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DEGREE OFFERED: |
MSc (Med) Genetic Counselling |
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PREREQUISITES: |
BSc (Hons) or BA (Hons) equivalent in Social or Psychology |
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CLASSES BEGIN: |
1 February |
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DURATION OF COURSE: |
2 years plus 1 year post degree internship |
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REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS: |
BAKER D, Schuette JL, Uhlmann WR (2002) A Guide to Genetic Counseling.
New York, Wiley-Liss.
McCarthy Veach P, LeRoy BS, Bartels DM (2003) Facilitating the Genetic
Counselling process. New York, Springer.
Turnpenny RD and Ellard S (2005) Emery’s Elements of Medical Genetics.
12th ed. Edinburgh, Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
Harper PS (12004) Practical Genetic Counselling.6th ed |
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CURRICULUM: |
PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF GENETIC COUNSELLING
Module 1 - 40 hours Basic Counselling Skills
Module 2 - 40 hour lecture block
Counselling Assessments - two in year one and two in year two
Case reports - 5 in the second year
MEDICAL GENETICS
Techniques Course-Molecular techniques with applications
Module 1 - 40 hour lecture block
Module 2 - 40 hour lecture block
Applied Anatomy and Physiology - 30 hour lecture block
Applied Research Methodology - 30 hours lecture/practical
Essays - 6 Topics for the year
Research Report
1 year post degree internship |
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CLINICAL TRAINING: |
The unit runs 7 weekly clinics, 5 monthly clinics and 3 yearly outreach
clinics. Students rotate through these clinics and are expected to
attend at least three clinics a week. Students start by observing cases,
move on to counselling under supervision and finally counsell
independently. Log books are kept for each patient seen. The unit has a weekly
clinical meeting where all cases are discussed. There is also a
monthly dysmorphology meeting. The students attend weekly counselling group
supervision(4-5 people)sessions facilitated by a clinical psychologist
and seniour Genetic Counsellor where they have an oppurtunity to think
about and discuss there work. After completing the degree and the one
year post degree internship, students are elligible to register with the
Health Professions Council of South Africa as a Genetic Counsellor |
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ACCREDITATION: |
Genetic counsellors are eligible to register with the HPCSA. The requirements are successful completion of the MSc(Med) degree, and two years practical experience of genetic counselling under supervision. One student year may be included in this requirement, but genetic counsellors are required to complete one further post-qualification year of practical genetic counselling under supervision in order to register |
