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Come Join the Weeklong Celebration of Medical Genetics

The second annual Medical Genetics Awareness Week will be celebrated March 17-21.

Through Medical Genetics Awareness Week, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) aims to promote awareness of the importance of medical genetics professionals, including medical geneticists, laboratory geneticists, genetic counselors, nurses, and physician assistants on the healthcare team. The theme of Medical Genetics Awareness Week is “Celebrating the Contributions of the Entire Medical Genetics Team to Patient Care.”

We celebrate Medical Genetics Awareness Week to recognize the invaluable contributions medical genetics healthcare professionals make in the diagnosis, management, and prevention of genetic diseases – both rare and common – and the difference these professionals make in the lives of patients and families. 

Medical Genetics Awareness Week is also intended to educate other healthcare professionals, students, and trainees on who medical geneticists are, how they are trained, and what they do in the clinic and laboratory.

This just in 

Dedicated medical genetics awareness web pages are brand new for this year and can be found at www.acmg.net/medicalgeneticsawareness. These pages offer a wide range of resources including tips on how to become an ambassador for medical genetics in your workplace and community, a resource tool kit with suggestions for medical genetics-related activities and tools for use on social media, and information on careers in medical genetics.

“As medical genetics and genomics finds a home in healthcare systems across the country, remember the valuable role that the medical and laboratory geneticist plays in delivering high-quality, high-value care,” said Anthony R. Gregg, M.D., M.B.A., FACOG, FACMG. “Some in our community have more than 10 years of laboratory and/or clinical training after college. Our disciplines attract the ‘best in class.’ As we speak with and care for our patients, we are reminded that it is a privilege to be a part of the medical genetics team — a team that includes care providers across the clinical spectrum.”

The home for medical genetics

Events related to Medical Genetics Awareness Week will be held during the ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting, March 17-21 in San Antonio, Texas (www.acmgmeeting.net). 

The ACMG Annual Meeting is the largest conference specifically for clinical geneticists in the United States. Those interested in collaborating with ACMG to celebrate Medical Genetics Awareness Week, holding their own event, or becoming an “ambassador” for medical genetics are invited to email [email protected] for more information.

“As a practicing clinical geneticist, I have been working with individuals dealing with a genetic issue in their family for over three decades,” said Maximilian Muenke, M.D., FACMG, ACMG’s CEO. “It has been a privilege to meet and accompany families over the years and learn from their challenges and how many of them grow in the process. 

“Even though the overall numbers of healthcare professionals in medical genetics have grown, the demand for genetics services has grown even faster. Based on the preliminary data analysis of the NCC Medical Genetics Workforce Survey, a study initiated by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, wait times to make an appointment with a medical geneticist are too long in many parts of the United States. It is my hope that the Medical Genetics Awareness Week will increase knowledge of our profession in the general population and compassion for those affected by genetic conditions.”

In 2019, the first ever Medical Genetics Awareness Week brought together people from across the globe to raise awareness of the important work of medical geneticists. The success of the 2020 celebration will once again rest on the participation of people everywhere. 

ACMG invites you to help 2020’s celebration set new records for engagement by visiting the new Medical Genetics Awareness Week web pages and using the resources and tools we offer to support your celebrations. Be sure to tag @TheACMG on social media and include the following hashtags in your posts related to Medical Genetics Awareness Week: 

  • #MedicalGeneticsAwareness
  • #IamaMedicalGeneticist
  • #FutureGeneticsProfessional
  • #IamaLabGeneticist
  • #IamaGeneticCounselor
  • #IamaNurseinGenetics
  • #IamaGeneticsPA

For more information about the ACMG, visit www.acmg.net.

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