According to the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC), genetic counseling is "the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease."
So what do genetic counselors actually do?
While genetic counseling is continuing to expand into industry and laboratory settings, for the purpose of this post, I'm going to focus on clinical genetic counseling. A healthcare provider may refer clients to a genetic counselor when they feel the individual (or family) may be a risk for an inherited genetic disorder. In the initial appointment, a genetic counselor will learn about the family and medical history in order to assess the risk of disease, either in the patient or within the family. Someone may also meet with a genetic counselor if she is pregnant or if she and her partner plan to have children and are concerned about their future baby's risk for inheriting a genetic disorder. The genetic counselor will explain patterns of inheritance, educate the patient on his/her options, which in some cases may include genetic testing, and provide the patient and/or family with resources and management plans, in the case a diagnosis is made. One of the main responsibilities of a genetic counselor is providing psychosocial support during this process.
The 3 main specialties of genetic counseling are:
1. Cancer
2. Prenatal
3. Pediatric/General
Other subspecialties such as cardiovascular genetics and neurogenetics are becoming increasingly more common.
I
mage from Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Earning a Masters degree and becoming a board-certified genetic counselor enables one to practice in any of these specialties. A person may choose to start out in pediatric genetic counseling for example and then transition into cancer genetics or into a laboratory role. The only caveat with this is that there is a steep learning curve! New genes are constantly being discovered and new genetic testing panels/other technologies are constantly being developed! As a genetic counselor, you would always be learning, keeping up with the latest information.
Want to learn more about the genetic counseling profession? Check out these resources:
http://www.aboutgeneticcounselors.com/
https://www.nsgc.org/page/aboutgeneticcounselors
http://www.becomeageneticcounselor.org/
So what do genetic counselors actually do?
While genetic counseling is continuing to expand into industry and laboratory settings, for the purpose of this post, I'm going to focus on clinical genetic counseling. A healthcare provider may refer clients to a genetic counselor when they feel the individual (or family) may be a risk for an inherited genetic disorder. In the initial appointment, a genetic counselor will learn about the family and medical history in order to assess the risk of disease, either in the patient or within the family. Someone may also meet with a genetic counselor if she is pregnant or if she and her partner plan to have children and are concerned about their future baby's risk for inheriting a genetic disorder. The genetic counselor will explain patterns of inheritance, educate the patient on his/her options, which in some cases may include genetic testing, and provide the patient and/or family with resources and management plans, in the case a diagnosis is made. One of the main responsibilities of a genetic counselor is providing psychosocial support during this process.
The 3 main specialties of genetic counseling are:
1. Cancer
2. Prenatal
3. Pediatric/General
Other subspecialties such as cardiovascular genetics and neurogenetics are becoming increasingly more common.
I
mage from Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Earning a Masters degree and becoming a board-certified genetic counselor enables one to practice in any of these specialties. A person may choose to start out in pediatric genetic counseling for example and then transition into cancer genetics or into a laboratory role. The only caveat with this is that there is a steep learning curve! New genes are constantly being discovered and new genetic testing panels/other technologies are constantly being developed! As a genetic counselor, you would always be learning, keeping up with the latest information.
Want to learn more about the genetic counseling profession? Check out these resources:
http://www.aboutgeneticcounselors.com/
https://www.nsgc.org/page/aboutgeneticcounselors
http://www.becomeageneticcounselor.org/
Comments
Post a Comment