Taylor's Genetics Studies Core Facility at the University of California, San Francisco, provides services to campus scientists whose research interests include genetics. Taylor helps them manage the collection and categorization of samples, writes study protocols designed to protect patient privacy, and develops patient education materials. Like traditional genetic counselors, Taylor also collects family histories and answers patients' questions. Other genetic counselors find employment in the biotechnology industry. Companies prize counselors' communication skills, says Baker, and may hire them to work with investors or the public relations department.
Companies also hire genetic counselors to help explain test results.
When a physician orders a genetic test on a patient, the company's laboratory conducts the test and returns the results to the physician. Many companies find it useful to have genetic counselors on hand to work with the physician to be sure that he or she interprets the results correctly. Mass. Genzyme Genetics also employs between 55 and 60 clinical genetic counselors who provide direct patient care at medical centers around the country, making it the largest employer of genetic counselors, Sandlin believes. The company has gone to the expense of hiring the counselors because they feel it helps to ensure that the results of tests get disseminated accurately to the patient, she says. Association with a company can also help the counselor stay on top of his or her field.