CURRICULUM
Every student in the program is expected to become a genetic counselor with following knowledge and skills;
- Knowledge of genetics, including molecular basis of inheritance, quantitative genetics, and principles of risk assessment
- Ability to conduct genetic counseling sessions by assessing the client's/family's needs, concerns, and genetic risks; communicating appropriate genetic and medical information; and assisting the family in obtaining necessary services and support
- Skills in case management, including written communication to clients
- Awareness of local and national resources designed to assist clients
- Knowledge of the stages of pregnancy and child development (both normal and abnormal) and their impact on the family
- Familiarity with genetic literatures, including the ability to perform library research, to critically evaluate journal articles, and to assist in clinical research
- Knowledge of genetic counseling principles and the related ethical and legal issues
- Psychosocial understanding of families or individuals with genetic disorders
In addition to the above requirement, the graduate school requires thesis work. The students are required to choose the subject of research for the thesis from the four fields of the Department of Life Science and to be supervised by the full-time professors of the program.
Required Subjects
Counseling Skills
- 1credit (Lecture)
- Psychology and communication skills required in the practice of genetic counseling.
Genetic Counseling
- 3credits (Lecture and Exercise)
- Lecture on principles of genetic counseling and the practices by rolling. This also includes survey of and discussion on ethical dilemma actually encountered by genetic counselors.
Psychosocial Issues in Genetic Counseling
- 2credits (Lecture)
- An introductory course on the psychosocial elements of genetic counseling. Process of human development and in context of family and other relationships.
Ethical Issues in Medical Genetics
- 1credit (Exercise)
- Seminar to discuss how we anticipate cultural, religious, ethical and legal issues in genetic counseling.
Human Genetics
- 4credits (Lecture)
- Lecture on genetic principles including patterns of inheritance, quantitative disorders, risk estimates, molecular genetics, familial cancer and principles of mathematical and population genetics.
Laboratory training in human genetics
- 2credits (Exercise)
- Observation of human embryo, DNA extraction, PCR, DNA sequencing, RFLP, cell culture, chromosome analysis including FISH, biochemical tests including HPLC, immunodiagnostics.
Clinical Genetics
- 2 credits (Lecture)
- Survey of clinical cases of human genetic diseases etiology, inheritance, dysmorphology, and differential diagnosis, and rolling of the clinical practice of genetic counseling.
Elective Subjects
| Developmental and Reproductive Biology |
2 credits |
|---|---|
| Cellular Physiology | 2 credits |
| Introduction of Internal Medicine |
1 credits |
| Molecular Neurobiology | 2 credits |
| Environmental Genetics | 2 credits |
| Pathology | 2 credits |
| Environmental Biology | 2 credits |
| Biochemistry | 2 credits |
| Molecular Neurology | 2 credits |
| Protein Science | 2 credits |