{"id":19185,"date":"2012-06-05T19:33:59","date_gmt":"2012-06-05T23:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/?page_id=19185"},"modified":"2025-06-26T15:15:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T19:15:18","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/genetic-counseling\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About Genetic Counselors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who are genetic counselors?<\/h4>
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Genetic counselors are Master\u2019s-trained health care professionals who combine their knowledge of basic science, medical genetics, epidemiological principles, and counseling theory with their skills in genetic risk assessment, education, interpersonal communication and counseling to provide services to clients and their families for a diverse set of genetic or genomic indications.<\/p>\n

Genetic counselors help people \u201c\u2026understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease.\u201d The process of genetic counseling \u201c\u2026 integrates the following: Interpretation of family and medical histories to assess the chance of disease occurrence or recurrence. Education about inheritance, testing, management, prevention, resources and research. Counseling to promote informed choices and adaptation to the risk or condition.\u201d\u00a0 (National Society of Genetic Counselors\u2019 Definition Task Force, 2006.)<\/p>\n

Boston University\u00a0Master\u2019s in Genetic Counseling program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling<\/a> (ACGC), located at 4400 College Blvd., Ste. 220, Overland Park, KS 66211<\/span>.\u00a0 ACGC can be reached by phone at 913.222.8668.
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Where do Genetic Counselors Work?<\/h4>
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Genetic counselors are employed in many settings such as medical centers, physician offices, health maintenance organizations, advocacy organizations, governmental agencies, public health departments and biotechnology companies.\u00a0 Those in clinical practice provide education and counseling in areas including reproductive genetics, infertility and preimplantation genetic diagnosis, pediatric genetics,\u00a0 newborn screening follow-up, cancer genetics,\u00a0 neurogenetics and cardiovascular genetics. Many genetic counselors are actively involved in teaching and research. The profession is growing rapidly with the number of certified genetic counselors increasing over 400 % since 1992.<\/p>\n

The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) website<\/a> offers additional information about who genetic counselors are and how\/where they practice.
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Why should I become a genetic counselor?<\/h4>

\nGenetic counselors possess the expertise and skills necessary to be key players in the integration of genomics into health care and in personalized medicine. As a result, opportunities for genetic counselors continue to grow. In addition, genetic counselor job satisfaction is high, especially with regard to counseling patients, learning opportunities, scientific content and the opportunity for personal growth.<\/p>\n

If you want to work on the cutting edge of genomic medicine in a rewarding and expanding health care profession, then genetic counseling is the profession for you.<\/p>\n

How do I become a genetic counselor?<\/h4>\n

The first step is to apply to an accredited genetic counseling graduate program. Currently, there are over 55 accredited programs<\/a> in the United States and Canada, located at both private and public universities. Programs differ with regard to coursework requirements and the types of clinical experiences available; however, all have to meet the same accreditation standards. Only students who have graduated from an accredited program are eligible to take the national genetic counselor certification examination.<\/p>\n

You can also visit the National Society of Genetic Counselors<\/a> for more information about becoming a genetic counselor.<\/p>\n

What are the admissions requirements?<\/h4>\n

In general, you must have a 4-year baccalaureate degree and undergraduate coursework in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, statistics and psychology to be eligible to apply. In addition, you typically you need to do the following:<\/p>\n