WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.180 All right. So my name is Naomi Wagner 2 00:00:02.180 --> 00:00:05.358 and I'm about to start my career as genetic counselor. 3 00:00:05.358 --> 00:00:08.240 line:15% It is a group of health care professionals 4 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:10.030 line:15% with masters level training 5 00:00:10.030 --> 00:00:13.280 line:15% who are specialists in both genetics and counseling. 6 00:00:13.280 --> 00:00:15.340 line:15% So what that typically looks like is 7 00:00:15.340 --> 00:00:18.050 line:15% more traditionally in a patient provider sort of role. 8 00:00:18.050 --> 00:00:20.840 Talking to patients about their genetics, 9 00:00:20.840 --> 00:00:22.970 and risk for genetic conditions. 10 00:00:22.970 --> 00:00:25.210 line:15% But since we're specialists in genetics, 11 00:00:25.210 --> 00:00:27.260 line:15% and in dealing with sensitive topics, 12 00:00:27.260 --> 00:00:30.220 line:15% we can have roles in lots of different fields as well. 13 00:00:30.220 --> 00:00:32.160 line:15% Not just one on one with patients, 14 00:00:32.160 --> 00:00:33.390 but also in the research, 15 00:00:33.390 --> 00:00:34.730 in the pharmaceutical field, 16 00:00:34.730 --> 00:00:36.140 stuff like that as well. 17 00:00:36.140 --> 00:00:38.930 So, genetics comes into play 18 00:00:38.930 --> 00:00:40.430 at a lot of different stages in life. 19 00:00:40.430 --> 00:00:42.820 We sort of separate it out based on stage of life. 20 00:00:42.820 --> 00:00:45.320 So in the pre-natal world, 21 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:47.810 genetics would come into play during a pregnancy. 22 00:00:47.810 --> 00:00:49.030 People can choose whether or not 23 00:00:49.030 --> 00:00:50.920 they want to test their pregnancies 24 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:52.184 for conditions like down syndrome, 25 00:00:52.184 --> 00:00:54.380 which could happen in any pregnancy 26 00:00:54.380 --> 00:00:55.690 or also if they want to test 27 00:00:55.690 --> 00:00:58.027 for conditions that are known to run in a family. 28 00:00:58.027 --> 00:01:00.793 line:15% In the pediatric world, genetics comes into play 29 00:01:00.793 --> 00:01:03.464 line:15% for many individuals with differences 30 00:01:03.464 --> 00:01:06.860 line:15% either in learning or in physical features, 31 00:01:06.860 --> 00:01:08.990 line:15% because we know that genetics plays a role 32 00:01:08.990 --> 00:01:10.120 in the development of children. 33 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:11.773 So nowadays a lot of children 34 00:01:11.773 --> 00:01:13.840 with developmental delay or autism 35 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:16.615 might undergo a full genetic evaluation. 36 00:01:16.615 --> 00:01:18.549 In the adult space there can be 37 00:01:18.549 --> 00:01:21.640 genes associated with cardiology conditions, 38 00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:22.850 also cancer conditions 39 00:01:22.850 --> 00:01:25.970 is sort of the main adult region 40 00:01:25.970 --> 00:01:27.880 of genetics it's very popular right now 41 00:01:27.880 --> 00:01:29.400 for people with cancer diagnoses 42 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:30.320 or cancer in the family 43 00:01:30.320 --> 00:01:31.230 to try to figure out 44 00:01:31.230 --> 00:01:33.270 if it's a cancer that happens sporadically 45 00:01:33.270 --> 00:01:35.180 or due to environmental causes, 46 00:01:35.180 --> 00:01:37.530 or if there is actually something in the family 47 00:01:37.530 --> 00:01:39.650 that made them more at risk to get cancer 48 00:01:39.650 --> 00:01:41.743 and therefore their relatives more at risk to get cancer. 49 00:01:41.743 --> 00:01:45.480 line:15% In some settings we might see six patients a day for example 50 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:47.386 line:15% and we'd have some administrative time 51 00:01:47.386 --> 00:01:49.720 line:15% in between appointments, 52 00:01:49.720 --> 00:01:51.160 line:15% and then we'd see a patient 53 00:01:51.160 --> 00:01:52.540 line:15% normally in an office setting 54 00:01:52.540 --> 00:01:53.648 and sit with them and talk. 55 00:01:53.648 --> 00:01:55.161 In a patient appointment, 56 00:01:55.161 --> 00:01:57.920 some classic features of a genetic counseling session 57 00:01:57.920 --> 00:01:59.878 would be checking in with the patients, 58 00:01:59.878 --> 00:02:01.660 seeing what they know about the appointment. 59 00:02:01.660 --> 00:02:02.950 Going through their family history 60 00:02:02.950 --> 00:02:04.920 and medical information. 61 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:07.138 And we tend to take a family history pedigree 62 00:02:07.138 --> 00:02:09.870 drawing out with squares and circle the family 63 00:02:09.870 --> 00:02:11.100 and trying to find some patterns 64 00:02:11.100 --> 00:02:13.810 to make sure there's nothing we're missing. 65 00:02:13.810 --> 00:02:15.138 Because of advances in technology, 66 00:02:15.138 --> 00:02:17.155 most cases we can offer some sort of 67 00:02:17.155 --> 00:02:19.850 genetic testing to the patients. 68 00:02:19.850 --> 00:02:21.610 So we have genetic test options 69 00:02:21.610 --> 00:02:23.610 that we're normally offering during an appointment. 70 00:02:23.610 --> 00:02:25.800 And if patients would like to proceed 71 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:27.380 line:15% we can normally do it that day 72 00:02:27.380 --> 00:02:29.290 line:15% and then in a couple weeks 73 00:02:29.290 --> 00:02:30.690 line:15% when the test results comes back 74 00:02:30.690 --> 00:02:32.570 line:15% we'll be the ones to follow up with them 75 00:02:32.570 --> 00:02:34.430 line:15% and talk about what those results are 76 00:02:34.430 --> 00:02:36.030 line:15% and what they mean. 77 00:02:36.030 --> 00:02:38.080 Genetics is really complicated information 78 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:39.420 so often we'll have an appointment 79 00:02:39.420 --> 00:02:42.320 to meet again and discuss the genetic testing results too.