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General Information

The University of Washington Medical Genetics Training Program offers postdoctoral fellowships to individuals with the MD or MD/PhD degree.

The program is designed to train individuals for academic careers in human and medical genetics. The philosophy of the program is to use the most advanced concepts and techniques of genetics and cellular/molecular biology in the elucidation of problems in human and medical genetics. Research as well as clinical competence is stressed. Research activities span a wide spectrum of topics in basic and clinical human genetics.

Training is usually undertaken for a three-year period. The first year is supported by the UW residency program while years 2 and 3 are supported by NIH.

Trainees are expected to choose a research mentor soon after they start training in the program. The first year is divided between clinical and research activities while the subsequent years are devoted principally to research. The training faculty belongs to seven departments of the University of Washington (Medicine, Pediatrics, Genetics, Pathology, Environmental Health, Biochemistry, Molecular Biotechnology) and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Training in Clinical Genetics

The Program provides well-rounded clinical training leading to eligibility for certification in Clinical Genetics by the American Board of Medical Genetics. Training leading to eligibility for certification in Cytogenetics, Biochemical Genetics and Clinical Molecular Genetics is also available.

During the first year, fellows rotate among the Medical Genetics Clinic at the University Hospital, the Medical Genetics Clinic at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, and the Biochemical Genetics Clinic at University Hospital, all of which meet weekly. The Medical Genetics Clinic at the University has specialty clinics in neurological genetics, connective tissue genetics and cancer genetics, in addition to the all-inclusive clinics. Several hundred families with developmental genetic and dysmorphic phenotypes are seen, counseled and studied each year in the Medical Genetics Clinic at Children's Hospital and Medical Center. The Biochemical Genetics Clinic is the major center in the states of Washington and Alaska for the study of patients with a wide range of metabolic genetic disorders, and has unique responsibility for the long-term supervision of medical care for these children and adults.

Specialty clinics in muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis and coagulation disorders are held at the Children's Hospital and are staffed, in part, by our clinical geneticists and genetic associates.

Our program also provides genetic services to the state of Alaska. There are six visits yearly to Alaska. Each fellow can expect to make one trip to Alaska, usually during the second year of training.

Exposure to cytogenetic evaluations is an important part of the Medical Genetics Training Program. Cytogenetics facilities at the University Hospital and the Children's Hospital process more than 2000 samples each year as part of cytogenetic evaluation of children and adults with congenital anomalies and for prenatal studies.

Training in fetal genetics and prenatal diagnosis is available through the Prenatal Diagnosis Clinic of the Department of Obstetrics. In addition, the fellows attend in-patient and out-patient consultations and a weekly conference on fetal diagnosis and management.