Jobs in medical genetics

Medical genetics is concerned with the diagnosis of conditions and disorders that have a genetic basis. It also involves support for people who have been affected by genetic conditions and those who have been told that they have high risk of developing a condition.

Genetic counsellor

Genetic counselling is a specialist form of counselling, which is used to help people who have been diagnosed with a genetic disorder, people who have been told they have a high risk of developing a condition and expectant parents who have received abnormal test results, which may mean that their child will be born with a genetic disorder.

Genetic counsellors play an important role in helping people to come to terms with a diagnosis, plan what to do next and find effective ways of dealing with their diagnosis and their health status. Genetic counselling is also very beneficial for parents who have been told that there is a risk that their child may have a genetic disorder and this service is especially important if the couple has been given the option to continue or stop the pregnancy.

Clinical geneticist

A clinical geneticist is a specialist in the field of medical genetics. Clinical geneticists may come into contact with patients of all ages and they often deal with many members of the same family. Unlike most medical specialists, clinical geneticists do not usually work in hospital settings, with most of them working in regional genetics centres, alongside scientists, academic colleagues, researchers and genetic counsellors.

The work of a clinical geneticist is unlike that of most other medical specialists due to the nature of the impact a diagnosis can have on a large number of people, as often a diagnosis for one patient can have implications for several members of their family.

Most of the time, clinical geneticists see patients on an outpatient basis but some also do ward referrals, with most genetics units having an on-call system.

Personal requirements

Clinical geneticists must have a solid understanding of the ever-evolving human genome map and genetics, as well as a range of clinical skills (this is because a huge variety of patients may be referred). In addition to this they must have the following qualities:

• excellent communications skills
• the ability to work with a range of other professionals, including medical staff, academics and scientists
• the ability to liaise with other specialists, departments and laboratories
• excellent computer skills
• the ability to tell the difference between minor signs of a variable dominant disorder and a normal variation
• interest in education and teaching others