A Career in Reproductive Healthcare
The science of genetics and reproduction is a relatively new discipline, but the birth of children has been valued and celebrated in practically every culture and society since primitive times.
There are many professional opportunities in the field of reproductive healthcare. In addition to the doctors who perform the medical procedures, nurses, sonographers, and genetic counselors all provide essential services to help their patients become parents. There are also lawyers who specialize in the legal aspects of third-party reproduction solutions, such as egg donation or surrogacy.
The primary responsibilities of a nurse in the field of reproductive healthcare are to perform basic medical procedures, provide patient support, coordinate treatment cycles, and assist doctors during invasive and surgical procedures.
Sonographers are medical technologists with expertise in ultrasound, a non-surgical diagnostic tool that uses high-frequency sound waves. These sound waves bounce off tissues and are reflected and recorded as echoes, projecting real-time images of the patient’s pelvic organs onto a computer screen. Ultrasound is used to detect abnormalities that may be the cause of infertility as well as to monitor the progress of a developing fetus. Ultrasound may also be used during invasive procedures to produce images of the patient’s internal organs so that the doctor can manipulate the surgical instruments with great precision.
Genetic counselors evaluate and counsel individuals and couples at all stages of the reproductive process and beyond. Most genetic counselors in this field are prenatal specialists and some specialize in infertility. They see patients who are physiologically able to conceive but are concerned about passing on genetic abnormalities. Other patients are pregnant couples who already know their child will be born with birth defects and seek help as they make difficult choices or prepare to parent a child with special needs. Genetic counselors also guide and support couples who cannot conceive as they explore their options and undergo infertility treatment through what can be an arduous, and not always successful, process.
You can investigate this career through coursework, first-hand experiences, your own independent research, and even some personal soul-searching. All of these will help you determine whether you have the interest, aptitude, and temperament necessary for success in this extremely rewarding, exciting, and challenging career field.
This new Careers Ebook contains a wealth of unbiased information about an occupational field, based on the latest national surveys. Careers Ebooks cover attractive and unattractive sides, opportunities, education necessary, personal qualifications required, earnings, descriptions of different job specialties, first person accounts by those in the field, and how to get started; including practical advice on what to do now. There are live links to schools and colleges, associations, periodicals and other sources of reliable information.
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