Online Review Course in Medical Genetics & Genetic Counseling

Welcome!

Our affiliation with Arcadia University's Genetic Counseling Program began on October 1, 2014.

Since then, under the academic directorship of Kathleen Valverde, MS, CGC, and Laura Conway, PhD, CGC, the Course has been reorganized to improve navigation and study organization and new lectures and tutorials have equaled over 62 contact hours. All course materials may be viewed on your iPad or tablet.

Visit us on Facebook (Genetics Online Review Course) to be the first to know about upcoming additions, new materials and their post dates. Registrants will also be able to learn about new postings on the Course site through periodic e-blasts we send to our registrants, only.

We are grateful to Betsy Gettig, MS, CGC, for her involvement and leadership with this course and who was instrumental in taking the course from an onsite to an online format. She is now in a corporate role and retains the title of Course Director Emeritus.

As always, additions, updates and improvements both in the academics and functionality of this course have been largely based on your communications with us. Please continue provide us with your thoughts and we promise to continue to be responsive to you.

Bea Leopold and Audrey Lombard, Management Team
Chris Huziak, IT Manager
Kathy Valverde, MS, CGC, and Laura Conway, PhD, CGC, Academic Co-directors

Sponsor and Management

Registration and Course Dates of Record

History

Online Learning

Target Course Participants

Statement of Purpose

Course Goals

Meeting your Individualized and Group Study Goals

Faculty

Faculty Biosketches

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement

Lectures Sessions

Registration Fee Schedule

Cancellation Policy

Registration Contact Information

Register Now by mail

Register Online with Credit Cards


Academic Sponsorship: Arcadia University Genetic Counseling Program

Management: Bea Leopold, BLCommunications, LLC, Wallingford, Pennsylvania

Registration is ongoing and available anytime. Your registration is valid for 9 full months following the date you receive your access information, most often within 3 business days of your registration. For example: If your registration date is February 20, 2018, your access will be active until November 30, 2018. If your registration date is October 1, 2018, your access will be active until July 31, 2019.

If you are in a study group, access will be released once all members are registered. Your access will begin on the day we send your codes.

The genealogy of this course traces back to Dr. Elizabeth F. Neufeld, now Professor Emerita at the Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of California at Los Angeles. In 1984, Dr. Neufeld urged Dan Camerini-Otero, MD, PhD, Alan Schechter, MD, and John Mulvihill, MD, to develop a two-day course in medical genetics under the sponsorship of the Interinstitute Medical Genetics Program of the National Institutes of Health in anticipation of the pending examination by the newly-formed American Board of Medical Genetics. With directors and venues and always changing subject matters and emphases, courses were given in 1984, 1987, 1990 and 1993.

For subsequent cycles, 1996 through 2005, Elizabeth (Betsy) Gettig, MS, CGC, joined Dr. Mulvihill as co-director and the National Society of Genetic Counselors collaborated in a business and managerial role under the direction of Bea Leopold, NSGC’s Executive Director.

In 2007, in its 10th update, the course converted to an online format, directed by Ms. Gettig and Dr. Mulvihill at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Human Genetics. Ms. Leopold continued as business and management director through her consulting company, BLCommunications.

With changes to the examination dates, the course was available on an ongoing, open enrollment basis. The course was granted approval in 2008 for Category I Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by the American Board of Genetic Counseling. From 2009 - 2015, it was approved for CMEs by the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center’s Office of Continuing Professional Development. Due to low requests for CMEs, they were no longer offered after June 30, 2015.

In 2014, in its 30th year, the academic home moved to Arcadia University with Kathleen Valverde, MS, CGC, and Dr. Laura Conway, PhD, CGC, as Academic Directors. Dr. Mulvihill continues as Medical Director, and the course continues under the business management of BLCommunications, LLC. Ms. Gettig retains the title Course Director Emeritus.

With this leadership team, the course will continue to expand and update its offerings to provide high-level, intensive and broad-reaching education to serve the medical genetics and genetic counseling community and other related professionals.

Online learning has many advantages.

  • It is available 24/7, meeting your schedule and pace preferences.
  • It saves travel-related expenses and lost time from the office.
  • It provides a generous allotment of CEUs for practicing genetic counselors to fulfill ongoing educational requirements, all at the convenience of your office or home computer.
You, the registrants, win by being offered a comprehensive, well-organized program "in real time" that delivers the highest quality didactic and interactive learning environment. We look forward to your participation and to meeting your needs with stellar service as well as fast, efficient and effective learning opportunities.
 

This course has been developed as an advanced, intensive learning experience for the following groups:

  • Individuals preparing to sit for the American Board of Genetic Counseling or American Board of Medical Genetics examinations and maintenance of certification (EMOC).
  • Genetic professionals wishing to earn ABGC-approved Category 1 CEUs.
  • Certified genetic counselors, geneticists and other health care professionals seeking to review or refresh their knowledge of genetics and genetic counseling to fulfill continuing education requirements by the American Board of Genetic Counseling or other genetics or genomics certifying bodies.
  • Clinicians, scientists, health care providers with a desire for an in-depth survey of basic and clinical genetics and genetic counseling best practices.
  • Genomic industry sales or scientific team members wishing for an intensive, self-paced review of basic genetics.
  • Individuals with a desire to explore their understanding of advanced and clinical genetics.

The purpose of this course is to provide a comprehensive review of the field of medical genetics, advances in genomic medicine and issues related to genetic counseling. It may be utilized as an aid in preparation for the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) and American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG) comprehensive examinations or as an in-depth educational experience for those seeking a knowledge base or refresher in these areas of study. Course registrants must have an understanding of basic and applied genetics, genomics, statistics and counseling theory to derive maximum benefit from this course.

This course is an intensive online review of medical genetics and genetic counseling. At the conclusion of the course, participants should be able:

  1. To identify specific areas of strengths and weaknesses in genetic knowledge and counseling theory using pre- and post-test tools.
  2. To utilize basic genetic principles and case study examples in medical and genetic counseling practice.
  3. To apply knowledge, concepts and theories learned throughout the course to improve genetics practice skills.

Access to this course is available on a secured, password-protected website. Registrants may access the course on any computer at any time, 24/7.

All registrants will be invited to voluntarily complete an online pre-test prior to taking the course to identify specific areas of strength and weakness. Results are not graded or shared with others. The intent of the pre-test is to allow registrants to identify areas of concentrated study. A post-test is also available, and again, the results are not graded or shared with others. These tests may be taken repeatedly for self-assessment purposes.

Biochemical Genetics
Lewis J. Waber, MD, PhD, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX (ret.); Colleen Muraresku, MS, CGC, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia PA

Cancer
Katherine A. Schneider, MPH, CGC, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston MA; Jill Stopfer, MS, CGC, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston MA

Cardiovascular Genetics
Emily M. James, MS, CGC, Invitae, Pittsburgh PA

Cytogenetics
Stuart Schwartz, PhD, Laboratory Corporation of America, Research Triangle Park NC

Ethics
Dawn C. Allain, MS, LGC, The Ohio State University Genetic Counseling Program, Columbus OH

Genetic Counseling Principles and Practice
Carrie Atzinger, MS, CGC, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH; Kathryn Spitzer Kim, MS, CGC, Stanford, CA (former Director of Genetic Counseling Education, Arcadia University, Glenside, PA); Lisa Kessler, MS, CGC, Arcadia University, Glenside PA; Kathleen Valverde, MS, CGC, Arcadia University, Glenside PA

Genetics and the Law
Emily M. James, MS, CGC, Invitae, Pittsburgh PA

Introduction to Course
Kathleen Valverde, MS, CGC, Arcadia University, Glenside PA

Medical Genetics
Jehannine Austin, PhD, CGC, CCGC, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Brenda Finucane, MS, LGC, Geisinger Health System, Lewisburg PA; TO: Emily M. James, MS, CGC, Invitae, Pittsburgh PA; Staci Kallish, DO, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia PA; Ian Krantz, MD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia PA; Donna McDonald-McGinn, MS, LCGC, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia PA; Reed Pyeritz, MD, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA; Ronald Rubenstein, MD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia PA

Molecular Genetics
Laura J. Conway, PhD, CGC, Arcadia University, Glenside PA

Neurogenetics
Livija Medne, MS, CGC, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia PA; Elisabeth Wood, MS, CGC, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

New Genomics
Cecelia A. Bellcross, PhD, CGC, Emory Genetic Counseling Program, Atlanta GA; Jodie M. Vento, MGC, CGC, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Prenatal
Dee Quinn, MS, CGC, Arizona Pregnancy Riskline and College of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ; Katie Stoll, MS, CGC, Genetic Support Foundation, Olympia WA; Ronald J. Wapner, MD, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY; Vivian Weinblatt, MS, LGC, Integrated Genetics of LabCorp Specialty Laboratory, Philadelphia PA

Quantitative Genetics
Lisa Schwartz, MS, EdD, CGC, The George Washington University, Washington, DC; Robert Wilson, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Dawn C. Allain, MS, LGC, Director of The Ohio State University (OSU) Genetic Counseling Graduate Program, is a licensed genetic counselor and Assistant Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine at the OSU Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, OH. She was awarded a Master's degree in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University in 1993 and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counselors in 1996. Ms. Allain served as a member of the OSU Biomedical Institution Review Board from 2006 through 2014 and is a member of the OSU College of Medicine's Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities. She is currently a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors' (NSGC) Jane Engelberg Memorial Fellowship Advisory Group, is a past member of the NSGC Ethics Advisory Group and is a past president the NSGC. Most recently, she authored two chapters in a book published in October 2014, Ethical Dilemmas in Genetics and Genetic Counseling, "Testing Children for Adult Onset Conditions," and "Ethical Issues in Genetic and Genomic Research."

Carrie Atzinger, MS, CGC, is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati Genetic Counseling Program, where she now serves as Assistant Director. Her clinical practice specializes in pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. In addition, whe coordinates CCHMC's Marfan/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Clinic and Skeletal Dysplasia Center. She has developed online courses in Cardiovascular Genetics and Laboratory Genetic Counseling in addition to updating previously available courses in Embryology and Teratology. Carrie serves as a faculty member for the CCHMC Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program, and is involved in various other administrative aspects of the program.

Jehannine Austin, PhD, CGC, CCGC, is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry & Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, where she holds the Canada Research Chair in Translational Psychiatric Genomics. She completed her PhD in neuropsychiatric genetics at the University of Wales College of Medicine prior to pursuing her training and certification in genetic counseling at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests focus on the interface between psychiatric genetics and clinical practice. She completed the first randomized controlled trial to investigate the impact of genetic counselling for individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar and schizoaffective disorder. In addition, she has co-authored a book, How to Talk with Families about Genetics and Psychiatric Illness, and in 2012, founded the first international specialist psychiatric genetic counselling service that now trains clinicians from all over the world. Her international scholarly works, professional activities, awards and publications are numerous.

Cecelia Bellcross, PhD, MS, CGC, obtained her Master of Science degree in Medical Genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Genetic Counseling program in 1990, and her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Population Health Sciences in 2007. Following her work as a clinical genetics counselor from 1990-2008, she completed a fellowship through the American Society of Human Genetics with the CDC's Office of Public Health Genomics in Atlanta in 2010. Dr. Bellcross earned her certification from the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) in 1993, and recently served on the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). She is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, where she developed and is Director of the Emory Genetic Counseling Training Program. She is frequently invited to speak at national meetings and symposia, and has more than a dozen articles in a variety of peer-reviewed journals. Her areas of interest and expertise include hereditary cancer and translational genomics.

Laura J. Conway, PhD, CGC, received her BS in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her MS in Genetic Counseling from Arcadia University. Since 2004, she has served as Assistant Director of the Arcadia University Genetic Counseling Program. Her varied credentials and experience have enriched her teaching of advanced science and laboratory courses and student mentorship. Dr. Conway's own research interests focus on how the genetic counseling profession is adapting to new technology, both in the clinic and more globally, as a profession. She currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and has taken an active role in looking at various issues related to the future of the genetic counseling profession, including licensure and advanced degrees. Dr. Conway has been published in more than a dozen peer-reviewed journals.

Brenda Finucane, MS, LGC, is a licensed genetic counselor and the Associate Director of the Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute of Geisinger Health System in Lewisburg, PA. Her clinical and research activities have focused on genetic causes of neurodevelopmental disorders. Ms. Finucane has a particular interest in the behavioral and cognitive manifestations of fragile X, Smith-Magenis, 15q duplication, and other syndromes that result in complex intellectual and neuropsychological symptoms. Her experience with this population includes young children through adults, and she has a specific interest in research related to the natural history of behavioral and developmental disorders over the lifespan. Ms. Finucane is widely published and has been in leadership roles in professional and advocacy organizations throughout her career, including a term as president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors in 2012.

Emily M. James, MS, CGC, received her masters in genetic counseling from the University of Pittsburgh Genetic Counseling Training Program, where she received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling. Currently, she is on the genetic counseling team at Invitae. Previously, she served in the West Penn Allegheny Health System in the Cancer and Cardiovascular Genetics Programs. She has made poster presentations at the American Society of Human Genetics. In addition, she co-instructed a course in clinical genetics for nurses and lectured in a course on hereditary cancer for doctor of nursing practice students at the Robert Morris University. She has lectured first year genetic counseling students at the University of Pittsburgh Genetic Counseling Program.

Staci M. Kallish, DO, is a physician in the Division of Translational Medicine and Medical Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania. She is Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and is Board Certified in both Pediatrics and Medical Genetics - Clinical Biochemical Genetics. Among her clinical areas of interest are cardiomyopathies, skeletal dysplasias, connective tissue disease, metabolic myopathies, muscular dystrophies, neurofibromatosis and developmental disabilities.

Lisa Kessler, MS, LCGC, is a graduate of the Arcadia University Genetic Counseling Program, where she currently serves as Clinical Coordinator and Assistant Professor. Prior to her affiliation in the graduate program, she served in a variety of positions at University of Pennsylvania, including the Departments of Psychiatry and Ophthalmology and the Division of Medical Genetics. She has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Kathryn Spitzer Kim, MS, CGC, has been a genetic counselor for 28 years and has taught in a genetic counseling training programs for 20 of those years, giving her a broad perspective on the field and many years of experience teaching and critiquing best practices in the field. She currently is on faculty in the Stanford University Genetic Counseling Program. Prior to this position, she served as Director of Counseling Education at the Arcadia University Genetic Counseling Program. Additionally, she has published in several peer review journals including the Journal of Genetic Counseling, for which she served as an editor for several years. She is the author of the chapter on interviewing in A Guide to Genetic Counseling (2009) edited by Uhlmann, Schutte, and Yashar. Her personal areas of expertise and interest are the psychological foundations of genetic counseling and multicultural perspectives.

Ian D. Krantz, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics and Co-director of Individualized Medical Genetic at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in Philadelphia, PA, and serves as Medical Director of the Arcadia University Genetic Counseling Program. He earned his MD at Tel Aviv University in 1991. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in both Clinical Cytogenetics and Clinical Genetics. His areas of research interest are of the molecular etiology of syndromic and non-syndromic human development disorders and birth defects, particularly those syndromes related to birth defects and hearing loss. In practice, as a pediatrician and clinical geneticist, his focus is on dysmorphology and pediatric genetics disorders, including Cornelia de Lange, Alagille and Pallister Killian syndromes and related disorders. In addition, he directs a genetics clinic dedicated to children with sensorineural hearing loss. Dr. Krantz is well published in peer-reviewed journals.

Donna McDonald McGinn, MS, CGC, received her BA in biology and sociology from Rosemont College and her MS in human genetics from Sarah Lawrence College. After graduation, she joined the Division of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology as a genetic counselor and clinical coordinator at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She was recently appointed Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania and is Director of the 22q and You Center at CHOP. Her areas of expertise are clinical research and genetic counseling related to the diagnosis of cleft palate and craniofacial disorders, and she has been recognized internationally for her work with 22q. In 2012, she received the DiGeorge Medal of Honor for her expertise and contributions to the understanding and/or treatment of chromosome 22q deletion syndrome. She was only the second person to receive this highly esteemed honor.

Livija Medne, MS, CGC is a genetic counselor who has been working in pediatric genetics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia since 1997. For the last 12 years, she has focused on neurogenetic and neuromuscular disorders and has seen and counseled patients and families with both centrally mediated neurologic disorders and peripheral neuromuscular diseases. She has participated in clinical treatment trials for DMD as well as several natural history trials and patient registries for other neuromuscular diseases. She serves on the Genetic Counseling Taskforce for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Since 2014, Livija has been working as a co-director of the Individualized Medical Genetics Center at CHOP. This newly established program sees patients who undergo large-scale genomic testing, with the focus on exome/genome sequencing. Throughout her carreer in genetic counseling, Livija has been lecturing to medical and genetic counseling students as well as genetics and neurology fellows.

Colleen Clarke Muraresku, MS, LCGC, is Senior Genetic Counselors and Program Administrator at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She earned her Master's Degree in Genetic Counseling from Arcadia University, Glenside PA. Her interest and area of expertise is in biochemical genetics, and she has nearly a dozen peer-reviewed articles, including being lead author for an article published by Molecular Genetics and Metabolism in 2013.

Reed E. Pyeritz, MD, PhD Board certified in internal medicine and clinical genetics, earned both a PhD in biological chemistry in 1972 and his MD in 1975 at Harvard. His medical training was at both Brigham Hospital in Boston and Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where he became a full professor. He served as chief of the Division of Medical Genetics at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Professor of Medicine and Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2013, he became the William Smilow Professor of Medicine. He founded the National Marfan Foundation and continues to serve on its Professional Advisory Board. He has served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Medical Genetics, the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Circulation. He is co-editor of the standard text in his field, Principles and Practice of Medical Genetics, the 6th edition of which was published in 2014. Dr. Pyeritz has long been recognized as an international authority on the genetics of cardiovascular disorders, most notably, Marfan syndrome and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). He was recently appointed to the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Human Research Protection, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He has published over 500 scientific articles, reviews, editorials and chapters in textbooks.

Dee Quinn, MS, CGC, has been Director of the Arizona Pregnancy Riskline since its inception in 1999, and is Clinical Lecturer in the Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Arizona, where she teaches genetics and teratology to medical students, residents, and other allied health professionals. In addition, she provides prenatal and teratology genetic counseling at the University. She received a BSN degree from the University of Bridgeport in 1975 and her Master's degree in Genetic Counseling from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981. At the University of Connecticut from 1981-1989, Ms. Quinn provided prenatal, pediatric and cancer genetic counseling and developed the Connecticut Pregnancy Riskline. Well-recognized for her work in teratology, Quinn has been first author on numerous peer-reviewed publications and has presented at national and international teratology conferences. She served as President of the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) from 1999-2001 and Executive Director from 2005-2012.

Ronald Rubenstein, MD, PhD, is a pediatric pulmonologist specializing in novel pharmacotherapies and advanced techniques for diagnosis and evaluation of cystic fibrosis and noisy breathing in infancy. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and is the Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Philadelphia, PA. He received his medical education from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, followed by a residency at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. He is Board Certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Pulmonology by the American Board of Pediatrics. He has published dozens of articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Katherine A. Schneider, MPH, CGC, is Senior Genetic Counselor at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. Ms. Schneider was awarded a Masters Degree in Public Health (MPH) from Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Since 1991, she has been considered a leader among her peers in the field of cancer genetic counseling. Ms. Schneider is author of Counseling about Cancer: Strategies for Genetic Counseling, published by Wiley & Sons. The book is now in its third edition. She has numerous presentations at professional meetings and nearly 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, she was awarded the prestigious Jane Engelberg Memorial Fellowship in 1992. She currently serves on an AACR workshop to develop surveillance recommendations for children with hereditary cancer syndromes. She has been certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics (1987) and licensed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2009). Her awards and memberships are numerous and a Presidential Term for National Society of Genetic Counselors (2000 - 2004).

Lisa Schwartz, MS, EdD, CGC, received her masters in genetic counseling from the University of Pittsburgh Genetic Counseling Training Program and her doctorate in higher education administration from The George Washington University. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling. She is former director of the University of Maryland Master's in Genetic Counseling Training Program, and she currently is Assistant Professor at the Department of Integrated Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences at The George Washington University in Washington DC. She has extensive teaching experience and has more than two dozen publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Stuart Schwartz, PhD, received his PhD from the Indiana University School of Medicine and is currently the Strategic Director of Cytogenetics at Laboratory Corporation of America. For the past six years, he has been involved in the development and improvement of microarray technology and implementation of this technology in pediatric, prenatal and oncology patients. This involvement has included not only the utilization of array technology for diagnosis, but also advocating for its acceptance as a routine technology in the laboratory. Dr Schwartz serves as the current President of the Cancer Genomics Consortium, and is a former President of the American Board of Medical Genetics as well as Cytogenetics section editor for both the American Journal of Medical Genetics and Genetics in Medicine. Dr. Schwartz has been involved with the cytogenetic diagnosis of patients since 1982 and has over 178 peer reviewed publications and 22 published invited chapters. Prior to his position at LabCorp, he was Professor of Genetics at Case Western Reserve University and University of Chicago.

Katie Stoll, MS, CGC, was awarded a degree in genetic counseling at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling and licensed in the State of Washington. Since 2014, she has served as Director of Clinical Services at the Genetic Support Foundation in Olympia, Washington. Her previous positions were all related to providing genetic counseling services, including developing clinical genetic services in the southwest region of the state. She has made numerous presentations and is first author on several peer-reviewed articles in genetics and prenatal journals.

Jill Stopfer, MS, CGC, was awarded her degree in genetic counseling at the University of Michigan in 1988. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics and the American Board of Genetic Counseling. From 2008 - 2015, she was the Familial Cancer Coordinator at Abramson Cancer Center and Basser Center for BRCA at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA and was among the first genetic counselors in the country to develop a high risk breast program, offering family history assessment, risk calculation and research participation. While at the University of Pennsylvania, she helped to establish research and clinical protocols for a multidisciplinary clinical and research cancer genetics program, which has served thousands of families with a specialty in risk assessment and genetic testing and counseling families at increased risk for breast, ovarian, colon, pancreatic and other hereditary forms of cancer. In 2015, she relocated to Boston MA, and was named Associate Director of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention.

Kathleen Valverde, MS, CGC, serves as Chair, Department of Genetic Counseling at Arcadia University and Director of the Arcadia University Genetic Counseling Master's Program. She is co-director of the Review Course in Medical Genetics and Genetic Counseling. Active in her profession, she has served on the Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors (AGCPD), is a founding member of the Accreditation Council of Genetic Counseling (ACGC), was a Board member of American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) and has held numerous leadership positions of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). She was instrumental in the process that resulted in licensure for genetic counselors in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Her publications are well recognized and she is a frequent invited speaker at national professional conferences.

Jodie M. Vento, MGC, CGC, currently works at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC as the manager of the Brain Care Institute, which have followed positions as Manager, Center for Rare Disease Therapy and Genetic Counseling Supervisor for Laboratory Services. She previously worked at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC as the coordinator for the Neurogenetics Program. Jodie received a grant through the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG) to develop a targeted education program, entitled "Genetics for the Child Neurologist". She provides supervision of genetic counseling interns from the University of Pittsburgh and lectures to students, nurses, and physicians. She works closely with a patient advocacy group, the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, on program development and annual conferences. Jodie obtained a Masters in Genetic Counseling from the University of Maryland, School of Medicine. She is a certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling and is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

Lewis J. Waber, MD, PhD, has a distinguished career in medical genetics and is certified in Pediatrics, Clinical Genetics and Biochemical Genetics. He was awarded a dual degree in Medicine (MD) and Biochemistry (PhD) from Case Western Reserve followed by post-doctoral internship, residency and genetic fellowships at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He served from 1989 - 2015 at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he was a Distinguished Teaching Professor from 2007 - 2015 at the time of his retirement. He was Principal or Co-Investigator for numerous research grants in biochemical genetics awarded by NIH, New York State Department of Health and Texas Department of Health.

Ronald J. Wapner, MD, is Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vice Chair of Clinical Research in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Reproductive Genetics at Columbia University Medical Center. He earned his medical degree at Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, where he later served as Chairman of the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Divisions of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Reproductive Genetics. He holds Board Certifications in Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Medical Genetics. Dr. Wapner is an internationally known physician and researcher specializing in reproductive genetics. He pioneered the development of chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and multi-fetal reduction. He has authored or co-authored over 300 publications and he has been an active investigator in the area of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He is either a principal or co-investigator for a number of NICHD sponsored multi-center studies. He serves as the center Principal Investigator for the National Standards for Fetal Growth study and the NuMoM2B study at Columbia University in the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network and on numerous other high-profile grants in his field. Most recently, Dr. Wapner led a multicenter study evaluating the accuracy, efficacy and clinical advantages of prenatal diagnosis using microarray analysis. He has had a significant role in the development of multidisciplinary research studies and clinical research centers throughout his career.

Vivian J Weinblatt, MS, CGC, is Director of Clinical and Sales Education for Integrated Genetics, a commercial laboratory specializing in genetic testing. She earned her Bachelor's degree from Cornell University and her Genetic Counseling degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Weinblatt provided prenatal genetic counseling for almost 20 years, and has maintained her research interest in multiple pregnancies and cystic fibrosis screening. She is a charter member of the American Board of Genetic Counseling, is a diplomate of the American Board of Medical Genetics and is licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She served as President of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. Weinblatt currently provides genetics and genetic testing education for educating sales teams' at Integrated Genetics and has been recognized for her teaching abilities, having taught as Adjunct Professor for the Arcadia University Genetic Counseling program since 1996.

Robert B. Wilson, MD, PhD, received his BA in Music and his BS in Biochemistry from Brown University, and his MD and PhD in Genetics from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency training in Clinical Pathology and his fellowship training in Transfusion Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and he was then a post-doctoral researcher in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He joined the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania as an Assistant Professor in 1992 and is now a Full Professor. His primary research interests are in the neurodegenerative disorder Friedreich's ataxia, in the development of small RNA therapeutics and in the statistics of genetic risk assessment. During a sabbatical in 2012 - 2013, Dr. Wilson studied computer science and advanced statistics at the University of Pennsylvania, culminating in graduate-level courses in Machine Learning and Advanced Bayesian Data Analysis. In addition to research, he is a practicing molecular genetic pathologist in the Molecular Pathology Laboratory of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He also teaches general pathology to medical and graduate students, molecular pathology to residents and fellows, and topics related to neurodegenerative disease to neuroscience graduate students.

Elisabeth McCarty Wood, MS, CGC, is a genetic counselor in the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research at the University of Pennsylvania. She was awarded a Master's degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of Pittsburgh in 2003 and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2005. Ms. Wood has specialized in the genetics of neurodegenerative disease since 2003, including involvement in molecular and clinical research for frontotemporal degeneration, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer disease, and Parkinson disease. She has participated as a member of the REVEAL IV research team, and is currently a member of the genetic testing and education committee for the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative APOE4 Treatment Trial. She recently authored two chapters, one on the genetics of frontotemporal degeneration in the book What If It's Not Alzheimer's, and the second on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Genetic Counseling for Adult Neurogenetic Disease.

CEUs for Genetic Counselors

CEUs are available for active registrants, only. Once Board certified, inactivated registrants may re-enroll for CEUs at a significantly discounted rate. Contact AudreyAudrey@BLCommunications.us

The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) has authorized Category 1 CEUs for this Course as follows:

  • For individuals who have not previously completed the course for CEUs, including lectures and tutorials: 7.82 CEUs or 78.21 Contact Hours.
  • New and updated lectures and tutorials only, for individuals who have previously completed the course for CEUs between October 5, 2015 – October 5, 2017: 2.9 CEUs or 29.15 Contact Hours and obtained CEUs prior to January 1, 2017.
  • New and updated lectures and tutorials only, for individuals who have previously completed the course for CEUs prior to January 1, 2014: 7.25 CEUs or 72.51 Contact Hours.

Genetic Counselors are not eligible for ABGC-approved CEUs toward recertification until the letter awarding diplomate status is received. Exceptions are outlined in guidelines set by American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). Once officially certified, the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) will accept CEUs earned in this program for the purposes of certification and recertification.

Do you need help determining which CEU group you qualify for or the fee schedule. Send an email to Audrey@blcommunications.us. She will help you determine your eligibility group as well as the discounted fee if you are a previous registrant.

Disclaimer Statement

Statements, opinions and results of studies contained in this course are those of the presenters and do not reflect the policy or position of Arcadia University or the Management Team. Arcadia University and the Management Team do not provide any warranty as to their accuracy or reliability.

Every reasonable effort has been made to faithfully reproduce the presentations and material as submitted. However, no responsibility is assumed by Arcadia University or the Management Team for any claims, injury and/or damage to persons or property from any cause, including negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instruments, or ideas contained in the material herein.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement

Conflict / Disclaimer

The faculty members of this course have had no role in constructing any of the board examinations. We make no pretense that this course's curriculum reflects the content of either the ABGC or ABMG Board examinations. Likewise, the practice questions are offered as a means of gaining experience in test taking. We make no claim that either the style of the questions or their content is representative of the either examination.

For information about relationships of presenters with regard to commercial interests, if any, Click here.

Privacy and Confidentiality

All information is held with strictest confidence. BLCommunications, LLC, does not sell, rent or lease any information provided by our registrants for any reason other than for the purposes of CEU procurement.
TOPICSpeakerTitleCEU eligible Lecture Hours:MinutesTutorial Questions
IntroductionKathleen Valverde, MSStudy for Success0:000
Biochemical GeneticsLewis J. Waber, MD, PhDBiochemical Genetics & Metabolic Syndromes6:4942
Colleen Murarasku, MS, Mitochondrial Disorders1:3421
Cancer GeneticsJill Stopfer, MSBreast, Ovarian and GI Cancers; New Panel Testing4:2135
Katherine Schneider, MSTumor Predisposition and Childhood Cancers1:5930
CardiogeneticsEmily M. James, MSCardiovascular Genetics1:3340
CytogeneticsStuart Schwartz, PhD Cytogenetics and Molecular Cytogenetics2:0022
EthicsDawn Allain, MS, LGCEthics of Genetic Counseling1:1214
Genetic Counseling Principles and PracticeKathryn S. Kim, MSAddressing Difficult Issues with Clients and Crisis Intervention1:0011
Kathleen Valverde, MSGuiding Models and Hallmarks of Patient Interactions 0:5113
Lisa Kessler, MSCase Management: Theories and Concepts 0:5112
Carrie Atzinger, MSClinical Supervision and Self Care1:0010
Genetics and the LawEmily M. James, MSGenetics Nondiscrimination: The Law0:1815
Medical GeneticsIan Krantz, MDIntro to Dysmorphology1:1712
Staci Kallish, DOCommon Genetic Disorders0:5010
Ron Rubinstein, MD, PhDCystic Fibrosis0:4510
Reed Pyeritz, MD, PhD Marfan's and other Arteriopathies0:4710
Brenda Finucune, MSMental Retardation and FraX1:0310
Donna McDonald-McGinn, MSWhat's New with 22q?0:5911
Jehannine Austin, PhDGenetics of Complex Disorders1:0214
Emily M. James, MSPatterns of Inheritance0:4120
Molecular GeneticsLaura Conway, PhDMolecular Genetics, Parts 1 - 6 4:3457
NeurogeneticsLivija Medne, MS Childhood Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders2:1623
Beth Wood, MS

Adult Neurodegenerative Disorders: Adult Onset Dementia and Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, and Gaucher diseases

1:4820
New GenomicsJodie VentoWES, OLIGO, Microarray1:4431
Cecelia Bellcross, PhDGenomic Medicine - Expanding Opportunities for Genetic Professionals1:4420
Prenatal GeneticsVivian Weinblatt, MSMarker Screening & Carrier Screening1:5520
Ronald J. Wapner, MDThe New Genetics: What You Need To Know2:0220
Katie Stoll, MSExpanded Carrier Screening & NIPT1:2810
Dee Quinn, MSTeratogens0:4515
Quantatative GeneticsRobert Wilson, MD, PhDBaysian Probability1:3010
Lisa Schwartz, EdDHardy Weinberg Applications0:4625
Course ReviewCourse Tutorial Review  25

The registration fee includes individual secured password-protected access to video lectures with PowerPoint slides, downloadable audios, pre- and post-tests, tutorials practice questions with instant feedback, and supplemental educational materials. Discounts are available for study groups of two or more. Password access will not be disseminated until all members of the group are registered.

Your registration is valid for 9 full months following the date you receive your access information, most often within 3 business days of your registration. For example: If your registration date is February 20, 2018, your access will be active until November 30, 2018. If your registration date is October 1, 2018, your access will be active until July 31, 2019.

Discounts are available for those who have been registered within the past five years who would like to re-register for the purpose of accruing CEUs or as a refresher for retaking the Boards. Contact Audrey Lombard Audrey@blcommunications.us

All fees must be submitted in US dollars by check or online.

Individual Registration $995
Group Registration, 2 - 5, per license $950
Group Registration, 6 or more, per license $900
Processing Fee NSGC - approved Continuing Education Units
CEUs are applicable for Board Certified Genetic Counselors, only. Contact ABGC for exceptions.
$25

Credit Cards Accepted Online only. The charge will appear as BLCommunications on your monthly charge card statement.

  • Checks may be sent payable to BLCommunications, P.O. Box 63912, Philadelphia PA 19147-7779
  • A $50 fee will be applied for all returned checks or chargebacks on credit cards.
  • We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

We regret that refunds will not be granted after access codes are provided.

Audrey Lombard, Course Administrator
Ph: 610-872-8730
Email: Audrey@BLCommunications.US

Bea Leopold, Managing Director
Ph: 610-872-8730
Email: BLeopold@BLCommunications.US

Register NOW by mail (pdf)

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