Teaching and Careers

 

Cancer Genetics Course

Our next course will be run in Manchester in June 2010. Please contact Sarah Shepherdson on 0161 276 6506 for further details.

 

Seminars

Departmental seminars give an opportunity for clinical presentations of general interest. Updates are given by members of Genetic Medicine and cover research findings and new service developments in their field. Please view our Seminar Schedule for further details.

To enquire about a Nowgen Academic Seminar, please call Nowgen on 0161 276 5956 or email bookings@nowgen.org.uk. For other enquiries, please call Jill Clayton-Smith, Rhona MacLeod or Emma Birkett-Wright on 0161 276 6002.

One CME point is awarded for each seminar attended. Lunch is provided only when the venue is Nowgen. 

 

Training in Biochemical Genetics

The Willink unit remains committed to training with its multidisciplinary team structure. Training of junior doctors, dieticians, nurses and scientists occurs in a formal sense at meetings and teaching sessions and also during normal service provision.

On the medical side, we have a registrar-level general paediatric trainee and an SHO rotating through the department. For longer attachment we have a national grid appointed trainee in paediatric inherited metabolic diseases, typically for 2-3 years at a time. On occasion we also have clinical fellows from overseas spending a variable amount of time in the department; this is by special arrangement and we prefer these arrangements to be longer term and to involve actual clinical work.

In the laboratory we are committed to staff development and junior lab staff are encouraged to attend the various national training days. We also take formal trainees via the HST system.

 

Training in Clinical Genetics

There are a number of specialties within clinical genetics.

Clinical geneticists undertake postgraduate training following medical training. For further information see our Careers in Clinical Genetics guide and the Clinical Genetics Society website.

Genetic counsellors are non-medically trained professionals who work both independently and with clinical geneticists to support patients with genetic conditions. For further information see the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors website.

In association with the University of Manchester we offer an MSc in Genetic Counselling.

 

Training in Cytogenetics

Cytogeneticists are trained clinical scientists who specialize in cytogenetics. Clinical scientist trainees undergo a four-year pre-registration training programme during which they follow the Association for Clinical Cytogeneticists (ACC) basic training programme for clinical scientists for the first 2-3 years, with the remainder of the four years spent on consolidation and acquiring any additional skills necessary to attain Health Professions Council (HPC) registration.

The training for cytogenetic technologists and assistant cytogenetic technologists is competence-based workplace learning with logbooks for different areas of work.

 

Training in Molecular Genetics

The Regional Molecular Genetics Laboratory in Manchester is accredited by the Clinical Molecular Genetics Society (CMGS), the discipline's professional body, to deliver Clinical Scientist Training in Molecular Genetics. The training consists of a two-year modular programme, during which the trainee gains experience in all aspects of the core disease services and techniques used in the laboratory. The training also provides relevant experience in laboratory management, quality, health and safety, and includes a research and development project. The trainee is responsible for recording all relevant experience and creating a training portfolio. Continual assessment of the trainee's progress is undertaken locally by the National Training Coordinator for Clinical Molecular Genetics.

Successful completion of the two-year programme leads to the award of the CMGS Certificate of Competence, after which the trainee will need to undertake a further two years of laboratory service work to consolidate their knowledge and experience before they are eligible to apply to become registered as a clinical scientist with the Health Professions Council (HPC).

 

Vacancies at CMFT

For information about current vacancies within Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, please visit our careers website.