The Departmental Roadmap

IV. Educational Activities

Overview of Activities

Education is a major priority in the NIH roadmap, particularly in the area of clinical research. This will be supported by increased federal funding for training and other educational grants. We currently participate in graduate education both for predoctoral Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. (MSTP) students in the Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biological Sciences, as well as in the training of MS students in our Departmental-based training program in Genetic Counseling. We also train medical students through the Medical Genetics Course offered in the second year of Medical School and in a number of first and third year electives. Our postdoctoral training programs include an ACGME-approved Residency in Medical Genetics, the first approved program in the country, and a combined program in Medical Genetics and Pediatrics. In addition, the Department sponsors postdoctoral programs that lead to American Board of Medical Genetics eligibility in Cytogenetics, Biochemical Genetics and Molecular Genetics. Our pre-doctoral students, as well as Ph.D. and M.D. postdoctoral fellows, have been partially supported for over 30 years with an NIH training grant in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

Department faculty also have had leadership roles in developing the clinical research education infrastructure of the Institution including securing funding through the NIH K30 mechanism, and the establishment of a Masters Degree in Clinical Research now offered through the graduate school. We have also worked collaboratively with the Cancer Prevention group on their training grant.