Massachusetts General Hospital is a large 900 bed tertiary urban hospital. Training in genetics at MGH was established in 1968. Although based in the Department of Pediatrics, trainees have always evaluated children and adults. Obstetrics was reintroduced to the hospital in 1993 and now provides training in prenatal diagnosis and counseling.

Organization of Program

• Genetics Clinic:
  1. This is a clinic established as part of the Partners Center for Human Genetics at 50 Staniford Street Suite 504. Clinics are held three times a week at the present time. Patients are seen for diagnosis and counseling of single gene disorders, multifactorial disorders, and congenital anomaly syndromes. Approximately 30% of patients are adults. This clinic is staffed by Dr. Joan Stoler, medical geneticist, and Dr. Carol Hoffman, genetic counselor.
  2. This is a weekly clinic that meets in the Dept. Pediatrics clinics on ACC 7 for general genetic and metabolism patients. The clinic is staffed by Drs. Lewis Holmes, Vivian Shih, and Sue Pauker.
  
  
• Prenatal Diagnosis Clinic: Patients are seen daily as needed. Residents are supervised by Dr. Lewis Holmes, and work along with three genetic counselors, Ms. Carrie Haverty, Ms. Jennifer Weiner and Ms. Karen Benson.
  
  
• Neurogenetics/Neurofibromatosis: These clinics meet on alternate Wednesdays. Residents are supervised by Dr. Katherine Sims in Neurogenetics Clinic and by Dr. Mia MacCollin in Neurofibromatosis Clinic. The Huntington's Disease Clinic meets every other Wednesday afternoon; the residents are supervised by Dr. Walter Koroshetz. Both children and adults are seen in all of these clinics.
  
  
• Neuromuscular Disease Clinic: Directed by Dr. Robert Brown, a clinical neurologist who is actively involved in molecular genetics, the genetics resident will see primarily adult patients with any type of muscle disease.
  
  
• Hyperlipidemia Clinic: This clinic meets each Wednesday morning and is directed by Dr. Mason Freeman. Primarily adults are seen with hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, etc.
  
  
• Cancer Genetics: Residents participate in clinics at the MGH Breast Center under the supervision of Ms. Kristin Shannon.
  
  
• Microtia Clinic: This clinic meets on Thursday afternoons and is directed by Dr. Ronald Eavey at the Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary.
  
  
• Inpatient Consultations: Patients are seen in the pediatrics and adult services and elsewhere in the hospital. The genetics inpatient service will be staffed, Monday morning through Friday afternoon (including nights), by the fellow on the "MGH rotation" and an attending physician, currently Dr. Stoler for genetics and Dr. Shih for metabolism. Weekend call, from Friday evening through Monday morning, will be covered by the first and second year fellows and an attending physician on rotating schedules that include both MGH and BWH staff. Calls that pertain to metabolism patients will be staffed by Dr. Shih or her covering physician.

• Hereditary Retinal Diseases: Two types of teaching are provided. First, Dr. Eliot Berson, the director of the Berman-Gund Laboratory for the Study of Retinal Degeneration at the adjacent Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary, evaluates six patients each Thursday. The resident learns about the diagnostic evaluations, treatment, and genetic counseling. The second method of instruction about retinal disorders and retinoblastoma will be two seminars with Thaddeus Dryja, M.D., who is active in molecular studies of these disorders.

Developmental Genetics: Activities include ward rounds and attending the twice monthly Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic run by Dr. Christine Seidman and the Cardiovascular Research Conferences at which Dr. Seidman and her colleagues present results of research studies. In addition, the genetics resident will have a series of discussion in a seminar format on: 1) common major malformations, such as neural tube defects, renal agenesis, and heart defects (Drs. Holmes and Angela Lin); 2) fetal pathology (Dr. David Genest); 3) Drosophila genetics (Dr. Lizabeth Perkins); and 4) Human teratogens (Dr. Holmes). Cases for these discussions and weekly rounds will be identified from a ward rounds conducted three days a week with Mrs. Marie-Noel Westgate, M.Ed., who conducts the Active Malformations Surveillance Program at BWH. Mrs. Westgate wil assist the resident in identifying affected infants and products of conception from elective terminations.

CLINIC SCHEDULE