What is a clinical geneticist?
Clinical geneticists have undergone specialty training in genetics after general professional training in internal medicine or paediatrics (and occasionally other disciplines, such as psychiatry, obstetrics and gynaecology, or ophthalmology).1 The specialty training covers a broad range of areas, such as the genetics of adult and paediatric disorders, cancer, dysmorphology, reproduction and neurology. Training also includes basic theoretical genetics, counselling theory and practice, ethics, laboratory experience and research. Clinical geneticists work within clinical genetics centres in partnership with genetic counsellors and medical scientists to provide genetic services to the population of a defined geographical region. Services are delivered through a network of metropolitan and country outreach clinics. Australasian regional clinical genetics services are listed in Box 1.
