What is certification in Molecular Genetics?
A Molecular Geneticist is a science or medical graduate who has undergone an approved training program and has been assessed by the HGSA Molecular Genetics Board of Censors as having reached a satisfactory standard in knowledge and understanding of laboratory procedures, interpretation of results, diagnosis, reporting and management.
With this training, a Molecular Geneticist will be able to function as a member of a team involved with the diagnosis, counselling, and management of patients and families with diseases or conditions contributed to, or caused by, genetic variation. It would be expected that a Molecular Geneticist would participate in most laboratory functions, including diagnostic testing, results interpretation, research, laboratory administration and management and other professional activities related to human genetics.
How do I become certified?
Molecular Genetics Training Requirements (PDF)
The HGSA Curriculum in Molecular Genetics (PDF)
MHGSA EXAMINATIONS IN MOLECULAR GENETICS
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The Board of Censors in Molecular Genetics is pleased to call for applications from financial members of the HGSA for the examinations to be held in 2011.
Eligibility
1. Membership by examination
Candidates for the Membership by examination shall submit an application stating their intention to sit for Membership, before close of business on 29th July 2011 to the secretariat.
An applicant will be assessed as eligible if he/she has
1.1 A Bachelors degree in Science, Applied Science, Medical Laboratory Science or Medicine (or an equivalent qualification) in a relevant discipline (genetics, human genetics, biological sciences, medical laboratory science, applied science, molecular biology, medicine or equivalent), from a tertiary institution in Australia or New Zealand. Applicants with degrees from foreign universities are required to demonstrate that their degree has been accepted as the equivalent of an Australian or New Zealand Bachelors degree.
1.2 Completed 36 months of full time employment in molecular genetics in an IANZ or NATA accredited diagnostic laboratory (or the equivalent time pro rata) as of 1 January 2011. Some unpaid experience in molecular genetics in an IANZ or NATA accredited laboratory with the equivalent level of clinical responsibility to that of a employee may be taken into account but will need to be agreed to by the BOC after referring to the candidate’s supervisor. It is expected that only up to 3 months of unpaid work will be accepted but in exceptional cases up to 6 months may be allowed. All the experience counted toward this total must be after the completion of a Bachelors degree (ordinarily this will be counted from the time the applicant was notified of successful completion of all examination requirements for the Degree rather than the date it was conferred).
The application shall include:
1. a cover letter in which the applicant states his/her intention to sit for the examination,
2. a curriculum vitae which provides information regarding name, contact address, mail address (if different), email address for all communications, telephone and facsimile numbers, qualifications (name, conferring institution, date, document of equivalence if from a foreign university), employment history in molecular genetics (employing organisation, dates of employment, including any periods of prolonged leave eg parental leave), appointment classification (scientist, technician), grade or level of appointment (eg scientist, senior scientist), duties and responsibilities within the organisation, names and contact numbers of the applicant’s supervisor or head of laboratory and the names and contact details for two referees.
3. a letter from the Head of Laboratory that verifies that the candidate has provided them with evidence demonstrating they are compliant with eligibility criteria 1.1 and 1.2 above, and in addition states that in his/ her opinion the candidate has sufficient knowledge and experience to sit for the MHGSA.
4. Applications will be accepted by email only as Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) documents to the following email address: Secretariat@hgsa.org.au. Files can be converted at no cost at the following website: www.pdfonline.com.
The provision of false or deliberately misleading information will result in the applicant being excluded from the examinations.
Candidates will be notified of their acceptance for candidature by 19th August 2011. Examination fees must be paid via the HGSA website back office, before 1st September 2011
Examinations for the MHGSA 2011
Written Paper:
The date of the written paper will be on the morning of 20th September 2011 and will be conducted in the candidate’s own city at a venue to be arranged.
Practical Assessment:
All candidates will be invited to proceed to the Practical assessment which is performed in the candidate’s laboratory over two weekend’s from the 8th October. Reports from Practical assessments must be received by 19th October 2011.
This assessment is unique to each candidate and consists of several tasks to be completed using the usual resources of the laboratory in which the trainee is working. The objective is to test the competency of the candidate at performing specific tasks where the time frame is either too long to fit into a conventional practical assessment, or where each laboratory uses different algorithms, software, preferred websites etc. This assessment will be supervised by the head of the candidate’s laboratory. Candidates are expected not to consult other laboratory members about this assessment.
Case Book:
Candidates shall submit a casebook of 5 written cases in molecular genetics which shall include one example of each of the following: an autosomal dominant disorder; an autosomal recessive disorder; an X-linked disorder; a case of non-Mendelian genetics (somatic cell, mitochondrial, imprinting, complex genetic or digenic disorder); and an example of a method the candidate has worked up or a Quality Systems activity. The reported cases must be ones in which the candidate has played a major laboratory role.
Cases shall be type-written in Times 12 or Arial 11 font, with line spacing set at 1.5. Cases can include a figure, a table or a diagram if relevant, but must include references to the published literature. The minimum length is three pages and the maximum length 5 pages. Candidates shall present the Casebook as a single .pdf file containing all 5 cases emailed to the Chief Examiner. The file naming format will be: surname_mhgsacases_2010.
The .pdf file should be submitted to the Chief Examiner by 2nd December 2011
Exemptions. A first or final authorship publication in a peer reviewed Journal will be deemed to be the equivalent of 2 of the required cases. A first or final authorship poster publication at the HGSA, ASHG or ESHG annual scientific meetings will assessed as the equivalent of 1 case. In both instances the publication or the poster will need to be included in the Casebook. Publications and posters will need to have been published within three years of the date of submission of the casebook. The inclusion of earlier publications will not be accepted and will result in the casebook being failed.
Successful candidates will be notified in June 2012 and the awards made at the Annual Scientific Meeting in July 2012.
FHGSA EXAMINATIONS IN MOLECULAR GENETICS
Please note there will be no examinations at Fellowship level in Molecular Genetics in 2011. Examinations will be held in 2012.
The Molecular Genetics Board of Censors
| Chairperson | Dr Desiree du Sart |
| Chief Examiner | Dr Ted Edkins |
| Acting Chief Examiner | Dr Val Hyland |
| Dr Andrew Fellowes | |
| Dr Cliff Meldrum |
