Genetic Counseling Challenges

The perfect combination of research, personal connection, and health care. Genetic Counseling is the practice of informing and advising patients who may have a potential risk of genetic disorders concerning appropriate testing methods, medical treatment, and many other critical decisions concerning their health. I have chosen to pursue the career of genetic counseling because it fulfills the dream I have had that I will one day be able to do research concerning genetics and interact with the patients that the research would affect. My decision to become a genetic counselor has been influenced by many factors; including my high school biology class, which played a part in introducing me to the profession, and my personal discovery of the unique

As you can see genetic testing is very important and can affect a child's and parents lives for the better and the worst. Children all over the world have serious genetic diseases that affect their life on a daily. Some of these diseases are Achondroplasia, Down syndrome, and Turner's syndrome. Many believe genetic testing is a good way to test for these genetic conditions before the child is even born, but others think that it can harm the baby very badly and even cause a miscarriage, so they choose not to do this kind of testing. Knowing about the most serious genetic diseases is very important for expecting parents to be informed as well as being

In order to review their inherited genetic risks and help them understand and provide counseling according to their specific needs the genetic counselor should know the Trosacks ' have already established that their unborn child has Tay Sachs disease and based on those needs they should be provided with appropriate guidance and counseling as they progress through their pregnancy. The discussion should include what causes genetic disorders, and what that means to the Trosack couple specifically, including dominant, recessive and x-linked disorders. However, recessive disorders should be fully discussed in this case. Another topic to include in the discussion are what genes and chromosomes are, and the relation to Tay Sachs disease.

The limitations of genetic science for families are the misinterpretation of the results and information regarding testing. Most people do not understand the results which can result in the assumption that either their test came back negative when it did not, or that is came back positive when it did not. Another limitation to genetic testing is the psychosocial affect the results can have on families, which can cause high levels of anxiety and deteriorate relationships and families (Sparbel & Tluczek, 2011).

As an adolescent, my enthusiasm for biology, knowledge, and assisting others attracted me to the medical field. The salary or glory does not appeal to me, since physicians must also commit to a grueling education, long work hours, and tremendous responsibilities. However, they bring optimism and joy to despairing patients. Doctors encounter mental challenges while diagnosing a patient, and immense satisfaction devising a solution. I intend to become a clinical geneticist, as I am inquisitive about genetics, particularly genetically inherited diseases. A

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that numerous individuals around the world suffer from; it is an intellectual disability that is caused by having one too many chromosome 21 copies, trisomy 21. The average person has two copies of chromosome 21 in each cell, whereas, an individual with Down syndrome has an extra copy of chromosome 21. This happens when either the sperm or egg cell undergoes atypical cell division during development. In the United States, there are approximately 400,000 individuals who have been diagnosed with Down syndrome, according to the last census in 2012 (National Down Syndrome Society).

The records have been reviewed. The member is an adult female with a birth date of 05/12/1964. She has a diagnosis of early stage colon carcinoma. Her treating provider, Stephen Grabelsky, MD recommended the Oncotype DX Colon Cancer Assay.

In chapter four of her book Genetic Dilemmas, Dena Davis asserts that it is unethical for parents to subject their children to genetic testing for the markers of adult-onset genetic diseases because it places an unfair constraint on a child’s right to an open future. It both removes the child’s ability to choose whether to be tested as an adult and has the potential to negatively alter the overall trajectory of their lives. While the current consensus amongst medical professionals is that such testing should be prohibited (Davis, _____), many concerned parents correctly point out that discouraging such testing creates a conflict of interests between the “beneficence model of patient care and the rights of parents to their own autonomy”

A lot of controversial issues present themselves in psychology. Two topics that I will be discussing in this essay are the controversy over genetic testing and what things would be like without genetic testing. I will be describing what genetic testing is, and how it can affect an individual’s family life. I will be discussing the benefits of genetic counseling, as well as the positives without genetic counseling, and how this issue is debated in a psychological view.

Modern medicine now relies more and more on genetic science, so the demand for health care professionals who can assess and communicate these health issues is significantly increasing. This is because public awareness is growing in conjunction with scientific advances in reproductive technologies. Health care consumers now want genetics specialists who can provide highly accurate and advanced consultations regarding their unique genetic conditions. Most genetic counselors work with couples or single mothers who

Genetic Counselling is used to provide support advice and information about genetic conditions. This could include learning about the health condition that runs in the family and how it is inherited and who can be affected by it. An

The purpose of the document is to explain the benefits of prenatal genetic counselling, procedures and tests used to find genetic abnormalities, and what to do with the information received through genetic counseling.

Genetic counseling is the job path I want to take when I am older. This profession has a tough price to pay, especially when talking to patients, because sometimes the truth is hard to hear. This challenge is a daily task for genetic counselors, but the job also has great pay, credibility, and work conditions. If I were to go into this field, it will not only be suitable, it will be enjoyable. Becoming a genetic counselor requires a lot of prep in college and tertiary levels of education, but this career is worthy because of the credibility and enjoyment of the field.

One important function of the genetic counselor is to provide information on risk, but the communication on risk cannot be neutral (Wachbroit and Wasserman pp. 5). For example the risk of death versus survival resulting from surgery (Wachbroit and Wasserman pp. 5). How that is framed by the counselor is not neutral, and will necessarily reflect the counselor's worldview, but is does not have to undermine or limit the patient’s autonomy.

For my 16th birthday I received a locket with my monogram on it. Inside was a picture of me and my grandfather when I was little. Earlier that year my grandfather had passed from kidney failure. My papaw was my best friend and being the youngest granddaughter, hit me hard. The rest of that year put me into a major depression. Which led to me being put on anti-depression medication (that was a whole other roller coaster). I can say that those 5 months were the hardest of my life. This due to my mother's diagnosis of stage 2 breast cancer and the seizure disorder I was diagnosed with shortly after. So when I received that locket on my birthday I knew I could always have him closest to my heart. I know my sister does not understand how that small