Genetic Counselling

Page content : 1. Master of and Graduate Diploma of Genetic Counselling | 2. Career Enhancement | 3. Course Description | 4. Course structure | 5. Entry Requirements | 6. International Students| 7. Master of Health Sciences | 8. Key Staff | 9. Interested in the masters | 10. Past Graduate Experiences

Master of Genetic Counselling (M. Gen Couns)
2years (Full- time )

Graduate Diploma in Genetic Counselling (Grad Dip Gen Couns)
1 year (Full-time)

Master of Health Sciences (Genetic Counselling)

Genetic Counsellors

The Master of Genetic Counselling constitutes the professional qualification for entry into employment as an associate genetic counsellor, and for Part 1 certification, awarded through the Board of Censors in Genetic Counselling (Human Genetics Society of Australasia) www.hgsa.com.au

The 2 year Master of Genetic Counselling is designed to build and increase skills and breadth in clinical practice and research, utilizing the expertise of tutors who are clinicians, genetic counsellors, scientists, people with a disability and community members. The Masters is taught within the clinical genetics service Genetic Health www.genetichealthvic.net.au at the Royal Children's Hospital Parkville Victoria. Students are encouraged to attend educational activities within Genetic Health, including seminars, clinic meetings and journal club.

The existing Graduate Diploma, established in 1996, is a successful 1 year program and is an exit point after 1 year of study in the Masters.

Internationally, genetic counselling is taught within a 2 year clinical Masters.
The Masters program aims to increase research and employment opportunities for graduates through developing reciprocity with other countries. With well established links to overseas training programs.
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/
http://www.sc.edu/research/
http://www.tagc.med.sc.edu/
There are international opportunities for students, through an active exchange program for clinical placements and research collaborations.  Past graduates are employed throughout the world – including in Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand.  It is expected that graduates of the Melbourne Masters will be eligible to register to practise as genetic counsellors in the UK and Canada, further increasing employment opportunities.

Career enhancement

Course Description:

Teaching staff are primarily practicising genetic counsellors, scientists and clinicians within the clinical genetics service.

COURSE STRUCTURE:

Special Features

• Small interactive group tutorials with modified PBL.
• Acquisition of applied counselling skills, reflective practice, and social and ethical aspects of genetics.
• Placements prepare students for practice through contact with people who have /are at risk of genetic conditions and their families. Skills of communication and counselling are developed. Placements are within clinical genetics units and the community with supervision by experienced professionals.
• Research skills are developed within a supervised clinical framework.

• Eligibility to register to practise as a genetic counsellor in selected countries overseas.

Entry Requirements

Preference is given to applicants who have a demonstrated relevant volunteer or work experience in fields including disability, support networks, counselling helplines.

Selection of applicants will be by interview, held after short –listing by the course coordinators.

If you wish to apply for this course please fill out and send in this application form. Applicants need to attach a brief 500 word letter outlining their relevant volunteer/work experience and their reasons for applying.

International students

International students are encouraged to apply . Students from Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, the UK and Bermuda have graduated returning to their countries to practice and also staying to complete further research.Students completing the 2 year M Gen Couns are eligible to register to practice in the UK , Canada, S-E Asia and New Zealand. Applications should be made to the International Office at the University of Melbourne http://www.futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/int/index.html.

Master of Health Sciences

The Master of Health Sciences (Genetic Counselling) is offered by the Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne through the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) and Genetic Health Services Victoria (GHSV). It is administered through the Bruce Lefroy Centre. The 1year 100 point Master of Health Sciences (Genetic Counselling) is not to be confused with the 2 year 200 point Master of Genetic Counselling .The Master of Health Sciences (Genetic Counselling) is a supervised research degree primarily for those students or practitioners who are interested to extend their research skills.

The course involves extended study in the field of genetic counselling by research, with some coursework. Students may complete the course over one year full-time or two years part-time. Qualitative research is encouraged in areas of clinical relevance to genetic counselling practice and theory. Supervisors are provided by the MCRI or GHSV. Collaborative Master of Health Sciences research projects between clinical genetics centres can be undertaken, with joint supervision.

Applicants may be one of the following:

• Students who have completed the Graduate Diploma in Genetic Counselling
• Certified genetic counsellors (Human Genetics Society of Australasia)
• International and interstate candidates with suitable qualifications

Past projects

• Narrative styles of people living with an intersex condition
• The experience, at the time of diagnosis, of parents with a child who has been diagnosed with a bone dysplasia (See reference: Hill V, Sahhar M, Aitken MA, Savarirayan R and Metcalfe S American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A; 122A(2) 2003)
• An exploration of community perspectives regarding the need for genetic information
• A needs assessment of men with a family history of prostate cancer
• Evaluation of prenatal screening services in Victoria

Course requirements

• A thesis of 27,000 - 30,000 words, including a literature review
• Presentation at seminars and conferences
• Attendance at relevant seminars

Key Staff

Margaret Sahhar

Margaret is the Director of the Master in Genetic Counselling (University of Melbourne) program. She was the founding Director of the Graduate Diploma in Genetic Counselling which was established in 1996. Margaret was a member of the inaugural committee of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia, which established the guidelines for the training of genetic counsellors in Australia. Margaret served as a member of the first certification Board for genetic counsellors in Australia. Margaret has encouraged the formation of international links with other programs and fosters student exchange. The Masters hosts many international student exchanges and Margaret was a founding member of the Transnational Alliance of Genetic Counselling Educators (TAGC) and is the Australian representative of this group.
Margaret’s clinical work is with families and people with MPS and bone dysplasia.

Clara Gaff

Clara is a Clinical Associate Professor of the University of Melbourne and co-ordinates activities relating the research dissertation in the Masters of Genetic counselling program.  Until mid 2007, Clara was a director of the MSc (genetic counselling) program at Cardiff University.  She is a Senior Genetic Counsellor with Genetic Health Services Victoria providing professional leadership in genetic counselling and has a clinical role at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Clara is also Regional Editorial Advisor (Australasia) for the Journal of Genetic Counselling.

Lisette Curnow

After completing a science degree majoring in genetics and microbiology, I knew I particularly enjoyed genetics, but could never imagine myself working in a lab long term.  So when I heard about the genetic counselling course, it seemed to suit all of my requirements for a satisfying career choice - science and people!  I found the course to be challenging and fascinating, and working within a small group of enthusiastic others only enhanced the experience.  The tutors were all incredibly generous in sharing of their vast personal and professional experiences in their specialty areas, which only motivated me further. I also found the problem-based method of teaching to work very well, enabling a greater understanding of how the theory is applied in real clinical settings.
After completing the course, I travelled and worked in both research and genetic counselling in Toronto, then returned to undertake a Masters in genetic counselling.  Following this, I worked in a variety of areas, firstly cancer, then paediatric genetics, newborn screening and bone dysplasias, and now my primary area is neurogenetics.  The families and individuals I encounter through this clinical work never fail to challenge and inspire me.  In addition, I am involved in teaching and coordinating the genetics component of the Masters course.

Samantha Wake

I completed my science degree at the University of Melbourne, where I majored in chemistry and genetics in 1981, and then completed a Doctorate of Philosophy in genetics in 1987.  Following completion of my PhD I worked in both research and clinical genetic diagnostic services.  My laboratory work brought me into close contact with health professionals who were consulting with the families and individuals behind the samples I was testing, and from this grew my interest in a career in genetic counselling.  I obtained my first genetic counselling position as a trainee, in Sydney in 1989. Genetic counselling was a fairly new profession in Australia then, and I
enjoyed being involved in the development of the profession. I completed my training in 1992. After 10 years in Sydney I returned to Melbourne in 1998 to work at the Victorian Clinical Genetics Services.  In 2000 I became the Principal Genetic Counsellor, a position that I held until June 2007, when I retired. In 2004, together with Lisette Curnow,  I became the co-coordintaor of the genetics curriculum of our genetic counselling course, a role which I continue to enjoy immensely.

During the course of my career as a genetic counsellor I have maintained an interest in clinical work, research, teaching, supervision, and the training/certification of genetic counsellors. I have also had a role in the development of a national code of ethics, and a professional classification structure for the employment of genetic counsellors in Victoria. Advances in genetic technology continue to raise challenges for those working in the field of clinical genetics. I developed an interest in the legal, ethical and social aspects of genetic counselling, which led to me completing a
graduate law degree in 1999.  I enjoy working on projects that allow me to combine my interest in the law and genetic counselling, and am currently involved in the development of guidelines that relate to genetic information and privacy laws.

Jan Hodgson

After completing a BSc (Hons) in Health Sciences I entered the Graduate Diploma in Genetic Counselling in 1999. Having been a nurse and health educator for many years the course built on my existing skills as a health professional. I found it to be really challenging in both counselling and genetics but enjoyed being in a wonderfully supportive learning environment and now count many co students, and lecturers, as my closest friends.
A conversation with an ethicist at a genetics conference led to my enrolment as a PhD candidate exploring ethical issues in prenatal testing and genetic counselling. During that time I also worked as a locum prenatal counsellor and became involved in teaching counselling students. My PhD thesis "Testing times, challenging choices" explored the experiences of a cohort of women making decisions about diagnostic prenatal tests and examined the role of genetic counselling in that process.
Since completing my PhD I have been involved in a number of research projects and am currently project manager for an NHMRC funded RCT of genetic counselling to explore how it impacts on family communication. I am also a lecturer at the University of Melbourne contributing to the Masters in Genetic Counselling and a breadth subject entitled 'Health Risk and Society'.
My particular research interests are genetic counselling process, health communication, prenatal testing and perinatal hospice care. I really enjoy working with students and counsellors in developing reflective practice techniques that best allow us to support and empower our clients.

Margaret Sahhar Coordinator margaret.sahhar@ghsv.org.au
61 3 8341 6256
Clara Gaff-Research Coordinator clara.gaff@ghsv.org.au
61 3 8341 6241
Samantha Wake Coordinator genetics samantha.wake@ghsv.org.au
61 3 8341 6201
Lisette Curnow Coordinator genetics lisette.curnow@ghsv.org.au
61 3 8341 6250

Interested in the Masters?

• Keep an eye on this website! Further details will be posted here once they are available.

• In the meantime, for further enquiries about the Masters of Genetic Counselling, send an email to the course administrator at: vicki.hirt@mcri.edu.au

Got a question about the Masters?

Questions about the Masters of Genetic Counselling should be directed to the Course coordinator on +61 3 8341 6256 or at: margaret.sahhar@ghsv.org.au

Past Graduate Student Experiences

MaryAnne Aitken

After completing a BSc in 1984 at Melbourne University, MaryAnne went on to train as a general nurse at the Mercy Private Hospital. In 1988 she returned to Melbourne University to do her honours year in molecular biology. Following this saw nearly 5 years at Monash University
researching genes involved in human labour and birth culminating in the awarding of a PhD in 1994. After a short post-doc Mary Anne decided to apply for the Graduate Diploma of Genetic Counselling in 1996. The skills she learnt during this time equipped her well for her subsequent move into genetics education where she has had a keen interest in community education, public awareness and genetic screening programs.MaryAnne is now moving into the new area of research strategy and communications and again is grateful for the skill set she acquired
during the year of the Genetic Counselling course.

Alison Archibald

“I am originally from New Zealand and completed my undergraduate studies in biomedical science and psychology at Victoria University of Wellington. When I finished my studies I knew I wanted to pursue a career in science and had a particular interest in genetics but wanted to do something more people focussed. I had heard about Genetic Counselling and thought it sounded really interesting so I applied for the Graduate Diploma in Genetic Counselling at the University of Melbourne in 2005. The course was fantastic, it was so interesting and I really enjoyed learning about the psychosocial aspects of genetic conditions. After I completed the course I enrolled in a Master of Health Sciences (Genetic Counselling) by research. I enjoyed the research so much that I converted my project to a PhD. My project involves exploring attitudes towards offering carrier screening for fragile x syndrome (an inherited cause of intellectual disability) in the community.  When I finish my PhD I hope to continue doing Genetic Counselling research.”

Melody Menezes

I am an international student from Canada. I completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) with a major in Molecular Biology and Genetics in Canada and decided I wanted to pursue a career in genetic counselling. After looking up a variety of courses offering genetic counselling worldwide, I decided to pursue a Graduate Diploma in Genetic Counselling at the University of Melbourne.  The course appealed to me as it not only had a very interesting coursework component but also included clinical skills. Additionally, the University of Melbourne is very well recognised internationally which would increase my job prospects when returning to Canada.

My decision was a good one; I thoroughly enjoyed studying genetic counselling in Melbourne. I found the classes to be stimulating with a good range of academic material coupled with challenging ethical issues and real life accounts from a variety of healthcare professionals, patients, and members of the community. As the program is held within the centralised clinical genetics service, Genetic Health Services Victoria, there were many opportunities for clinical experience observing genetic counsellors in Genetics Clinics and then working with clients while being supervised. This integrated the theory of the tutorials into practice, gave me an understanding of the role of genetic counsellors and also prepared me for the realities of the work force. Additionally, studying in a hospital environment enabled me to meet physicians, laboratory staff, and a variety of allied health professionals to get first hand experience working in a multidisciplinary team.

I was so inspired by the genetic counselling course I decided to say on in Melbourne to pursue a PhD undertaking genetic counselling research.

Ivan Macciocca

I completed the Graduate Diploma of Genetic Counselling in 1997.  The problem-based teaching approach of the course was a highlight for me, it made the learning so much more relevant to what I confronted in the real world of genetic counselling.  I am now a Certified Genetic Counsellor working at Genetic Health Services Victoria in the area of cardiac genetic and neurogenetics as well as seeing individuals from families with cystic fibrosis and haemophilia.

My special interest is in inherited cardiovascular disease, after having spent a year working in London at The Heart Hospital with families with inherited cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias.  I have just started a Masters in Health Science (Genetic Counselling) degree looking at the psychosocial impact of genetic testing for two inherited cardiovascular diseases Long QT syndrome and Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Before doing the Graduate Diploma I worked as a travelling Science Presenter for the CSIRO after having completed a Bachelor of Science and Diploma of Education at the University of Melbourne.

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