International Genetic Counselling Placement

It is not often one gets to say that as part of their clinical experience for their master’s degree they get to go overseas. I was fortunate to be accepted and organise my final placement of my master’s degree to Guy’s Hospital in central London. It required lots of emails and logistics, but the process to get to this international experience was most certainly worth it.

I was situated as a student genetic counsellor in one of the busiest public Genetic Services in Europe, if not the world. There were about 25-30 genetic counsellors working in this service which extended from Cancer, Prenatal, General and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis for in-vitro fertilisation. Additionally, there were 10 Clinical Geneticist (doctors) who were also working in the service.

Before this placement, I was expecting very similar health systems between Australia and the UK. However, there are specific differences from the perspective of the health systems at large in additional to the clinical genetic services offered. Firstly, the clinical genetic services are divided into two streams, a clinical stream for genetic counsellors and a stream for clinical geneticist. This meant that the Genetic Counsellors in the service had their own autonomy and ran clinics as independent practioniers. Currently in Australia, we have the genetics services largely embedded meaning that the autonomy for Genetic Counsellors is more limited even in the public service. I have been able to reflect on the value of these systems and importance in an Australian context.

Furthermore, the training system for Genetic Counsellors in the UK is moving towards a training program with a university component but mainly on the job training. This means that by the time the genetic counsellors finish their traineeship (Scientific- Training Program) they are fully certified genetic counsellors unlike the clinical certification process in Australia. I think for this professional there are valuable options for the training program through the hospital, but also acknowledge this profession requiring research and counselling skills which are well explored and discussed in the Master’s program here at UTS.

Lastly, the hybrid health system in Australia which has private and public options for genetic counselling is greatly valuable as those who have the means to be seen sooner and privately can offer public health system spaces for patients who required and depend upon the public health system. The length of clinical waitlists were a problem throughout my placements experience which gave me the opportunity to reflect on the way our system works.

From my international placement experience I was able to immerse myself in a different health care systems where I was able to see different styles of counselling and various genetic conditions which I have yet to see in Australia. I was also able to develop resilience and adaption to different changes and challenges in the Genetics Department. Overall I am grateful for UTS Global Short Programs for contributing to my overseas experience. If anyone would like the opportunity to do a placement for Genetic Counselling overseas, I highly recommend it!

Samantha Sandelowsky
Master of Genetic Counselling
International Internships – HEALTH – United Kingdom
Global Short Programs Travel Scholarship

For more information about the UTS Global Short Program visit: www.uts.edu.au/thinkglobal