Genetics as a medical specialty

[usr]

hello!

in my country, Genetics is recently introduced as a medical specialty and I am interested to know more about this

what do these doctors actually do? what's the diseases they get occupied with? what's the difference between Geneticists from Biology, etc universities? (that arent doctors)

thanks

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[smq123]

Moving to allopathic.

 

[pkwraith]

One of our Cell professors was practicing in genetics (IM). Some disorders and diseases she has worked on is stuff like chromosomal issues (Down's syndrome, XXY, mosaicism, etc), cancers (BRCA, FAP), and the likes.

Lots of genetic counseling, pedigrees, and FSH/CGH.

 

[usr]

One of our Cell professors was practicing in genetics (IM). Some disorders and diseases she has worked on is stuff like chromosomal issues (Down's syndrome, XXY, mosaicism, etc), cancers (BRCA, FAP), and the likes.

Lots of genetic counseling, pedigrees, and FSH/CGH.

what I find confusing is this:

more and more in the future, the genetic basis of diseases will be recognized and be an essential part of prevention, diagnosis, therapy, but who will actually manage this?

for example, for a cardiovascular disease, it's the cardiologist who will take into account and manage the genetic basis of that cardiovascular diseases (in terms of diagnosis, treatment, etc) or a cardiovascular geneticist?

 

[Rippy087]

what I find confusing is this:

more and more in the future, the genetic basis of diseases will be recognized and be an essential part of prevention, diagnosis, therapy, but who will actually manage this?

for example, for a cardiovascular disease, it's the cardiologist who will take into account and manage the genetic basis of that cardiovascular diseases (in terms of diagnosis, treatment, etc) or a cardiovascular geneticist?

I don't think the field will ever get so specific that there would be a cardiovascular geneticist. I think there would be a geneticist working with the cardiologist, where the geneticist works with multiple disciplines of IM helping them with cases that require genetic counseling. I could be wrong though, I am just speculating.

 

[theshellyb]

I don't think the field will ever get so specific that there would be a cardiovascular geneticist. I think there would be a geneticist working with the cardiologist, where the geneticist works with multiple disciplines of IM helping them with cases that require genetic counseling. I could be wrong though, I am just speculating.

I think this is a pretty good guess. You can see this model already with cancer and things like FAP, Lynch Syndrome, BRCA breast cancer etc. You'd consult with a geneticist to get your initial diagnosis, discuss family planning/ details of familial inheritance, and possibly manage your screening protocols. If you actually get cancer though, you're seeing an oncologist. Then there's some overlap with tests like MammaPrint, which might be administered by a geneticist (?), which is going to guide treatment decisions from the oncologist.

 

[xanthomondo]

I got to do a genetics rotation with a geneticist (one that was peds and then genetics trained). You give a lot of diagnoses, prognosis, and chance of repeat in future family members. The most important thing (other than the diagnosis) that they often do is give the family support (in the form of info, support groups, contact information) how to live life to the fullest with the said disease.

Even though genetics is one of the greatest growing fields in science right now it's really hard to earn money doing it (at least here in the US). A lot of time is spent getting histories and counseling patients, which just isn't financially rewarded well in our current reimbursement system. Maybe it would be easier in your country, though.

Other than that, I thought it was a really cool field of medicine that I would have heavily considering going into.