Fieldwork Opportunities
As a genetic counseling student, you will get immediate hands-on experience in clinical rotations. From the first semester to the last, students work with clients, first as observers, and quickly as the primary counselors. You will interact with patients in a wide variety of settings, including prenatal, pediatric and adult genetics.
You will experience 12 clinical rotations chosen from numerous options available at Cincinnati Children's as well as hospitals in Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Lexington and Louisville. Each rotation will expose you to different patients, genetic counselors and work settings. This exposure will help you develop your own counseling style, prepare you to adapt quickly to the job you choose, and allow you to explore the areas of genetic counseling that you are most interested in. By the time you graduate, you will have observed and participated in many cases and you will have been the primary genetic counselor for at least 50 but often for more than 100 cases.
In the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program, you will begin clinical rotations at the start of the program. This early clinical exposure allows you to begin your summer internship with extensive real-world experience.
Clinical and Non-Clinical Rotations
Typically five weeks in length throughout the school year starting in the first semester of the first year. Students are generally supervised by one genetic counselor, but may work with a team of other genetics and non-genetics professionals in each rotation. These rotations are on-site (at Cincinnati Children’s) or off-site (at local affiliate hospitals).
Students also get experience in non-clinical settings getting firsthand experience with this growing segment of genetic counseling. Some of the opportunities in this area include laboratory rotations, industry rotations and a leadership / management rotation.
Summer Internship
Students are placed in a summer clinical rotation that lasts seven weeks in the summer between first and second year. This rotation can be anywhere that supervision can be arranged with a certified genetic counselor. The internship helps the student appreciate differences in style, organization and responsibilities of genetic counselors. It allows students to focus full time on clinical training.
