Interns will have the opportunity to shadow genetic counselors in multiple specialty clinics which may include,but are not limited to, Huntington disease, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, general neurogenetics, genetic renal disease, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, maternal fetal medicine, prenatal, perinatal care, cardiogenetics clinic, pediatrics genetics, and personalized genomic medicine clinics.

Interns will receive a cost of living stipend of $5600.

Selected interns will present two 15-20 minute talks during their summer experience, focusing on an interesting case or diagnosis and including a literature review of the chosen topic. Interns will also be assigned projects such as development of disease-specific education materials. All interns are required to attend and participate in orientation, intern presentations, and selected seminars.

The 2026 internship dates are TBD, though we do typically begin the first Monday in June. 

Interns are required to work Monday through Friday, from 8:00am-5:00pm. If absent, interns will be required to make up hours with the approval of the internship director. Scheduled out of office dates must be requested prior to accepting an offer to participate in the internship. Note these requests are not guaranteed to be approved. 

The application window for the summer 2026 Internship in Genetic Counseling is TBD at this time. The go-live date will likely be in February with the final date being either at the end of February or mid-March. 

When the application goes live, it will be announced via email to interested persons. If you would like to be added to that list, please email us directly at iihg@uiowa.edu. 

A complete IIHG Summer Internship in Genetic Counseling application includes:

• Electronic application form
  • This form is not available until the application window opens. There will be a link on this page and in the email announcement when the application goes live (for the email announcement, see the Application Window tab).
  • You will be asked to complete three essays (no more than 1-page each) and upload them into the application.
• Two letters of recommendation:
  • The electronic application form will automatically email two persons you have identified to provide letters of recommendation.
  • If your letter writers are not able to upload their LOR to the application portal, they can send it directly to iihg@uiowa.edu. This is typically a firewall issue between institutions. Our best advice is to email your writers through the application and then touch base with them.
  • Letters submitted by the applicant on behalf of the letter writer are not accepted.
  • Letters submitted prior to the internship application window are not accepted.
  • Letters submitted late due to the letter writer's schedule are accepted.
  • Letters submitted late because they were requested late by the applicant are not accepted.
• Official college academic transcript(s)
  • These must be sent directly from your most recent college or university.
  • Transcripts should be sent electronically to iihg@uiowa.edu (preferred)
  • If your college or university does not have access to etranscripts, they can be sent by regular mail to:
    • IIHG Summer Internship Program
      431 Newton Road, 117 EMRB
      Iowa City, IA, 52242-1078
  • Transcripts sent by applicants on behalf of their college/university are not accepted.

The IIHG is a statewide resource to promote clinical care, research, and education that focuses on the medical and scientific advances around the human genome. Established in August 2012, the IIHG seeks to integrate activities in human genetics through multi-disciplinary research, education, and clinical care that is focused on the medical and scientific significance of variations in the human genome. 

Iowa City gets consistently high ratings from national indexes of great places to live, combining the community atmosphere with a cosmopolitan flair. It offers an abundance of cultural, historical and recreational opportunities similar to those in a large city. The downtown area has a pedestrian mall with unique shops, restaurants and live music, and hosts the popular Summer of the Arts events. In addition, Iowa City is an active community with many hiking/biking trails and parks to explore. The IIHG Summer Internship program encourages students to take advantage of the many opportunities Iowa City has to offer in the summer.

Visit our shadowing webpage: https://humangenetics.medicine.uiowa.edu/education-division/shadowing-genetic-counselor