Each summer GGC welcomes several undergraduate students who are looking for real-world experience and are exploring careers in the field of medical genetics.
“The goal of our longstanding summer college internship program is to provide college students with an in-depth look at a field they are considering – to show them what the day-to-day work involves,” said Leta Tribble, PhD, GGC’s Director of Education. “Our program is designed to be more than a job shadowing experience. Students participate in clinic visits and laboratory and research projects, sometimes even earning a coauthor credit on a scientific paper.”
Each year selected students spend 8-10 weeks immersed in areas including diagnostic testing, research, bioinformatics, and genetic counseling. The Center also organizes a professional development workshop for the students to network with each other, tour the Greenwood campus, and learn workplace etiquette and job interviewing strategies from the human resources team.
Aliya Abdelwahab is a Greenwood native and a rising junior at Clemson University majoring in biological sciences and minoring in psychology and genetics. She plans to attend medical school and become a physician.
Cierra Friez is a Greenwood native and rising junior at Furman University majoring in biology. She is working in GGC’s Greenwood clinic and plans to become a clinical geneticist.
Michael Gardner is a Greenwood native and rising junior at Purdue University majoring in genetics and ecology, evolution, and environmental biology. He is working in GGC’s cytogenetics laboratory with plans to pursue a PhD in human genetics to eventually work as a lab director or principal investigator.
