How To Become A Medical Geneticist?

In order to become a medical geneticist, one should:

• Maintain a high GPA in classes on biology, chemistry, physics, and math;
• Complete a 4-year Bachelor degree in:
  • Genetics;
  • Biology or pre-med training;
  • Molecular Biology;
  • Biochemistry
  • Genomics

There are two possible career tracks afterward:

Researcher Track:

• Get a graduate degree in genetics (masters followed by a Ph.D. in human genetics/medical genetics). It would take approximately 6 years (2 years for the Master’s degree and at least 3 years for the grad school to obtain a Ph.D.);
• Complete a 2-year ABMG-accredited fellowship in:
  • Clinical, biochemical genetics;
• Laboratory genetics and genomics (LGG);
• Get certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG) as a clinical laboratory geneticist;

Medical Professional Track:

• Pass the Medical Colleges Admissions Test (MCAT);
• Join a licensed medical school and make sure to take advanced courses in pathology, anatomy, and microbiology. The study at the medical school last four years, including internship;
• Pass the 3 stages of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE);
• Join an accredited medical school and complete the 4-year course of study, including the internship rotations;
• Join a 3-year residency in a primary medical specialty:
  • Internal medicine;
  • Pediatrics;
  • Obstetrics and gynecology;
  • Clinical/medical genetics;
• Get certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG);
• You can get additional training in:
  • Medical biochemical genetics (1 year);
  • Clinical molecular genetics (1 year);

In the United States, the average salary for a medical geneticist ranges between $57,000 and $125,000 depending on the area of work.