What is a Genetic Counselor?

• A genetic counselor tells families about the risk of them having a child born with a birth defect.
• The counselor looks at the family genes and history of birth defects and genetically related diseases.
• The counselor does tests on samples of family blood and tissues

• Genes are composed of chemicals, the composition of the genes depends on the make up of the chemicals and how they react to make the different genes.

People who would like to pursue a job in genetic counseling should have completed a baccalaureate degree in in fields such as biology,psychology,nursing or genetics. Almost all programs require an undergraduate course or degree in genetics.

Career Opportunities

• The career field of genetic counseling is rapidly growing.
• The traditional job of a genetic counselor is to be a prenatal counselor, but now there are other growing possibilities such as clinical work, commerial work and education and public policy.
• The average amount of a genetic counselor who has a masters degree and about 5 years of experience ranges from $40,000-$46,000.

Working Conditions

• The majority of genetic counselors work in major medical centers in the prenatal centers or pediatric centers.
• Some work in research facilities and diagnostic laboratories and outreach clinics