• Individuals with a PhD in genetics, human genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry or a related field.

  All individuals with a doctoral degree earned outside of the US, Canada or Puerto Rico must have their international credentials reviewed by the ABMG Credentials Committee for equivalency of their doctoral degree prior to entering medical genetics training in an ABMG-accredited fellowship. For more information see the ABMG website at http://www.abmg.org/pages/cert_forcredential.shtml.

• Individuals with a MD or DO who have significant experience in genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry or a related field.

  All individuals with a doctoral degree earned outside of the US, Canada or Puerto Rico must have their international credentials reviewed by the ABMG Credentials Committee for equivalency of their doctoral degree prior to entering medical genetics training in an ABMG-accredited fellowship or ACGME-accredited clinical genetics residency program. For more information see the ABMG website at http://www.abmg.org/pages/cert_forcredential.shtml.

• Individuals with PhD or MD from a country in which English is not the primary language must have taken the TOEFL-iBT within two years of entering an accredited training program. For more information see the ABMG website at www.abmg.org/pages/training_options.shtml.

Yes. Your training in your first laboratory specialty must be completed by June 30 of the year you are planning to start. Please be sure to explain why you want to obtain certification in a 2nd specialty in your Personal Statement. You will also need to provide the following documentation with your application: documentation of the taking, and passing of, the Board exam in that first specialty. If you are currently being trained in a laboratory training you will also need to submit a letter from your current ABMG Program Director.

Applicants must have a doctoral-level degree no later than April 30th preceding the Fellowship (there are no exceptions).

No, there are no age limits for applicants.

The UCSF ABMG Laboratory Fellowship Program will accept applicants who hold a J-1 or H-1B Visa. Please note that the UCSF ABMG Laboratory Fellowship Program will not cover visas costs. We will assist in completing the paper work for the applicant, but we will not cover any visa costs.

All individuals with a doctoral degree earned outside of the US, Canada or Puerto Rico must petition the ABMG Credentials Committee at the ABMG Administrative Office in writing prior to applying to our program for medical genetics training in an ABMG-accredited fellowship or ACGME-accredited clinical genetics residency program. The ABMG will determine the equivalency of your doctoral degree. Information regarding the process to obtain your training equivalency and the documents required by the ABMG may be found here: http://www.abmg.org/pages/cert_forcredential.shtml.

We require fluency in English! If there is a question, then the TOFEL test should be completed.

• Current CV
• Personal Statement (2 page maximum)
• 3 Letters of Recommendation (One of these letters must be from your current supervisor, thesis advisor or department/division director.)

There is only one deadline per year. Should your application not have been successful the first time, you may submit another application in the following round, provided you still meet all eligibility criteria in our guidelines. Please note our selection committee will not provide you with any feedback of declined applications.

The selected areas of interest are used to determine which faculty groups will review your application.  Your application will be first reviewed by faculty in the primary area, and then in a second round, the application will be reviewed by faculty in the secondary area.

Yes. Please submit your application by email. Please ensure that you have all the application materials when submitting your application (CV, Personal Statement and 3 Letters of Reference). Save the documents as a PDF. Please name each document as: LastNameFirstNameType (i.e. ShimshockKateCV or ShimshockKatePersonalStatement). Please email your documents to katharina.schwan@ucsf.edu.

No. Due to the large number of applications we receive, you may not go over the 2-page limit. Please ensure that your personal statement includes your reasoning for why you want to enter in to the specific laboratory specialty you have chosen to enter.

The letters of reference should be addressed to “ABMG Program Director.”

We do not accept separate or late materials.  All application materials must be submitted together, ON TIME.  Late items will not be processed.  This is your responsibility, as a prospective trainee.

Applicants may consider collecting letters from professors, persons involved in health care, employers, research and health-related volunteer supervisors. One of these letters must be from your current program director or their designee.

If you require confirmation, please request so in your application email.

No, we cannot alter or add information to your application form, curriculum vitae, or statement of purpose once we have received it (the only exception is if your or your recommender's contact information changes). Please make sure your application is ready and complete before you mail it.

No. If you wish to start the program at a later point in time, you will need to reapply to the program.

Applicants will typically be contacted in October/November as to whether or not they have been selected for an interview.

Interviews are usually held at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Parnassus and China Basin locations in San Francisco, CA. Interview locations will vary depending on the specialty that the applicant chooses. Candidates will be notified of their interview locations when they are invited for an interview. Tours of the laboratory will be conducted during your onsite interview.

Unfortunately, the ABMG Laboratory Fellowship Program does not cover travel expenses for the interview.

The number of positions available fluctuates from year to year. Typically, there is one new trainee each year for each specialty.

Typically, the training period starts July 1 and ends on June 30th.

Standard fellowships last two years. Additional time is necessary for those interested in a research focus or for more than one specialty.

Current Positions of Our Clinical Biochemical Genetics Alumni:

• Associate Professor, Pediatric Genetics, Stanford University (Director of Medical Genetics Residency Program), Stanford, CA
• Scientific Director, Biochemical Genetics, Nichols Institute, Quest Diagnostics
• Assistant Professor, University of Southern California (USC) & Director, Biochemical Genetics and Special Chemistry, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
• Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Division of Genetics, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA

Current Positions of Our Clinical Cytogenetics Alumni

• Director of the Huntington Medical Research Institutes Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
• Laboratory Director, Signature Genomics, Spokane, WA
• Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA
• Instructor, California State University, Genetic Counseling Program, Stanislaus, CA
• Assistant Technical Director of the UCSF Cytogenetics Laboratory, UCSF, San Francisco, CA

Current Positions of Our Molecular Genetics Alumni

• Director of the Huntington Medical Research Institutes Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
• Associate Clinical Professor, Pediatrics, UCSF; Medical Geneticist, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
• Laboratory Director, Signature Genomics, Spokane, WA
• Assistant Professor of Human Genetics at Ohio State University
• Associate Director, Medical Genetics, Lab Corp-ViroMed, Minneapolis, MN
• Scientific Director, Biochemical Genetics, Nichols Institute, Quest Diagnostics
• Instructor, California State University, Genetic Counseling Program, Stanislaus, CA
• Fellow in Biochemical Genetics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL