Fieldwork Sites
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Students are exposed to all facets of prenatal screening and diagnosis including CVS,
amniocentesis, high-resolution ultrasound, first trimester screening and noninvasive
prenatal screening. During the course of the rotation, students also may work with
patients for preconception genetic counseling and other adult onset genetic conditions.
Students have the opportunity to attend a monthly multidisciplinary fetal board meeting.
Cancer
Students will participate in full genetic counseling sessions for individuals who
have a personal diagnosis or family history of cancer. Students will offer gene panel
testing, attend tumor boards and participate in telemedicine for satellite clinics.
Students gain experience in counseling about hereditary cancer risks, reviewing genetic testing options and facilitating patient decision-making in an oncology setting. Students participate in follow-up consultation when a patient is known to have a documented hereditary cancer mutation with our medical director. This includes full discussion of cancer risk management, inheritance pattern and assisting relatives in pursing testing, providing support resources, and psychosocial adjustment to hereditary cancer risk.
Columbia, SC
This rotation provides opportunity to participate in neonatal, child and adult evaluations,
outreach satellite clinics and specialty clinics such as craniofacial, metabolic and
Down syndrome clinics.
Greenville, SC
This rotation provides the opportunity to see children and adults with a variety of
genetic conditions and for a variety of referral reasons. Specialty clinics, such
as craniofacial, neurodevelopmental and muscular dystrophy, offer exposure to clinics
in a team setting.
Greenwood, SC
This center provides cancer, pediatric and adult genetic counseling services. Individuals
are referred for a variety of general genetic conditions; GGC places an emphasis on
developmental disorders, autism and birth defects. Laboratory activities include cytogenetic,
molecular, and metabolic diagnostics and research. There are opportunities to participate
in monthly Case Review.
Charleston, SC
This center provides child and adult evaluations and genetic counseling services.
Women’s Institute
Students will work alongside ultrasonographers and Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists
to provide the full spectrum of prenatal and preconception genetic counseling services.
Patients are referred for advanced maternal age, abnormal prenatal screens, family
history concerns, carrier screening, teratogenic exposures, maternal conditions, recurrent
pregnancy loss and abnormal ultrasound findings. In addition, students have the opportunity
to observe patients in the Fetal Care Center, which provides fetal surgery for complex
indications.
Levine Cancer Institute
This rotation offers genetic counseling services, including pedigree analysis, cancer
risk assessment, and genetic testing. Students will assist in cancer genetic counseling
sessions for a variety of indications, including evaluation for hereditary breast,
gynecologic, and gastrointestinal cancers, as well as other hereditary cancer syndromes.
Students also will attend our Cancer Genetics Conference and various multidisciplinary
tumor boards hosted by the Levine Cancer Institute.
Levine Children’s Hospital
Multiple specialists work as a team to diagnose genetic conditions using the latest
chromosomal, metabolic and DNA analysis techniques. Students will be exposed to referrals
for pediatric and adult genetic conditions including:
Growth problems, such as skeletal dysplasias
Birth defects and multiple congenital anomalies
Chromosome conditions such as Down syndrome
Developmental delays and neurological problems, such as autism
Metabolic disorders
Spina bifida
In addition to the general genetics clinics, we also have several multidisciplinary
clinics for Down syndrome, metabolic disorders, and cystic fibrosis. We will be participating
in an aortopathy clinic and Tuberous sclerosis clinics in the near future.
Students will participate in full genetic counseling sessions for individuals who have a personal diagnosis or family history of cancer. Students will offer gene panel testing, attend tumor boards and participate in satellite clinic and participate in High Risk Cancer Clinic.
The clinical rotation experience offers students the opportunity to participate in the evaluation and counseling of pediatric, adult (cancer, late-onset disorders, preconception) and prenatal patients. Students also will have the opportunity to participate in the only multidisciplinary Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders clinic in the state, the NC Pregnancy Riskline (teratogen exposure concerns) and follow-up of patients being treated for lysosomal storage disorders.
Fetal Diagnostic Center
Genetic counseling students in the Duke Fetal Diagnostic Center will be exposed to
a wide variety of prenatal counseling opportunities in multiple sites. This experience
will include preconception as well as prenatal counseling for advanced maternal age,
abnormal maternal serum screening / non-invasive prenatal testing, teratogen exposures,
ultrasound anomalies, carrier screening due to various ethnic backgrounds and family
history of genetic conditions. Other educational opportunities are available through
interdisciplinary meetings to discuss the management of pregnancies and deliveries
of babies with prenatally identified conditions, radiology conference to discuss abnormal
ultrasound findings and genetics case conference.
Medical Genetics Program
In this setting, genetic counseling students will observe and interact with children,
adults and families with established genetic diagnoses. Students will also be involved
with consultations regarding possible genetic diagnoses for both in patients and out
patients. Students will attend a general genetics clinic and clinics devoted to specific
conditions. Students will attend a weekly case conference where challenging patients
are reviewed. Weekly clinics include Cardiovascular genetics clinic, Fragile X syndrome
clinic and Metabolic Disease clinic. Twice Monthly specialty clinics include Down
syndrome and 22q11 Clinics.
Our Reproductive Genetics Clinics are staffed by genetic counselors working in conjunction with maternal fetal medicine specialists. This clinic offers students a variety of experiences in prenatal genetic counseling including working with patients of increased maternal age, positive serum screening, ultrasound abnormalities, teratogen exposures and patients with a broad range of family history concerns. Students will have contact with a diverse patient population and gain experience working with Spanish interpreters. Students will see patients both at the UNC prenatal diagnostic clinic and at our satellite clinic at the Rex Birth Center in Raleigh, NC. Other opportunities for students include participating in weekly meetings and following patients through the Center for Maternal and Infant Health and the UNC Perinatal Palliative Care program, working with the maternal serum screening laboratory, and developing educational material for patients.
Mini Rotations
Senior students will virtually participate in a two-week directed study to deepen their understanding of genetic counselors working in niche settings such as:
- Research
- Variant Classification
- Utilization Management
- Telehealth
- Industry
- Huntington Disease Center for Excellence
- Genomic Medicine
- Cardiology
- Pulmonology
- Education