General Information

           As basic genetics knowledge continues to be integrated into medical practice, it is increasingly important to train clinicians in all aspects of medical genetics. The Medical Genetics Residency Program at University of Siena offers you comprehensive training in patient examinations, diagnosis, decision-making, therapeutics and counseling required to provide care for patients with genetic or possible genetic diseases.

In 2004, the Medical Genetics Unit of the Department of Molecular Biology at the School of Medicine in Siena became the second approved residency program in Medical Genetics in Tuscany. This program provides a unique, experience for candidates committed to a career in genetics. Our residents have the opportunity to receive their intensive training experience in medical genetics including general genetics and dysmorphology, prenatal genetics, and cancer genetics. Additionally, they will gain experience in cytogenetics, molecular cytogenetics and molecular genetics, where they will learn about the usefulness and limitations of laboratory tests used in the diagnosis of genetic disorders.

In addition to this program, we also offer a one-year Master program in Clinical Genetics to outstanding candidates who have completed residency training in Medical Genetics. Candidates are selected on the basis of recommendations from their primary care training program, and curriculum vitae.

Goals and Objectives of the Program

The primary goals of the Medical Genetics Unit are 1) to provide superior genetic medical care to patients from fetal life into adulthood in an academic environment and 2) to participate in and initiate basic science and clinical research related to the diagnosis, treatment and understanding of genetic disease. The overall educational objective of the four year residency training programs is to provide an optimal environment for the clinical and research training of residents. To achieve these goals and objectives, the faculty of the Medical Genetics Unit of the Department of Molecular Biology, which include experts in clinical genetics and molecular genetics, interacts in a multidisciplinary fashion with faculty in the Departments of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Child Neuropsychiatry, Neurology, and Internal Medicine to provide trainees with a diverse and comprehensive educational experience.

The specific educational objectives of the four year programs include the attainment of general knowledge about the mechanisms of disease and the application of the understanding of these mechanisms to the diagnosis, treatment and counseling of patients and to the development of basic and clinical research protocols designed to investigate specific problems. Residents attain this knowledge through didactic sessions and through clinical rotations that expose them to all aspects of clinical care, clinical research and clinical laboratory activities in medical genetics.

The ongoing, direct patient contact offers them the opportunity to care for children and adults, including prenatal care, with a wide variety of clinical disorders, including those of single gene, chromosomal, mitochondrial, multifactorial and teratogenic etiology. This residency also includes training in genetic counseling, including non-directive options for gene testing and prenatal diagnosis. Medical Genetics Unit in Siena treats an especially good mix of pediatric and adult patients, who will comprise an increasing proportion of genetics patients in the future.