Graduate Profile: Lana Giameos Master of Genetic Counselling
"I really wanted that social aspect, being face-to-face with clients, having the opportunity to help people in a healthcare setting. Genetic counselling is so varied in the roles that you can do; patient-facing roles, working with laboratory and medical scientists, working with clinicians, presentations at conferences, research. It can be very dynamic, and it's ever changing. I wasn't locked into any one thing in particular which was appealing".
Lana Giameos is a recent graduate of the Master of Genetic Counselling at the University of Melbourne. She works as an Associate Genetic Counsellor in the Reproductive Genetics team at the Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS). Her role involves providing counselling support to individuals undergoing reproductive genetic tests, including interpreting genetic test results, communicating with healthcare professionals, and helping patients to understand their results. Lana helps patients manage the information and feel well-supported throughout the process.
After studying a Bachelor of Medical Science, Lana was initially interested in pursuing Medicine as she believed it was the only career path where she could combine her passion for genetics with a patient-facing role. During her final year of undergraduate studies, she learned about genetic counselling and realized it aligned more closely with her interests.
“One day, not long after I'd started working as a genetic counsellor, I got an email from a patient who I had worked with quite closely during their early pregnancy. They had previously received prenatal genetic testing, and their pregnancy had an increased chance for a particular chromosome condition. It was quite a stressful period for them, and I had been supporting them through the next steps. They’d sent me a photo of their baby who was born and was doing well, and they were over the moon. It was a really special moment for me because I was reminded of the positive impact my work can have on people’s lives, and I thought ‘this is why I do this’”.
Genetic counsellors are highly skilled in active listening, empathy and the ability connect with people from diverse backgrounds. "A really important part of the job is being there for your client and being able to understand the underlying emotion in how they're reacting... Making sure they are being supported in a way that is good for them". This also means the work of a genetic counsellor can be emotionally demanding, and Lana credits her team for their support:
"You get to work with some pretty incredible people. My team is wonderful, they are the most supportive, interesting, kindest and loveliest team that you could ever work for. I think that makes such a difference, particularly when you are in a role that can be quite emotionally challenging at times”.