(Posted 11-11-99)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News Service Contact: Steve Gilliam, 336-334-5371

FIRST GENETIC COUNSELING PROGRAM
IN STATE BEING IMPLEMENTED AT UNCG

GREENSBORO--The state's first graduate program in genetic counseling, an emerging field that will involve clinical training at the state's medical schools, is being implemented at The University of North Carolina at  Greensboro.

The new program, leading to the Master of Science degree, will be one of only 23 such programs in the United States, in addition to being North Carolina's first, according to Dr. Brad Bartel, dean of the graduate school at UNCG. Directing the program will be Nancy Callanan, who has joined UNCG from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

Applications are being accepted in the Graduate School (336-334-5596) through Jan. 25, 2000, and the first courses will be offered during the fall semester of the 2000-01 year.

"At UNCG, we are delighted to offer the state's only graduate program in genetic counseling," said Chancellor Patricia A. Sullivan. "This exciting program is multidisciplinary in its approach and will combine the expertise and instruction of our faculty with intensive clinical training. It is the kind of new program that UNCG will continue to provide for the state in the future as we move closer to our vision of being a leading student-centered university, linking the Piedmont Triad to the world through learning, discovery and service."

The program will run full-time for two years, plus summer work, to prepare students to practice as genetic counselors in a variety of specialty areas that include prenatal, pediatric, adult, and cancer genetics, said Bartel. It has been designed in accordance with guidelines of provided by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). UNCG is already working to acquire initial accreditation by the Board.

"Applicant interest in this innovative program is already high," said Bartel. "One significant reason is the unique interdisciplinary program at UNCG combined with clinical practice at all of the medical schools of the state."

At UNCG, students will take courses in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development, Department of Biology, Department of Public Health Education and Department of Philosophy. The counselor education program, housed in the School of Education, was named the best doctoral program in the nation in 1991 and 1994 by the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. A total of 57 credit hours is required for graduation, including course work, laboratory experience and clinical internships. Students also will be required to complete a research project as the culminating experience for the degree.

"Genetic counseling is a relatively new, rapidly expanding and evolving allied health profession," said Callanan. "This program represents a chance for students in the state to pursue careers in this field. It will be affiliated with the state's largest medical centers

"The most enjoyable thing about genetic counseling is that it's a helping profession. Genetic counselors are people who take research and turn it into information that can be useful for people who are trying to understand more about their genetic risks and genetic predispositions. In their work, they are educators, counselors and patient advocates and clinicians. The work is very meaningful and very satisfying."

Callanan received her M.S. in genetic counseling from the nation's oldest program at Sarah Lawrence College.  She said that genetic counselors are health professionals with specialized graduate degrees and experience in the areas of medical genetics and counseling. Most enter the field from a variety of disciplines, including biology, genetics, nursing, psychology, public health and social work. Career opportunities are excellent, according to Callanan, who said the average salary is approximately $38,000 annually after five years experience in the field. There are only 1,300 or so certified genetic counselors currently practicing in the United States.

Clinical rotations will be conducted at three primary sites: the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center in Durham and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Summer rotation sites are the Fullerton Genetics Clinic in Asheville and  East Carolina University School of Medicine in Greenville. In addition, clinical experiences will be provided through the Moses Cone Health Care Systems.

In the field, genetic counselors work as members of a health care team, providing information and support to families who have members with birth defects or genetic disorders, and to families that may be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions. They identify families at risk, investigate and interpret information about the disorder, analyze inheritance patterns and risks of recurrence, and review available options with the family.

Elizabeth (Lib) Moore, who is director of the genetics program for the N.C. Division of Public Health, said the new program is an exciting development for health care in North Carolina. "The medical centers in the state all offer extensive genetic counseling services to patients and clients, but there is no training program in North Carolina," said Moore. "In the big picture of health care in North Carolina, UNCG's new program will be a real plus. It will be wonderful to have a program right here in the state that will train students and allow our medical centers to recruit them."

The counselors also provide supportive counseling to families, serve as patient advocates and refer individuals and families to community or state support services. They serve as sources of information for other health care professionals and for the general public. Some counselors also work in administrative capacities. Many engage in research activities related to the field of medical genetics and genetic counseling.

Certification in genetic counseling is available by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC). Requirements include documentation of the following: a graduate degree in genetic counseling from an ABGC accredited program; clinical experience in an ABGC-approved training site; a log book of 50 supervised cases; and successful completion of both the general and specialty certification examination.

Callanan said that admission requirements call for applicants to have a bachelor's degrees from accredited institutions of higher education with a minimum grade point averages of 3.0 (on a 4.0 point scale); completion of at least one upper level undergraduate course each in general genetics and biochemistry, and at least one undergraduate course in statistics; and satisfactory scores on required sections of the Graduate Record Examination.

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