Clinical Training
VCU Health System is a tertiary care medical center that provides trainees with ample opportunities to gain experience in a variety of diverse clinical settings. The design of our clinical training allows trainees to acquire many more than the required number of cases needed to graduate and be eligible to take the American Board of Genetic Counseling certification exam, with most students acquiring at least 100 clinical cases. Our clinical training program is designed to provide each trainee with increasingly complex case management and critical thinking experiences over the course of their time at VCU. Each student begins clinical training in the spring of their first year.
All Health Sciences students are expected to complete background checks, drug screens, consent to release student information and submit immunizations to Student Health. Prices on these items may vary depending on item and department. Non-compliance will affect a student's ability to participate in clinical placements.
Students gain experience working with multiple supervisors within the VCU genetics department including genetic counselors, medical geneticists, genetic fellows, medical residents, and other students. VCU offers a wide variety of genetic and specialty clinics that students are able to work in. Students are also able to seek out and secure additional clinical rotation options based on specific interests they may have. A list of current clinical sites is provided below:
General Genetics Clinics including Pediatric and Adult Genetics. These clinics are held within 4 different locations within the Richmond/Virginia area
- Children’s Hospital of Richmond (CHoR)
- Ambulatory Care Center at VCU
- VCU Stony Point
- VCU Telemedicine Clinic
- Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD)
General Cancer Clinics, held within at least two different locations within the Richmond/Fredericksburg area
Cancer Clinics, held within at least two different locations within Virginia
- Virginia Oncology Associates
Prenatal Clinics, held at more than 4 different locations within the Richmond area
- VCU MFM
- HCA (Henrico Doctor’s Hospital, Chippenham Hospital, Johnston Willis Hospital) Commonwealth Perinatal
- Bon Secours (St. Mary’s Hospital, St. Francis Hospital) Perinatal Centers
- Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) Perinatal Centers
Huntington’s disease Clinic
- VCU
Fetal Anomalies Clinic at Children’s National Medical Center
Hemophilia Clinic
Vascular Malformation Clinic
Enzyme Replacement Therapy Clinic
High risk Breast Cancer Clinic
Cardiology Genetics Clinic
Craniofacial Multidisciplinary Clinic