Anyone a geneticist?

[googlenut]

Hi
Ds has been doing a bit of research on careers and he is keen on becoming a geneticist following the medical training route in. I think it would really suit him - he is very interested in science and numbers and research but also has very good people skills and really enjoys being with people. He also has a brother with a disability which is giving him a good grounding for potential counselling situations.
He is still young yet, too young to do work experience. But I wondered if anyone is in the job and could tell us what it is like. Also is it better to go through the medical route or through a degree in genetics? Do you end up with different type jobs depending what route you take.
Thanks for help

[IsletsOfLangerhans]

Has he looked at careers In genetic counselling? This can be achieved via nursing or a genetics-related degree. Most of the people I did genetics as a degree with, tended to move into research afterwards. What stage of his education is he at?

[PiratePanda]

My husband's a geneticist and also trains medical students at Oxbridge. There is no point going via medical school unless your DS wants to be a doctor - it's hust a waste of many years of irrelevant training and taxpayers and your own money .

He should do a BSc/MSc in natural sciences, biomedical sciences, biochemistry or similar and then a PhD. And crucially he'll need to do chemistry at A Level, and not just biology.

[googlenut]

If he went the non medical route would he still be involved with diagnosis and families?

[IsletsOfLangerhans]

Have a look at nhs clinical geneticist and genetic counselling careers - one is more involved in diagnosis/testing, the other is more the interaction with families.

[googlenut]

Is anyone doing the job and can say if it is a good career?