Curriculum and Educational Opportunities

The program consists of 18 months of broad-based, clinically-oriented medical genetics rotations including Pediatric General Genetics and Metabolism Clinics, the Pediatric Genetics and Metabolism Division Consult Service, Adult Cancer and Adult Genetics Clinics, and the Reproductive Genetics Services clinics. Included also are laboratory rotations in the UNC Hospitals Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory, the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory and the Biochemical Genetics and Metabolism Laboratory. Six months of elective time are available for research, manuscript preparation, or rotation on another service to obtain more in-depth training or experience in a particular organ system or subspecialty area of medicine.  An individualized curriculum with rotations emphasizing the interests and backgrounds of trainees while still meeting all requirements is a unique aspect of our Program.

In addition to the aforementioned activities, the Medical Genetics Residency Program requires residents to complete the following courses:

• Medical Genetics is held every other year and meets weekly for approximately one semester
• Molecular Diagnostics and Cytogenetics is an intensive, month-long curriculum.  Residents are free from clinical duties to allow time for this.
• Whole Exome and Genome Sequencing is a week-long course offered yearly, and residents should attend at least once during their training.

Residents are also encouraged to attend the monthly Pediatric Fellowship Seminar Series.

During the two year residency, residents are required to attend and present at teaching conferences including weekly Pre-Clinic conference, Current Topics in Medical and Human Genetics conference,  and the monthly Molecular and Cytogenetics Case Conference.  There are  also opportunities to attend  other conferences including the weekly UNC Center for Maternal and Infant Health Care multidisciplinary team conference, the monthly Vascular Anomalies Center conference, and meetings of Tumor Boards.