Fieldwork & Training
Fieldwork & Training
FIELDWORK OVERVIEW
At the University of Utah, genetic counseling fieldwork or clinical rotations are an excellent opportunity and critical component in providing students with hands-on training for their future profession.
In each fieldwork setting, students practice genetic counseling skills under the supervision of a board-certified genetic counselor, often in collaboration with other medical professionals who are intimately familiar with the field of genetic counseling.
FIELDWORK STRUCTURE
Students participate in six-week rotations in:
- Pediatric genetics
- Perinatal genetics
- Cancer genetics
- Clinical specialty genetics clinics, such as metabolic, adult, cardiology, neurology, etc.
- An elective, student-designed rotation
Students complete a total of six rotations.
The required elective rotation is a unique component of the UUGPGC that allows students to explore their own specialized field of interest, often under the mentorship of an experienced genetic counselor.
FIELDWORK SITES
Below is a growing list of fieldwork sites.
| Institution/Department | Fieldwork Sites |
| University of Utah/Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology | Perinatal Genetics |
| Intermountain Medical Center/Division of Maternal & Fetal Medicine | Perinatal Genetics |
| University of Utah/Department of Pediatrics – Primary Children’s Hospital | Pediatric Genetics and Metabolic Genetics |
| University of Utah/Huntsman Cancer Hospital | Cancer Genetics |
| Intermountain Medical Center/Oncology | Cancer Genetics |
| University of Utah Department of Neurology | Specialty Clinic (Pediatric and Adult Neurology) |
| University of Utah Department of Cardiology | Specialty Clinic (Adult Cardiology) |
| Intermountain/Pediatric Cardiology | Specialty Clinic (Pediatric Cardiology) |
| Intermountain/Adult Cardiology | Specialty Clinic (Adult Cardiology) |
| Genomic Medicine Institute at the VA | Specialty Clinic (Adult, telehealth) |
| Myriad Genetic Laboratories | Laboratory Genetics |
| ARUP Laboratories | Laboratory Genetics |
| St. Mark's Hospital | Cancer Genetics |
ADDITIONAL FIELDWORK OPPORTUNITIES
Students also have the opportunity to travel out of state to complete one of their six-week clinical placements in the summer between their first and second year, and possibly during the school year.
Previous students have completed fieldwork at many different sites around the country and internationally.
ACADEMIC & CLINICAL TRAINING FACILITIES
The University of Utah has a national and international reputation as a center of excellence in genetics. The University has a student body of over 38,000 and a large health sciences center, which is ranked in the top 10 of all academic medical centers in the country. It houses the Department of Human Genetics, the Division of Medical Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics, and multiple programs that have a strong genetic component, including the Maternal Fetal Diagnostic Center in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Other local institutions affiliated with the genetic counseling program include Intermountain, which provides perinatal genetics, cancer genetics, and adult cardiology rotations; the Utah State Department of Health, which houses the Newborn Screening Program; the Genomic Medicine Institute at the VA Hospital; and ARUP Laboratories and Myriad Genetics, Inc., which are local laboratories that provide genetic testing and research.
The George and Dolores Eccles Institute of Human Genetics is the focal point for genetic research at the University of Utah. The Institute houses the Department of Human Genetics, Human Molecular Biology and Genetics Program, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Genetic Science Learning Center, Utah Genome Project, Program in Personalized Health, and Utah Genome Depot. One of the department faculty members, Mario Capecchi, was awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work in gene targeting. Much of the University’s success in genetic research comes from working with Utah families. Because Utahans tend to have large families and keep extensive genealogy records, they are ideal partners for investigating human genetics. The department provides administrative support and instruction in Human Genetics and awards the Master’s Degree in Genetic Counseling.
The Department of Pediatrics is the second largest department in the School of Medicine at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center. The Department also provides the medical staff and administration for Primary Children’s Hospital, a tertiary care hospital, which provides care for children in many states on the western side of the Rockies. The Division of Medical Genetics has active clinical and research programs, multiple nationally and internationally recognized faculty members, and has spearheaded the Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling. The Division currently has eight clinical geneticists and six genetic counselors. The Division provides instruction and clinical supervision in Clinical Genetics, Human Genetics, Biochemical Genetics, Professional Development, Research, and the Genetic Counseling Seminar series.
The Huntsman Cancer Institute features research, education, and patient care programs and facilities, including Huntsman Cancer Hospital, and is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated facility in the Intermountain West. It houses the largest genetic database in the world and offers several high-risk cancer clinics that provide genetic testing for and study of the inheritance of melanoma, breast, pancreatic, and colon cancers. Faculty and staff of the Institute and genetic counselors at Intermountain, St. Mark’s Hospital, and Myriad Genetics, Inc. provide instruction and clinical supervision in the Cancer Genetics courses.