Report of the Working Party on the Role and Training of Clinical Geneticists / by R. Harris (chairman)[and others].

  • Clinical Genetics Society. Working Party on the Role and Training of Clinical Geneticists.
Date:
1983
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Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Credit: Report of the Working Party on the Role and Training of Clinical Geneticists / by R. Harris (chairman)[and others]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5/40 page III
    INTRODUCTION Genetics is now generally recognised to be important in clinical medicine. However, it is difficult for those outside genetics to appreciate fully the scale of recent changes and the enormous potential value of new developments (Weatherall, 1982). Extensive media coverage and resultant pressure to prevent genetic disease is likely to accelerate the introduction of many new procedures before the health professions are adequately trained and equipped and at a time when incompetent technical work and ill-informed genetic 'advice' carry an increasing risk of litigation. Traditional clinical skill in history taking and physical examina¬ tion remain the foundations of genetic diagnosis. Individuals of all ages are involved: they may be normal, dysmorphic or with hereditary disorders of any body system. The ability to understand complex, specialised laboratory results is essential; these include chromosome analysis, blood group markers, HLA, biochemistry and, increasingly, recombinant DNA technology. These results have to be interpreted for clinical diagnosis and to derive genetic risks, with the subsequent need to communicate them clearly but non-directively to patients. Finally there is a delicate balance between the fundamental interests of the patient and those of the family and society. The complexity and rapidly increasing clinical usefulness of genetics are making great demands on doctors whose task it is to introduce these advances into clinical practice. This report is concerned with the role and training of those clinicians who will undertake this work in multidisciplinary genetic units. Most of the doctors concerned will be full time clinical geneticists but in future a proportion will be paediatricians, obstetricians and physicians etc. with an interest and bonafìde training in genetics. A previous Working Party of the Society under the chairmanship of Dr. A. W, Johnston considered the training of medical geneti¬ cists (1978), and its conclusions formed the basis for the current recommendations of the Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training (JCHMT). Because of the many changes that have occurred in genetics since that report, the decision to set up the present Working Party was made by the Society on 17th September 1980, with recommendations for its membership. The terms of reference were 'To consider the Role and Training of Clinical Geneticists' so as to provide information and advice for trainees, other specialists and administrators. The membership was: Professor Rodney Harris (Manchester), Chairman, Professor A. E. H. Emery (Edinburgh), Dr. A. W. Johnston (Aberdeen), iii
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