The selected intern will assist genetic counseling faculty members with case preparation, as well as educational and administrative projects throughout the six weeks. The intern also will have the opportunity to observe prenatal, cancer, pediatric and Huntington's disease genetic counseling sessions, and attend monthly tumor and fetal board meetings. A stipend will be provided.
Our Diversity Recruitment Initiative strives to enrich the profession by educating genetic counselors who reflect the individuals and families we serve. We especially invite summer intern applicants from communities of color. This is a wonderful opportunity for mentorship. Come learn with us!
How to Apply
Applications accepted Jan. 1 – Feb. 1
To apply, please submit the following:
- Statement of interest
- Curriculum vitae
- Two letters of recommendation
- Official transcript(s)
To submit via email (preferred): GCSummerIntern@uscmed.sc.edu
To submit via mail:
Genetic Counseling Program
Summer Internship
Two Medical Park, Suite 208
Columbia, SC 29203
The program will review applications for the genetic counseling internship, interview selected candidates through video conference and award the internship by March 1.
Questions about the application process? Contact us at Genetics@uscmed.sc.edu
You may also be interested in our online course: Genetic Counseling: Career for the Future.
What Students are Saying
During my internship I was able to see countless cases that varied in specialty. I
was afforded the opportunity to observe pediatric genetic counseling at Greenwood
Genetic Center and Huntington’s disease genetic counseling at USC’s HD Clinic. In
addition to these clinical opportunities, I had the chance to travel to Epworth’s
Early Intervention Center, Greenwood’s case conference, breast and GI cancer conferences,
and the Children’s Hospital to speak with a doctor specializing in palliative care.
These experiences have afforded me the opportunity to see first-hand the joys, challenges,
routines, anomalies, and excitements of genetic counseling!
-Callan Russell, 2019
As the genetic counseling intern, I was able to gain a deep understanding of what
the profession looks like from an everyday perspective. I observed 77 genetic counseling
sessions overall, with the majority being prenatal sessions. I think I learned the
most from just being able to experience counseling sessions regularly. I gained a
lot of exposure to different types of syndromes and diseases. Overall, the immense
amount of shadowing experience really helped me develop psychosocial skills such as
interacting with patients.
-Abby Coco, 2018
This summer at the University of South Carolina, as the genetic counseling intern,
I learned more than I believed possible. Before this experience, I had little exposure
to the field of genetic counseling and no exposure in either the realms of prenatal
or cancer counseling. This internship provided such great insight into all the aspects
of the genetic counseling profession and helped solidify my desire to become a genetic
counselor in the future.
-Aubrey Hite, 2017
As a student in the state of Mississippi, I am quite limited to genetic counseling
exposure and experiences in my area. The University of South Carolina was able to
offer me opportunities to gain experience in the field of genetic counseling that
I would have never gotten otherwise. I am beyond thankful for my six weeks of learning,
observing and gaining hands-on experience that will be essential in my becomoing
a well-rounded, successful genetic counselor in the future.
-Ashlee Vargason, 2016