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  • Graduate Student Handbook
  • Preface
  • PART I. POLICIES AND RESOURCES
  • CHAPTER 1
    • 🗒️Academic Policies
      • Academic Integrity
      • Policies and Procedures on Ethical Practices in Research
      • The Responsible Conduct in Research and Rigor and Reproducibility Courses
      • Ownership and Use of Research Data, Reagents, Records, Protocols, or Code
      • Responsibilities of Authors
        • Protecting Whistleblowers
        • Financial Conflict of Interest in Research
      • General Rules of Conduct for ISMMS Students
  • CHAPTER 2
    • 🗒️Administrative and Financial Policies
      • Tuition
        • PhD and MD/PhD in Biomedical Sciences or Neuroscience
        • Master’s Degree Programs and PhD in Clinical Research
      • Funding Package and Direct Compensation
      • Financial Assistance and Services
        • Financial Counseling
        • Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Financial Aid
        • Additional Work and Funding Resources
          • Supplemental Work-in-Another-Department (WIOD)
          • Tuition Waivers for Non-Faculty Mount Sinai Employees
          • Work-Study Positions
          • Travel Awards
  • CHAPTER 3
    • 🗒️Enrollment and Registration
      • Pre-Enrollment Policies
      • Registrar's Office
      • Guidelines for Registration and Cross-Registration
        • Add/Drop
        • Maintenance of Matriculation
        • Full-time Equivalency Status
        • Courses Taken at Partner Institutions
        • Visiting Scholars
        • Non-Matriculating Status and Course Auditing
        • Registration Holds
        • PhD Student Registration
      • Grading Policies
        • Grading, Course Examinations, and Missed Examinations
        • Calculation of GPA
        • Retaking Courses to Improve GPA
        • Graduate School Grade Appeals Process
        • Transfer Credits and Course Exemptions/Waivers
      • Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
        • Time to Degree Policy
        • Academic Standing
        • Committee for Academic Review (CAR)
          • Membership of CAR
          • Appeals Process
        • Program-Specific Criteria for Satisfactory Academic Progress
      • Leave, Withdrawal, and Readmission
        • Leave of Absence (Voluntary)
        • Leave of Absence (Involuntary)
          • Administrative Leave
          • Academic Progress Leave
        • Parental Leave
        • Return from Military Service
        • Withdrawal and Readmission
        • PhD in Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience Student Vacation Policy
      • Transcripts
  • Chapter 4
    • 🗒️Student Affairs and Services for Graduate Students
      • Student Services and Resources
        • Career Services and Strategy
        • International Student Services
        • Student Health Services
          • Student Mental Health Services
            • Referrals
            • WellConnect
        • Disability Services
        • Student Housing
          • Real Estate Office
        • Academic Informatics and Technology
          • The Library
          • Aufses Archives and Mount Sinai Records Management Division
          • Academic IT Support Center (ASCIT)
        • Affirmative Action
        • Safety and Security
          • Sexual Assault
          • Harassment
            • Definitions of Unacceptable Behavior
            • Grievance Committee
          • Mistreatment
            • Mistreatment Policy
            • Reporting and Consulting Mechanisms
          • Clery Act
          • Fire Safety
          • Alcohol and Drugs
            • Alcohol Policy – Levinson Student Center
            • Drug Testing
          • Infection Control
        • Office of the Ombudsperson
      • Campus-Wide Policies, Regulations, and Requirements
        • Rules of Conduct
        • Student Behavior
        • Faculty, Staff, and Student Relations
        • FERPA
        • ISMMS Social Media Guideline
        • Acceptable Use of Technology Policy
          • Use of Hardware and Software
          • Web, Data, and Cloud Storage
          • Email and Collaboration Technology Usage
          • Protected Health Information and Other Confidential Information
          • Secure Messaging and Encryption
        • ISMMS Policy on Business Conflicts of Interest
        • Student Intellectual Property
  • PART II. PROGRAMS OF STUDY
  • Chapter 1
    • PhD in Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience
      • Program Information
      • Program Requirements
        • Curricular Requirements
        • Requirements to Graduate
        • Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress
      • Curriculum
        • Seminars, Works-in-Progress, and Journal Clubs
        • Lab Rotations
          • Rotation Guidelines
          • MD/PhD Student Rotations
      • Selecting a Multidisciplinary Training Areas (MTA)
      • Advising
        • Academic Advisor
        • Selecting a Research Mentor
        • Changes to a Research Mentor-Mentee Partnership
          • Mentoring Changes due to the Relocation of the Research Mentor
          • Mentoring Changes due to an Unproductive Partnership
          • Procedures for Dispute Resolution
        • Thesis Advisory Committee
          • Specific Criteria
          • Procedures
      • Thesis Proposal
        • General Considerations
        • The Written Document
        • The Oral Presentation
        • The Thesis Proposal Committee
        • Deadline
      • Dissertation Defense
        • Written Document Format Options
        • The Dissertation Committee
        • The Defense and Seminar
        • Dissertation Deposit
      • Transfer to Master degree (MPhil or MSBS)
      • Program Specific Policies
        • Program Alumni and Alumni Association
  • Chapter on Multidisciplinary Training Areas
    • Multidisciplinary Training Areas
      • Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Medicine (AIET)
        • Typical Curriculum
      • Cancer Biology (CAB)
        • Typical Curriculum
      • Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cells (DRS)
        • Typical Curriculum
      • Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutics (DMT)
        • Typical Curriculum
      • Genetics and Genomic Sciences (GGS)
        • Typical Curriculum
      • Immunology (IMM)
        • Typical Curriculum
      • Microbiology (MIC)
        • Typical Curriculum
      • Neuroscience (NEU)
        • Typical Curriculum
  • Chapter 2
    • MD/PhD Program
      • Program Information
      • Program Requirements
        • Curricular Requirements
        • Requirements to Graduate
        • Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress
      • Curriculum
        • Core Graduate School/PhD Curriculum
        • Medical School/MD Curriculum
        • Annual MD/PhD Retreat
        • Milestones and Maximum Time to Degree
      • Advising
      • Thesis/Dissertation
  • Chapter 3
    • Clinical Research Education Program
      • Program Information
      • Program Competencies
      • Program Requirements
        • Curricular Requirements
          • PhD in Clinical Research (PhDCR)
        • Graduation Requirements
        • Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress
          • Consequences of failure to maintain satisfactory progress
      • Curriculum
        • CRTP and MSCR Curriculum
        • PhDCR Curriculum
        • Requirements for Coursework on Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR)
        • Independent Study
        • Electives Offered in Other Programs or at Other Institutions
      • Advising
        • Faculty Advisors
        • Near-Peer Mentoring Program
        • Thesis Research Mentors (MSCR)
        • Dissertation Research Mentors (PhDCR)
        • Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee (MAC)
      • Master's Thesis
        • Registration, Mentor Selection, and Thesis Proposal
        • Master's Thesis First and Final Drafts
        • Timelines for the Master’s Thesis and Forms
        • Student Checkout Requirements
      • Doctoral Dissertation (PhDCR)
        • Written Dissertation Research Proposal
        • Oral Presentation of Dissertation Research Proposal
        • Admission to Candidacy
        • Written Dissertation, Defense, and Deposit
        • PhDCR Timeline and Required Forms
    • MD-MSCR/PORTAL Program
  • Chapter 4
    • MS in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS)
      • Program Information
      • Program Requirements
        • Curriculum Requirements
        • Requirements to Graduate
        • Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress
      • Curriculum
      • Advising, Thesis Committee, and Research Mentor
      • Changes to a Research Mentor-Mentee Partnership
        • Mentoring Changes due to the Relocation of the Research Mentor
        • Mentoring Changes due to an Unproductive Partnership
        • Procedures for Dispute Resolution
      • MSBS Thesis
        • Formatting, Depositing, and Defending the Thesis
        • The Master’s Thesis Review Committee
        • Deadlines and Publications
        • Required Forms
      • Master's to PhD
  • Chapter 5
    • MS in Biomedical Data Science (MSBDS)
      • Program Information
      • Program Requirements
        • Curricular Requirements
        • Requirements to Graduate
        • Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress
      • Curriculum
      • Advising
      • Capstone Project
  • Chapter 6
    • MS in Biostatistics Program
      • Program Information
      • Program Requirements
      • Curriculum
        • Theory and Methods Track
        • Clinical Applications Track
      • Capstone Project
  • Chapter 7
    • MS in Genetic Counseling
      • Program Information
      • Program Requirements
        • Curricular Requirements
        • Requirements to Graduate
        • Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress
      • Advising
  • Chapter 8
    • MS in Healthcare Delivery Leadership (MSHCDL)
      • Program Information
      • Program Competencies
      • Program Requirements
        • Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress
      • Curriculum
      • Advising
      • Capstone Project
  • Chapter 9
    • Master in Health Administration (MHA)
      • Program Information
      • Program Competencies
      • Program Requirements
      • Curriculum
      • Advising
      • Internship and Capstone Project
        • Students Enrolled or Pursuing 2 Programs
  • Chapter 10
    • Graduate Program in Public Health
      • Master of Public Health (MPH) and Advanced Certificate in Public Health (ACPH)
        • Program Information
        • Additional Information for International Students
        • Program Competencies
        • Program Requirements
          • Curricular Requirements
            • Master of Public Health
            • MD-MPH Program
            • DPM-MPH Program
            • Mount Sinai Residents and Fellow Physicians
            • Advanced Certificate in Public Health
          • Requirements to Graduate
          • Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress
          • Students Enrolled or Pursuing 2 Programs
        • Curriculum
          • General Public Health Track
          • Biostatistics Track
          • Outcomes Research Track
          • Global Health Track
          • Health Care Management Track
          • Environmental Health Sciences Specialty Track
          • Epidemiology Track
          • Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Track
          • Advanced Certificate in Public Health
        • Advising
          • Specialty Track Advisors
        • Culminating Experience
          • Description of the Thesis, First Author Manuscript, and Capstone
          • Public Health Research Day
          • Culminating Experience Submission Deadlines
      • Master of Science in Epidemiology
        • Program Information
        • Additional Information for International Students
        • Program Competencies
        • Program Requirements
          • Requirements to Graduate
          • Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress
        • Curriculum
        • Advising
        • Thesis or First Author Manuscript
          • Public Health Research Day
          • Thesis/Manuscript Submission Deadlines
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  1. Chapter 7
  2. MS in Genetic Counseling

Program Information

PreviousMS in Genetic CounselingNextProgram Requirements

Last updated 1 month ago

Program Website:

Mission Statement

The MSGC Program aligns its mission with that of the Institution. The Mission Statement of the ISMMS highlights patient care, education, research, dissemination of knowledge, and concern for community (available at ).

Program Goals/Objectives

The Genetic Counseling Program is a 21-month, full-time course of study designed to train future genetic counselors through intensive coursework and a variety of clinical placements.

Program Description

The Genetic Counseling Program is a 21-month, full-time course of study designed to train future genetic counselors through intensive coursework and a variety of clinical placements. The integration of the academic and clinical disciplines within the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, ISMMS, and the Mount Sinai Health System provides our students unparalleled opportunities for didactic and clinical experiences to develop the medical, scientific, and psychosocial skills necessary to practice in this challenging and exciting field. Our graduates are uniquely qualified and highly recruited professionals in one of the fastest growing areas in healthcare. Students must complete the core curriculum. Students are also required to rotate through a variety of clinical settings from prenatal to pediatric to adult genetics. These rotations provide opportunities for extensive supervised experience in history taking, interviewing, patient education, psychosocial assessment, and genetic risk assessment. For the thesis project, students must complete an in-depth study of a selected genetic counseling issue or topic. Students are strongly encouraged to study topics appropriate for national presentation and/or publication. Graduates are eligible to sit for the American Board of Genetic Counseling Certification Examination. The Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC).

Practice-Based Competencies for Genetic Counselors

This seven practice-based competencies that are necessary for practice as an entry-level genetic counselor. Embedded within the seven competencies are 25 sub-competencies that support the attainment of the practice-based competencies. These competencies, along with the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counselors’ Standards of Accreditation, provide guidance for the training of genetic counselors and for evaluating trainees’ knowledge and skills. The didactic and experiential components of a genetic counseling training curriculum must support the development of proficiency in the following competencies: 1) Genetics and Genomics Expertise, 2) Risk Assessment, 3) Counseling, 4) Communication, 5) Research, 6) Healthcare Systems, and 7) Professional Identity. These competencies and skills, as defined by the sub-competencies, describe the minimal skill set of a genetic counselor which should be applicable across practice settings.

Genetics and Genomics Expertise 1. Apply knowledge of genetics and genomics principles, genetic conditions, and testing technologies to the practice of genetic counseling. 1.a. Demonstrate knowledge of genetics and genomics principles and concepts. 1.b. Apply knowledge of genetic conditions to the delivery of genetics services. 1.c. Demonstrate knowledge of genetic testing methodologies and variant interpretation.

Risk Assessment 2. Evaluate personalized genetic risk. 2.a. Analyze family history to estimate genetic risk. 2.b. Calculate risk using probability methods and risk models. 2.c. Integrate clinical and laboratory data into risk assessment. 2.d. Order genetic tests guided by client-centered risk assessment.

Counseling 3. Promote integration of psychosocial needs and client-centered decision-making into genetic counseling interactions. 3.a. Use applicable counseling skills and theories. 3.b. Establish a working alliance with client. 3.c. Promote psychosocial adaptation. 3.d. Facilitate client’s decision-making process

Communication 4. Communicate genetics and genomics information to clients, colleagues, and other community partners. 4.a. Tailor communication to specific individuals and audiences. 4.b. Use a variety of approaches to communicate genetics and genomic information. 4.c. Convey probabilities based on client’s risk perception and numeracy.

Research 5. Synthesize the evidence base relevant to genetic counseling. 5.a. Critically interpret data and literature. 5.b. Apply data and literature considering its strengths, weaknesses, and limitations. 5.c. Demonstrate knowledge of how genetic counselors engage and contribute to the research process.

Healthcare Systems 6. Demonstrate how genetic counselors fit within the larger healthcare system. 6.a. Demonstrate how disparities, inequities, and systemic bias affect access to healthcare for diverse populations. 6.b. Describe the financial considerations in the delivery of genetic services. 6.c. Advocate for continuity of care. 6.d. Collaborate with members of the Care Team, clients, and other Community Partners.

Professional Identity 7. Embody the values of the genetic counseling profession. 7.a. Adhere to the genetic counselor scope of practice. 7.b. Follow applicable professional ethical codes. 7.c. Exhibit behaviors that promote an inclusive, just, equitable, and safe environment for all individuals and communities. 7.d. Engage in self-reflective practice to promote ongoing growth and development.

Program Director

Randi Zinberg, MS, CGC

212-241-9197

Program Associate Director

Lisa Karger, MS, CGC

212-241-2530

Director, Clinical Research

Hetanshi Naik, PhD, MS, CGC

212-241-7699

http://icahn.mssm.edu/education/graduate-school/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-genetic-counseling
http://icahn.mssm.edu/about/faculty-resources/handbook/general/mission
randi.zinberg@mssm.edu
lisa.karger@mssm.edu
hetanshi.naik@mssm.edu