They are required to have completed the course by the end of November of the first year.
Clinical Rotations:
There are five clinical rotations. These begin over the summer semester and continue through the second year of the program. Rotations include Clinical Cytogenetics/Molecular Genetics Laboratory; General Genetics and Specialty Clinics rotation (includes children and adults); Prenatal Diagnosis Rotation; Clinical Cancer Rotation; General Genetics/Prenatal Diagnosis/Cancer Genetics/Specialty Clinic Rotation at Akron Children's Hospital and General Genetics/Prenatal diagnosis/Cancer Genetics at MetroHealth Medical Center.
Thesis Requirement
The Program requires a thesis for the completion of the M.S. degree. This scholarly project may be literature-based, a clinical or counseling project, or laboratory-based and must relate to some aspect of genetic counseling. There is a formal presentation of the thesis and an oral defense before the student's thesis committee. It is expected that students will complete a publishable project.
Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid
Tuition for the 2006-07 academic year is $1,171.00 per semester hour. Currently, other fees include student health insurance ($550 per semester), a student activity fee of $5.00 per semester, and a Technology fee of $400 per year.
The Department of Genetics is unable to provide financial aid to students. However, the Department does provide stipend support for all genetic counseling students. For students entering fall 2007, the stipend is $20,000.00 paid on a monthly basis over the 21 months of the program. Moreover, all costs associated with the thesis are covered by the Department and second year students receive funds to travel to two national genetics meetings (the National Society of Genetic Counselors' annual education meeting in the fall and the American College of Medical Genetics annual meeting in the spring). The cost of the on-line embryology course is also covered by the Department.
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