Genetic+Counselor

Job Description** Genetic Counselors provide counseling in the form of information and support to families with birth defects and/or genetic disorders or those who may be at risk for inherited conditions. If someone in your family does have a problem, they can assist you in finding out what to do to help them. They will make sure you get the help you need. They can even tell if your children will have genetic problems before they are born. Counselors need a strong desire to help others and the ability to inspire respect, trust, and confidence. They need to be able to work on their own and as part of a team. Counselors also need high physical and emotional energy to handle the problems that come up and minimize stress. Not all of this describes me, because while I like to help others with their problems, I tend to get too caught up in the details. In clinical settings, genetic counselors often work in a medical office building or the outpatient area of a hospital. They usually meet face-to-face with their patients. This job isn't physically challenging, but often involves traveling. It can be demanding on the emotional level. Full-time counselors usually work around 40 hours every week. There are, however, many counselors that work part time.
 * [[image:http://navigenics.pmhclients.com/images/uploads/red_dna_thumb.jpg width="179" height="237"]] Genetic Counselor [[image:http://geneticcounselingcareer.com/tree.gif width="205" height="258"]]
 * Personality Characters**
 * Working Conditions**

There are many different places for genetic counselors to be employed. There is clinical, where they work with patients and their families in hospitals, private practice, or on a consulting basis. They can also specialize in genetic counseling in the prenatal, pediatric, cancer-risk, adult, cardiovascular, hematology, or neurogenetics settings. They can be commercial, in which case they work with biotech companies which design, sell, and administer genetic tests. They also work in diagnostic laboratories where they are the go-between for the diagnostic laboratory and referring physicians and their patients. They work in education and public policy where they teach and advise companies, students, and lawmakers or they can be in research where they are study coordinators for projects involved in genetics. Within a 50 mile radius of Slippery Rock, there are quite a few places that employ genetic counselors. They are PerkinElmer Genetics, UPMC, Allegheny General Hospital, University of Pittsburgh, Magee Women's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and West Penn Hospital. There was also one private practice.
 * Places of Employment**

Overall, opportunities for a career in counseling should grow much faster than other occupations. This will, however, vary by occupational specialty and location. There should be plenty of jobs because of the growing field and the need for replacements for those who retire. The employment of all types of counselors should increase by 21% from 2006-2016. This is much faster than average. I was not able to find the expected growth for just genetic counselors. There should be more job oppertunities in rural and urban areas than suburbs, because it is harder to recruit people there.
 * Job Outlook**

In 2006, the average income for a genetic counselor with a master's degree and 5-9 years experience was $61,268. In 2008, the median salary for the average genetic counselor in the US was $54,832. Requirements vary becaouse of differences in State licensure and certification requirements. Most states require a master's degree, though some will accept a bachelor's degree with appropriate counceling courses. Some employers provide training for counselors when they are hired, while others will give time off or money to complete a graduate degree. Many counselors must maintain their certificates and licenses by participating in graduate studies, workshops, and personal studies. The National Society of Genetic Counseling says that genetic counselors need specialized graduate degrees in genetic counseling. The coursework for these courses includes clinical, population, molecular genetics, psychosocial theory, ethics, and counseling courses. You also need to do an internship and should get as much field experience as possible.
 * Salary Information**
 * Recommended Education and Training**

"Counselors." __U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics__. 01 Apr. 2009 [] "Genetic Counseling." __Oak Ridge National Laboratory__. 02 Apr. 2009 [] "Office of Science Education - LifeWorks - Genetic Counselor." 06 Apr. 2009 [] "Zip code distance search." __NSGC:__. 06 Apr. 2009 [] 08 Apr. 2009 []
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