UMN Genetic Counseling – CentraCare track program overview

Program length: 1 year
Class size: 1 (may increase up to 2 annually)
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota
Affiliated school: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

This unique year-long internship prepares you for a career in genetic counseling by allowing you to complete your required graduate clinical practicum at CentraCare Health. We are a growing team of genetic counselors who are trained to see patients across multiple specialties. Our GCs pride ourselves on our broad reach across the state of Minnesota and are seen as genetics experts in St. Cloud and beyond. The internship will include three core clinical rotations completed exclusively at CentraCare Health/St. Cloud Hospital, and optional specialty clinics to be completed at CentraCare Health or elsewhere. These rotations start in the summer following the first academic year and continue through the second academic year, spanning one calendar year. This option is open to a limited number of students enrolled in the University of Minnesota Genetic Counseling Graduate Program.

You will complete the first two semesters of study (classes, labs, and clinical observations) in the Twin Cities and greater metropolitan area. In the summer, following the second semester of the first year, if you are following the CentraCare clinical internship path, you will begin your clinical training exclusively at CentraCare Health/St. Cloud Hospital.

CentraCare Health/St. Cloud Hospital offers all of the same required core areas of focus and a variety of specialty clinics. You must commute to complete your requisite academic classes at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities one day each week during the final two semesters.

You will be exposed to multiple genetic counseling and genomics specialties. You will have an opportunity to participate in various educational activities and community engagement programs.

Application process

Appointments to the Genetic Counseling Clinical Internship are made through faculty at the University of Minnesota and CentraCare Health.

Prerequisites

You must be enrolled in the Genetic Counseling Training Program at the University of Minnesota and be in good academic standing.

Tuition and financial aid

Tuition is paid to the University of Minnesota. CentraCare charges no additional fees for the Genetic Counseling Clinical Internship at this time. You are responsible for your living accommodations and transportation.

Additional expectations

During your second year, you will be required to travel to the University of Minnesota every week for one day of class. St. Cloud is approximately 70 miles from the U of M campus. You will have one day of class per week on-site at the University of Minnesota and approximately three days per week on-site at CentraCare/St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota. 

You must have reliable transportation for this internship (i.e. personal vehicle). Parking is available onsite at both St. Cloud Hospital and CentraCare Plaza at no cost.

Curriculum

During the Genetic Counseling Clinical Internship, you will have the opportunity to participate in multiple core and specialty rotations.

Rotations include:

  • Cancer (CentraCare Plaza)
  • General Genetics (CentraCare Plaza)
  • Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic (St. Cloud Hospital)

Additional specialty clinics may include:

  • Cardiovascular Clinic 
  • Cleft Clinic 
  • Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Clinic 
  • Inpatient Genetics
  • General Genetic Counseling Consults (ranging from renal, neuromuscular, neurodegenerative, known familial mutation, reproductive/recurrent miscarriage consults, and others)

Students participating in the CentraCare program will also have the opportunity to participate in a specialty generalist rotation, during which the intern will be involved in multiple clinical specialties at one time. For example, the student may see patients in cancer, prenatal, and general specialties within the same week.

As part of the Genetic Counseling Clinical Internship, multiple supplemental educational opportunities will be available. Individuals will participate in genetics-related activities including, but not limited to, various tumor boards, MFM high-risk patient conferences, CentraCare grand rounds, the Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer conference, and educational seminars.

Schedule

You will be expected to spend ~24 hours per week at CentraCare/St. Cloud Hospital. This consists of three days onsite 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Days and times may vary throughout each clinical rotation (some days may start between 7-7:30 a.m. and end earlier), which will be communicated with advance notice. All clinic-related work should be completed during these hours.

This is not a remote or telehealth rotation. All patient visits will be onsite in St. Cloud, MN. 

Accreditation information

The University of Minnesota Genetic Counseling Training Program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling. No additional accreditation is required for the clinical internship at CentraCare/St. Cloud Hospital.