Graduate School of Medical Sciences
A partnership with the Sloan Kettering Institute

Master of Science in Genetic Counseling

Message from the Director

Shenela Lakhani, CGC, CCGCAs the founding director of the new Master of Science in Genetic Counseling Program at Weill Cornell Medicine, I look forward to welcoming students to the historic Upper East Side in Manhattan New York, home to the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences (WCGS). Founded in 1952, WCGS has partnered with neighboring institutions to provide specialized training opportunities by over 330 skilled faculty and staff.

The MS program in Genetic Counseling in partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is designed to provide students with the necessary skills to become competent, skilled and ethically trained healthcare professionals who will become assets to the field of genetic counseling in clinical care, medical research, academia or industry.
 
Genetic counselors are lifelong learners and with the rapidly evolving world of genetics, I believe genetic counselors will play an important role in the future of medicine, research and education. I am eager to play a small part in each of our student’s journey to what I can only imagine will be fulfilling, successful and long careers.
 
Warmly,
Shenela Lakhani, CGC, CCGC

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Overview

A Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program at the Weill Cornell Graduate School in Medical Sciences (WCGS) is accredited by the American Board of Genetic Counselors. This highly interdisciplinary training program is designed to ensure that students develop the core competencies of genetic counseling and offers a curriculum that focuses on issues pertaining to human disease through examples drawn from clinical genetics. The new Program emphasizes translational learning models, allowing students to apply concepts taught during didactic lectures to clinical rotations.

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Program Objectives

  1. Produce genetic counselor graduates who have completed the necessary requirements to be eligible to sit for the national accreditation board exams, as detailed by the American Board of Genetic Counselors.
  2. Prepare genetic counselors with career choices in clinical genetics, medical research, academia and/or industry.
  3. Generate lifelong learners and educators who become vital assets to multi-disciplinary teams.
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Admissions
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Advisory Board
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Leadership
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Provide supervised learning experiences in a clinical or professional setting.
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Foster innovation and expand student knowledge in new and unanticipated ways.
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Accreditation

The M.S. Genetic Counseling program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) for new program status. The program's cumulative pass rate will become available in the next three years.

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Contact Us

To learn more about the Genetic Counseling program, please email us at MSGC-Admissions@med.cornell.edu. 

Mission

The WCGS in partnership with MSKCC is committed to: 

Supporting the individual needs of diverse genetic counseling students and encouraging the growth of the genetic counseling profession 
through the advancement of training in the areas of clinical care, research, and education. 

Goals

Program Goals

1. Produce competent  genetic counselors who have completed the necessary eligibility 
requirements to sit for the national accreditation board exams. 

2. Prepare genetic counselors for career choices in clinical genetics, medical research, academia and/or industry. 

3. Train genetic counselors to critically assess medical genetics/genomics in the advancement of research.  

4. Prepare lifelong learners and educators as vital assets to multi-disciplinary teams. 

5. Foster an inclusive and equitable learning environment for students from diverse backgrounds. 

6. Create a collaborative working and learning environment 
encompassing students, staff and faculty. 

Diversity and Inclusion

At WCMC, diversity is viewed in the broadest sense, including differences in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, ability, religious practices, socioeconomic class, citizenship, life experiences, and other important aspects of human life. We believe that diversity is a platform for developing creative solutions to challenging healthcare problems, advancing cutting-edge biomedical research, and designing and implementing innovative teaching modalities in medical education.

 

Outcomes

Program outcome data (cumulative board examination pass rates, attrition rates, and job placement rates) will become available in three years.

Prospective Student Events

Apply Now!