GENETIC COUNSELING

1. GENETIC COUNSELING Tene´ N. Hamilton, M.S. University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics

2. Genetic Counseling as a Profession Genetic counselors are health professionals with specialized graduate degrees and experience in the areas of medical genetics and counseling.

3. GC as a Profession 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 who may be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions.

4. GC as a Profession Genetic counselors also provide supportive counseling to families, serve as patient advocates and refer individuals and families to community or state support services.

5. Education Full and Associate Members hold: • At least one Master's degree - 94% • A Doctoral-level degree - 3% • A Nursing degree – 3% • MPH or MSW/MSSW – 2%

6. Gender • 94% Female • 6% Male

7. Ethnicity • 93% Caucasian • 4% Asian • 1% African American • 1% Hispanic • .2% Native American • .8% Other

8. 44% work in university medical centers 21% work in private hospital settings 6% work for HMOs or other prepaid health plans 5% work in physician's private practice 5% each work in physician's or in diagnostic laboratory settings. 2% work for state or federal departments of health 2% work in university non-medical center 1% work in private practices 5% work in "other" settings Work Environment

9. Specialty Area • 60% work primarily in prenatal settings • 39% work in pediatric genetics • 34% work in cancer genetic centers • 26% work in adult genetics • 7% work in neurogenetics • 6% work in public health • 12% work in molecular/cytogenetic testing • 21.4% work in • 6% work in in Infertility • 1.4% work in Psychiatric

10. Ethical Issues of Concern • Cultural Competency • Diversity • Education • Access to Genetic Services • Human Genome Project • Research

11. Contact Information National Society of Genetic Counselors Executive Office233 Canterbury Dr. Wallingford, PA 19086-6617 phone: 610-872-7608website: www.nsgc.org email: nsgc@nsgc.org

12. Tene' N. Hamilton, MS                                  Genetic Counselor/ResearcherUniversity of PennsylvaniaCenter for Bioethics3401 Market St., Ste. 320Philadelphia, PA  19104(O) 215.573.5418(F) 215.573.3036email 1:  teneh@mail.med.upenn.eduemail 2:  teneh@aol.com