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NIH Training Programs for MDs
Metropolitan Washington D.C. Medical Genetics Residency Program Application
- Overview
- Eligibility
- Curriculum
- Training Sites
- Childcare and Loan Repayment
- Certification
- Application
- Deadline
- Contact
Overview
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) offers a three-year residency program in medical genetics that trains physicians to diagnose, manage and counsel patients with genetic disorders. Participants gain broad experience in clinical and molecular genetics, metabolic diseases and cytogenetics. The NHGRI program exposes students to rare genetic disorders that might not be seen in a more typical medical genetics program; emphasizes clinical research, one of the few programs to do so; and grants access to the vast resources at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and at other highly ranked medical institutions in the nation's capital.
Eligibility
M.D. candidates must have completed training in a primary US ACGME accredited residency and be board eligible or board certified in that speciality. Training is usually in pediatrics, internal medicine or obstetrics and gynecology, but M.D. candidates with other training may be accepted as well. M.D.'s must have a valid United States medical license from any state.
Curriculum
During the first 18 months of training, residents spend most of their time seeing patients at various NIH centers and in hospitals and outpatient clinics throughout metropolitan Washington, D.C. Clinical training highlights the role of genetics in general medicine, pediatrics, oncology, ophthalmology, dermatology and perinatal medicine. During the second year, residents continue their patient responsibilities while performing laboratory research in any one of the nearly 4,000 participating facilities in the Washington, D.C. area. They begin to devise their own basic or clinical research projects. Third-year residents spend most of their time conducting research and have minimal clinical responsibilities.
Throughout the program, trainees attend a number of lecture courses, including: Introduction to Medical Genetics; Developmental Biology and Human Malformations; Inborn Errors of Metabolism; and Current Concepts in Clinical Molecular Genetics and Molecular Diagnostics. Attendance is also required at the weekly Clinical Genetics Case Conference and at the bi-weekly Cytogenetics/Molecular Genetics Sign-Out Conference. Many students choose to attend the Short Course in Medical and Experimental Mammalian Genetics at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine during the month of July.
Training Sites
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center [cc.nih.gov]
Children's National Medical Center and Research Institute [childrensnational.org]
Walter Reed Army Medical Center [wramc.amedd.army.mil]
Washington Hospital Center [whcenter.org]
Childcare and Loan Repayment Program
NIH will reimburse the expenses of a tax preparer to complete the Loan Repayment Program (LRP) tax documents. NIH will also reimburse the cost of one state license renewal per year.
- Childcare: Office of Research Services Division of Employee Services [does.ors.od.nih.gov]
- Loan Repayment Program: NIH Loan Repayment Programs [lrp.nih.gov]
Certification
Upon completion of the program trainees will qualify for board certification by the American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG) in one or more areas of expertise:
- Clinical Genetics
- Clinical Biochemical Genetics
- Clinical Cytogenetics
- Clinical Molecular Genetics
Application
On-line Application
An online application form is available at: http://www.aamc.org/programs/eras/applicants/start.html.
Deadline
The deadline for application to regular genetics residency is September 30, 2010. Applicants should submit materials 12 to 18 months prior to the proposed start date. Competitive candidates will be invited to interview at NIH. Successful applicants will be notified within six weeks of their interview.
Contact
Questions regarding the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Medical Genetics Residency Program should be addressed to:
Maximilian Muenke, M.D.
Director of Residency and Fellowship Training
Medical Genetics Branch
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institutes of Health
35 Convent Drive - MSC 3717
Building 35, Room 1B-203
Bethesda, MD 20892-3717
Phone: (301) 402-8167 or (301) 594-7487 (secretary)
Fax: (301) 480-7876
E-mail: mmuenke@nhgri.nih.gov
Last Reviewed: July 8, 2011
