The M.Sc Genetics students can find ample job opportunities across different sectors. There are numerous job roles available for M.Sc Genetics students. In this article we have tried to explain a few important roles that are very crucial for a career in M.Sc Genetics.
Let’s Discuss them in detail
Clinical Scientist (Genomics)
As a clinical scientist one is responsible to work on genomics and gene structure. The clinical scientists (genomics) are required to examine the patient samples to identify genetic and genomic abnormalities, which may cause inherited or acquired diseases.
Role of a Clinical Scientist (Genomics)
As a Clinical Scientist (Genomics) one will be working closely with other health care professionals to provide advice to patients about diagnosis and treatment and help to predict whether other family members or future generations are at risk from abnormality.
Duties of a Clinical Scientist (Genomics)
As a Clinical Scientist (Genomics) one is responsible to:
- Use scientific, technical and clinical knowledge to analyse and interpret the results of routine and complex tests carried out by the other members of the laboratory
- Write fully interpretive reports for clinicians and other healthcare professionals who have requested tests and advise them on clinical strategies.
- Develop and device new investigation strategies taking into account the clinical problems of genetic diseases and the clinical relevance of the inherited genetic abnormalities
- Participate in research and development and translate any new techniques and assays into routine diagnostic service
- Interpret quality control and quality assurance data
- Take responsibility for a specialist area or service or the management of a laboratory or department
Genetic Counsellor
As a Genetic counsellor one is responsible to help the patients and their families understand and make informed decisions about a range of genetic conditions. They are required to counsel the parents with genetic problems who are planning for kids.
Role of Genetic Counsellor
As a genetic counsellor one is responsible to interpret and explain genetic information to patients and to support them and their families to make use of this information. As a genetic counsellor one is responsible to help them to understand the medical facts, including how heredity factors contribute to their condition and the options of dealing with the risk of recurrences.
Duties of a Genetic Counsellor
As a genetic counsellor one is needed to:
- Manage the caseload of patients mostly through face to face interactions, although on some occasions over the phone
- Interpret family and medical histories to calculate the risk of condition occurrence or recurrence
- Educate patients about inheritance, testing, management prevention resources and research
- Use counselling skills to promote informed choices and help patients adapt to the risk or condition
- Deal with psychological and ethical issues raised by individuals and their families
- Order genetic tests and arrange medical and diagnostic testing as well as testing relatives
- Work with other medical and health care staff as a part of multidisciplinary team of genetic consultants, clinical scientists and other consultants to ensure appropriate follow up of patients
- Design and implement audits of clinical genetics
Geneticist
Geneticists work on improving the quality and performance of existing living organisms and create new varieties of plants and animals using gene technologies and gene therapies. They are required to carry out research and come up with new traits of plants and animals. They are also responsible for developing pest resistant and drought resistant crops.
Role of a Geneticist
As a Geneticist, one is responsible for developing useful traits in plants and animals, such as disease resistance and drought tolerance, etc. As a Geneticist one is responsible to improve characteristics of the plants and animals such as appearance, size, structure by developing various gene therapies and gene technologies.
Responsibilities of a Geneticist
As a Geneticist one is needed to:
- Produce research aims and objectives and predict the cost of the work
- Research methods and techniques for improving plant breeding
- Identify and select plants exhibiting desirable traits, based on natural genetic variation
- Cross plants to produce new breeding material for field and glasshouse trials
- Analyse and scientifically assess plant breeding in laboratory and field trials and select the best varieties
- Multiply up and produce virus free plants
- Maintain detailed records throughout the research and development cycle
- Monitor the activities of the competitors and work towards producing efficient plant breeding technologies to counter them
- Respond to enquiries from farmers, agronomists and other professionals
- Keep up to date in the fast-moving area of science and translate ideas from scientific literature into new approaches to breeding problems
Clinical Research Associate
As a Clinical research associate, one is responsible to carry out the clinical trials on various living organisms to find out the effect of the drug or treatment on it.
Role of a Clinical Research Associate
As a clinical research associate, one is responsible to run clinical trials to test drugs that are obtained by genetic engineering. They are required to get involved in all the stages of the clinical trials.
Duties of a Clinical Research Associate
As a Clinical Research Associate, one is responsible to:
- Develop and write trial protocols for the clinical trials
- Present trial protocols to a steering committee
- Design data collection forms, known as case report forms
- Coordinate with ethics committee which safeguards the rights, safety and well-being of the trial subjects
- Manage regulatory authority applications and approvals that oversee the research and marketing of new and existing drugs
- Identify and assess the suitability of facilities to use as the clinical trial site
- Identify an investigator who will be responsible for conducting the trial at the trial site
- Write visit reports and file and collate trial documentation and reports
In Conclusion
Although the above-mentioned job roles are just a tip of an iceberg, there are a greater number of job roles available for M.Sc Genetics students. They are basically hired in life science sectors and they will be majorly working in research and development and sometimes in quality assurance. The demand for M.Sc Genetics is here to stay for next several years and the students who are interested to build their career in the field of genetics can expect an excellent career growth and good salary packages. Everyday new drugs and new treatments are being discovered and M.Sc Genetics students are mainly responsible for all these inventions and discoveries. The industry is in need of skilled geneticists and are ready to pay good salary packages for the skilled and knowledgeable professionals.
The students who are interested towards genetics and life science can join the M.Sc Genetics course and can expect an excellent career growth with handsome salaries.