Testing times: Industry needs more genetic counsellors



This was published 2 years ago

Testing times: Industry needs more genetic counsellors

By Sue White

When Lisette Curnow began studying genetics at university, the field was fairly new.

Genetic counsellors could do chromosome testing or some single gene testing but the profession was in a primitive stage, as graduates were frequently told.

"It was made clear that you would have trouble getting a job at the end. Now there are more jobs than genetic counsellors," says Curnow, a clinical specialist genetic counsellor with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

Lisette Curnow says there is more demand for genetic counsellors than qualified workers.


Today, the situation couldn’t be more different. Most major hospitals have a genetic unit and allied health professionals work in specialities covering cancer, pre-natal care, IVF and almost everything in between.

There are jobs in private ultrasound practices, and a burgeoning demand for genetics counsellors to work in laboratories, where they act as the liaison between the lab and the stakeholder accessing genetic testing.

Genetics impacts on almost every area of medicine with the exception of trauma,” Curnow says.

Australia has about 230 trained counsellors, and there is a constant need for more. The boom is partly due to the consistent and rapid improvements in technologies, but also because medical professionals are finding the results useful.

"In the last few years every specialty in medicine is figuring out how genetics can be applied to that particular area," Curnow says.

For Curnow, genetic counselling has always provided the perfect balance between her interest in science and her desire to work with people.


“During a clinic day I might have an afternoon of patients I am seeing for a range of reasons. I mostly work in paediatric cancer, so I see kids who have rare cancers or a family history of cancer that suggests there was an underlying genetic predisposition which caused them to develop it,” she says.

Curnow and other genetic counsellors talk to their patients about the benefits of testing. For example, it could provide information about risks for other family members or future risks. She sees the role as a privilege, but agrees she is often the bearer of bad news.

“You can’t avoid emotions, anxiety and distress when you are dealing with the material we are dealing with, and we have tools to help families manage that. However, we are not trained as psychologists or psychotherapists,” she says.

The counselling component of a master of genetic counselling is focused on supporting individuals and their families around the impact of a genetic diagnosis, or something in their family.

“If we see someone has more significant psychosocial issues, or could benefit from family or relationship counselling, we will refer on for that,” Curnow says.

She sees her profession as vital in an era of consumer-based testing where anyone can spit in a tube, send it off to a company and get a report back telling them they may be 10 times more at risk of a serious disease than the general population.

“People aren’t thinking through the consequences of that. They get a report back and panic. We want people to make informed decisions and not treat it in a flippant way. Some people absolutely prefer not to know – and that’s a significant right too, it’s a very individual decision,” Curnow says.

Study: A science degree with a minimum of genetics to second year level. Then, a master of genetic counselling: it’s the only way to qualify.

Skills: The blend of science and communications skills held by genetic counsellors make them good in fields like qualitative and quantitative research, genetic education and health administration.

Tips: Community volunteer work is an essential component of acceptance into a master’s degree, so start early somewhere like Lifeline or another similar type of organisation.

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