Chairman's Welcome

Welcome to the Web site of the Department of Genetic Counseling of the College of Health Related Professions [CHRP] at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences [UAMS].

Now is an extraordinary time to consider an education and career in human genetics. The explosion of genetic research afforded by completion of the worldwide Human Genome Project in 2003 dramatically increases the need for more genetic counselors, particularly for work in the heartland of the United States.  As you may well appreciate, genetic counselors have traditionally worked closely with other health care providers in many areas of medicine.  Yet, as our understanding of the genetic component of more common conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental illness increases, genetic counselors are becoming vital contributors to these health care sub-specialties as well. 

As defined by the American Society of Human Genetics, genetic counseling is a communication process which deals with human problems associated with the occurrence or risk of recurrence of a genetic disorder in a family.¹   Communication, however, requires understanding,  and when it comes to genetics, many Americans require assistance.  The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies estimates that about 90 million American adults have literacy skills that are below high school level.  Because the medical and public health literature indicates that health literature is complex and often far above high school level, approximately 90 million adults may lack the needed literacy skills to effectively use the U.S. health care system. 

Because of this limited medical literacy among our population, the UAMS Master of Science Program in Genetic Counseling helps each graduate student to develop multiple ways to describe the hereditary basis of medicine in terms that are understandable by any client whose education in science may not have included high school biology or beyond.  Our graduates translate genetic science into understandable and practical information for individuals and families at risk for hereditary diseases and/or birth defects.  In-depth education in human genetics, genetic testing, as well as the psychosocial consequences of genetic disease allow our students to serve as educators and advocates for their patients. 

The UAMS Master of Science program is unique in several respects:

• It is delivered by an educational consortium including UAMS, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center—combining resources and talents of geneticists, genetic counselors, and other specialists at these academic health science centers.  The consortium’s name is “Mid-America Genetic Education Consortium”, or “MAGEC”.
   
• The lecture and classroom portions of this program use distance education technologies (viz., various instructional media, the Internet, and compressed, interactive video), allowing students to reside either in Omaha, NE or in Little Rock, AR.  Courses originate from each of the MAGEC member institutions.
   
• Clinical rotations are available at each of the participating institutions or affiliated programs within MAGEC.  Clinical affiliations at additional medical centers within and beyond the current MAGEC states are under active consideration for membership. 
   
• The program makes extensive use of the UAMS Clinical Skills Center as a place to practice genetic counseling by working with “standardized patients” portrayed by a talented cadre of specially trained actresses and actors.
   

• A popular weekly Genetics Film/Lecture series, drawn from both classical and contemporary film, elicits lively discussions concerning difficult familial and societal questions particularly relevant to human genetics and health care.
   
• Our principal location is in a city with a relatively low cost-of-living, and our program has tuition rates that are competitive. (Residents of MAGEC states pay UAMS resident graduate tuition, irrespective of which institution originates a particular course.)

Successful completion of all the academic requirements, including each of the clinical genetics rotations and an individual master’s research project or thesis in an approved topic in human genetics, earns the candidate the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and entitles him or her to apply for Board eligibility with the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC).   

The faculty is readily available to answer your questions about our curriculum, our admissions requirements, MAGEC, or genetic counseling in general.  If human genetics and serving humanity are your primary interests, we look forward to discussing with you our program and your career in genetic counseling.   Thank you again for your interest in our department, program, and the profession. 

¹  American Society of Human Genetics Ad Hoc Committee on Genetic Counseling (1975)  Genetic counseling.  Am J Hum Genet (27): 240-242.

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