Program Goals

The UCSF medical genetics residency program gives trainees knowledge and skills essential to the practice of medical genetics. Trainees learn through clinical and laboratory training, didactic instruction, attendance at conferences and journal clubs, and the conduct of individual research projects. The program goals include:

• physical and laboratory diagnosis of a broad range of inherited and acquired genetic conditions in children and adults.
• basic, human, and medical genetics, including population genetics, risk assessment, and Bayesian analysis, and the ability to apply that knowledge in practice.
• obtaining and interpreting detailed family histories and pedigrees.
• risk counseling for a variety of conditions, including common inherited cancer syndromes.
• clinical laboratory services relevant to medical genetics.
• procedures for newborn screening and diagnosis of inherited metabolic disorders and management.
• methodologies, interpretation, benefits and limitations of cytogenetic, biochemical, and molecular genetic laboratory tests.
• technology, benefits and limitations of prenatal screening, detection, and treatment of genetic disorders.
• interviewing and counseling techniques and how to recognize and address the psychological implications of a genetic condition in a person and/or family.
• presymptomatic detection, management and treatment of genetic disorders and potential psychological implications.
• ethical, legal, and social implications of practice and research in medical genetics.
• formulating, conducting and writing scholarly projects in medical genetics.