My career in genomics: genetic counselling

Summary

Sasha, a principal genetic counselor at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital and a PhD student, offers insights into the role of genetic counseling, emphasizing its significance in helping individuals understand genetic conditions and their implications on family members. Preparation is key before meeting patients, which involves researching the patient's genetic condition. Understanding patients' backgrounds and tailoring explanations to suit their individual needs are essential to the role. Sasha's career has included international experience in Johannesburg, highlighting different community approaches to genetic counseling. Her journey into the field was fueled by a passion for science, a background in biology and science communication, and work in charitable organizations. She hails from a diverse background in East London, which has enriched her perspective and approach to her role. Despite the challenges, Sasha finds immense privilege and fulfillment in her work, delivering both difficult and joyful news to families.

Highlights

• Genetic counselors play a crucial role in patient education and decision-making. 🎓
• Sasha has worked internationally, gaining insight into diverse genetic counseling practices. 🌏
• Understanding patient backgrounds is essential for effective communication. 🗣️
• The profession requires a combination of scientific knowledge and empathy. ❤️
• Sasha's colorful upbringing in East London enriches her counseling practice. 🎉
• Delivering good news can be the most rewarding part of the job. 🎉
• The career is dynamic, with each day presenting new challenges and rewards. 🔄

Key Takeaways

• Genetic counseling is crucial for helping families understand genetic conditions and their impact. 🧬
• Research and preparation are essential before patient consultations. 📚
• Personalized communication is key, respecting cultural and individual backgrounds. 🌍
• Experience in different countries offers unique perspectives on genetic counseling. ✈️
• A science and caring background are pivotal for a career in genetic counseling. 🧪
• Sasha's diverse upbringing influences her empathetic and effective counseling approach. 🌟
• The role balances between delivering life-changing good and bad news, which is both challenging and rewarding. 💌

Overview

Sasha, a principal genetic counselor and PhD student, dedicates her career to assisting individuals in understanding genetic conditions and their familial implications. Her role at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital involves preparing thoroughly for patient consultations through updated research, showcasing the ever-evolving nature of genetic science. This preparation ensures personalized and culturally sensitive communication tailored to each patient’s unique situation and understanding, emphasizing the significance of empathy and cultural awareness in genetic counseling.

Sasha's career journey is marked by her international experience, notably in Johannesburg, where she explored how different communities approach genetic counseling. This global perspective enhances her practice, complementing her strong academic background in biology and science communication, along with her experience in charitable work. Sasha’s interest in science, coupled with her caring nature, formed the foundation of her fulfilling career in genetic counseling, influenced by her vibrant and diverse upbringing in East London.

The role of a genetic counselor, while challenging, brings deeply rewarding experiences. Sasha finds joy and privilege in delivering life-changing news to families, whether celebratory or solemn. Her dynamic career testifies to the varied and unpredictable nature of the job, where no two days are the same, and every day offers an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on people's lives, embodying both the science and compassion integral to genetic counseling.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Genetic Counseling The chapter titled 'Introduction to Genetic Counseling' is presented by Sasha, a principal genetic counselor and PhD student at the genome campus. She works at Guys and Saint Thomas's hospital. Genetic counseling involves helping patients understand genetic conditions, their causes, and potential impacts on family members. This understanding is crucial for patients to make informed decisions for themselves and their families.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Preparing to Meet Patients The chapter 'Preparing to Meet Patients' emphasizes the importance of preparation before meeting a patient. It underlines the necessity for clinicians to research the specific genetic condition a patient is referred for, as genetic research is constantly evolving. There's an emphasis on the critical nature of understanding why the patient is there and what questions they have, acknowledging that each patient has a unique level of understanding about genetics and causes of genetic conditions.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Understanding Patients and Cultural Sensitivity The chapter focuses on the importance of understanding the backgrounds of patients, such as their cultural, familial, and faith influences, in order to effectively communicate genetic information and answer questions. The role of a genetic counselor is highlighted, noting the excitement and opportunities for travel both within and outside the country as part of the job. The counselor's ability to tailor explanations to fit the patient's unique situation is emphasized, showcasing the need for cultural sensitivity in healthcare.
• 01:30 - 02:00: International Experience and Community Engagement The chapter 'International Experience and Community Engagement' offers insights into the speaker's journey as a genetic counselor across different countries and cultures. They have worked in Johannesburg, Manchester, and London, emphasizing the importance of understanding how genetic counseling is perceived and utilized in various communities. By engaging with support groups, schools, and faith groups to discuss genetics, the speaker highlights the role of community engagement in this field. Moreover, the chapter underlines the necessity of a strong science and caring background for those pursuing a career in genetic counseling.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Educational Background and Career Path The chapter 'Educational Background and Career Path' explores the journey of an individual with a strong foundation in science. It details their undergraduate studies in biology, followed by a focus on science communication. The experience gained from working in charities provided them with valuable caring skills, enabling them to pursue a master's degree in genetic counseling. This path led to a fulfilling career as a genetic counselor. A lifelong curiosity about how things work fueled their interest in science, complemented by a vibrant and lively upbringing.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Personal Background and Job Reflection The chapter delves into the author's upbringing in East London, highlighting the exposure to diverse cultures and lifestyles at a young age, which influenced their current professional life. The author expresses a deep affection for their job, noting the variability in daily experiences. The role often involves delivering both unfortunate and joyful news, underscoring a sense of privilege in having the opportunity to communicate significant information to others.

My career in genomics: genetic counselling Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 I'm Sasha I'm a principal genetic counselor at guys and Saint Thomas's hospital and a PhD student at the genome campus genetic counseling is a job where we help people with genetic conditions to understand why they've happened and why they might affect other people in the family it's a really important job because it helps people to deal with the impact of having a genetic condition and understanding it so that they can make the best decisions to help them and their families on a typical day before you see a
• 00:30 - 01:00 patient it's really important to make sure that you've prepared to see that patient and that means that I'll go and do research into the condition that the patient has been referred for genetic research changes all the time and there might be things that we now know about a condition that we hadn't known previously it's really crucial when I first meet a patient that I ask them why they're there and what their questions are and that's because everybody's really different and everybody has very different understanding about genetics and the causes of genetic conditions
• 01:00 - 01:30 once I understand a little bit more about where people are coming from it helps me to explain the genetic information and answer any questions they have and do that in a way that is appropriate for them based on their faith based on their culture based on their family and the situation that they're in at that moment being a genetic counselor has been really exciting for me because I've been able to travel around the country and also outside of the country so I worked for a short time as a genetic counselor
• 01:30 - 02:00 in Johannesburg because I was really interested in knowing about how a completely different society and Community use genetic counseling and how it works for the people there I've also worked in Manchester in the UK and in London and also I visit support groups schools groups and Faith groups talking about genetics as well in order to become a genetic counselor it's really important to have a science background and a caring background so I started school really interested in
• 02:00 - 02:30 science so most of my background is a science background I did biology in my undergraduate and I did science communication but my work in Charities also meant that I had caring experience and therefore I was able to do a masters in genetic counseling and that's how I became a genetic counselor ever since I was really little I was always curious about how things work and I think that's where my interest in science comes from but also my background was just really colorful and really vibrant I'm from a really Lively
• 02:30 - 03:00 part of East London and so I was really exposed from an early age to lots of different cultures lots of different types of food lots of different ways of living so I think when I look at what I do now it kind of makes sense I do really love my job and no two days are the same sometimes it is really hard and people do receive really sad news but on the flip side sometimes people receive really good news and I feel really really privileged to be the person who's able to tell somebody the
• 03:00 - 03:30 most amazing news of their life [Music]