Education

The Division of Genetics’ has a strong educational program. Dr. Richard A. King was course director for the year one Medical Genetics course from 1978 to 1990, and he was reappointed in 2000.

In 1985 he developed a graduate student Advanced Human Genetics course through the Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, as part of the educational activities of the Institute of Human Genetics (IHG).

In 1999 the University of Minnesota changed to a semester from a quarter schedule, and this course was fused with a pathobiology course taught by IHG director Dr. Harry Orr, into a single Advanced Human Genetics course through the new Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development. Drs. King and Orr co-teach this course.

In 1997, Dr. Oetting became the course director for the University of Minnesota undergraduate course in Human Genetics, and he has continued as the teacher for this popular undergraduate course.

A genetics fellowship training program was established in 1980 and was accredited in Clinical Genetics in 1985, the first year of American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG) accreditation.

Clinical Biochemical and Cytogenetics were accredited in 1988 and Clinical Molecular Genetics in 1992.

The ABMG became a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties in 1995 and a Medical Genetics Residency was established through a Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Medical Genetics in 1998.

A total of five physicians have completed their fellowship in clinical genetics, including one from internal medicine (currently an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve). No residents/fellows are currently in training.