Career Opportunities:
Genetic counselors are highly trained health professionals with extensive knowledge of human genetics and skills in counseling. They have earned a specialized graduate degree and are Board Certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). Families at risk for inherited conditions or those of children with birth defects can obtain information and support from a genetic counselor. The counselor can explain the basics for disorders and the associated risks. They provide support and counseling to families and patients, plus they educate and inform the public and other health care professionals about genetic disorders. As knowledge about the human genome expands, and more opportunities for genetic analysis become available, the need for genetic counselors will increase. The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) predicts that an increased demand for genetic counselors will continue beyond the 21st century.
The following is a description of the genetic counselor from the American Board of Genetic Counseling website (http://www.abgc.net/genetics/abgc/acc-02/acc-02a.htm) .
The genetic counselor is a health professional who is academically and clinically prepared to provide genetic services to individuals and families seeking information about the occurrence, or risk of occurrence, of a genetic condition or birth defect. The genetic counselor practices as part of a genetic services delivery team. The genetic counselor communicates genetic, medical, and technical information in a comprehensive, understandable, non-directive manner with knowledge of and insight into the psychosocial and ethnocultural experiences important to each client and family. The counselor provides client-centered, supportive counseling regarding the issues, concerns, and experiences meaningful to the client's circumstances.
Genetic counseling includes: a) eliciting and interpreting individual and family medical, developmental, and reproductive histories; b) determining the mode of inheritance and risk of occurrence and recurrence of genetic conditions and birth defects; c) explaining the etiology, natural history, diagnosis, and management of these conditions; d) interpreting and explaining the results of genetic tests and other diagnostic studies; e) performing a psychosocial assessment to identify emotional, social, educational, and cultural issues; f) evaluating the client's and/or family's responses to the condition or risk of occurrence; g) providing client-centered counseling and anticipatory guidance; h) promoting informed decision-making about testing, management, reproduction, and communication with family members; i) identifying and using community resources that provide medical, educational, financial, and psychosocial support and advocacy; and j) providing written documentation of medical, genetic, and counseling information for families and other health professionals.
More information about a career in Genetic Counseling and graduate programs in this area is available at www.faseb.org/genetics/abgc/abgcmenu.htm or www.nsgc.org
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