Genetics and Health

Wanted: Genetic Counselors

by Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD on July 21st, 2005

The University at Albany School of Public Health is hosting a genetics and public health conference, Integrating Genetics into Public Health and Health Care. Conference participants focused on several issues concerning the needs of the public with regards to genetics. (Times Union, July 21, 2005)

• There are not enough trained genetic counselors, especially counselors who are ethnic minorities. In the U.S., there are only 1,811 certified genetic counselors, just one for every 163,000 Americans. Judith Benkendorf, a project manager with the American College of Medical Genetics, says that most genetic counselors are white.
• Doctors do not consider the importance of family history in assessing a patient’s risk of disease. Previous studies have shown that only half of all doctors ask about illnesses in family members, such as siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.
  

  “A family history is where it all begins,” said Dr. Michael Stehney, a director of a residency program at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. “It’s the first genetics test.”

  To emphasize the importance of family history information, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed that Thanksgiving be Family History Day, a day for asking relatives about their health.

If I ever lose my mind and decide to go back to school, I’d probably get a degree in either bioinformatics or genetic counseling. Managing genetic information is going to be a big part of the genomic revolution.

Share This

Related Stories

Walk-In DNA Clinic in Scotland
Infectious Disease Genetics
The Importance of Face-to-Face Genetic Counseling
Genetic Engineering Menu
Genetic Inference

POSTED IN: General Genetics and Health