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About the Program

The Medical Genetics and Genomics Residency Program at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (UIHC) will train clinical medical geneticists to provide comprehensive diagnostic, management and genetic counseling services for patients and families with genetic disorders and birth defects.  Each trainee in the Medical Genetics and Genomics Residency Program will acquire an understanding of basic genetic principles and familiarity with all of the major subdisciplines of the field.

These include:

  • a detailed knowledge regarding the basic science of genetics, knowledge of genetic diseases in humans as well as related diseases which might be genetic or have a genetic component.
  • familiarity with the tests used in evaluation of genetic disorders.
  • the ability to apply these to the evaluation of patients suspected to have a genetic disease.

In addition, trainees will be able to obtain relevant family and medical histories, perform a physical examination, develop a differential diagnosis, select and interpret appropriate laboratory tests, discuss the prognosis of most common genetic disorders, provide clinical management of these disorders, interact with other health-care professionals in the provision of services for patients with genetically influenced disorders and provide accurate medical and genetic counseling to patients and families.

This training will require extensive experience in clinical evaluation of patients, information gathering relevant to the specialty of medical genetics, genetic counseling and preparing lectures and seminars to many different groups. In addition, trainees will learn how to conduct clinical or laboratory-based research and write manuscripts and research grants. A broad spectrum of clinical cases, coursework, conferences and readings will cover general medical genetics, dysmorphology and teratology, prenatal diagnosis and screening, metabolism, cancer genetics, neurogenetics and metabolic, molecular and cytogenetic laboratory technology.