In the growing medical area of genetic counseling, Kansas is far behind.

The state is home to only three practitioners certified to counsel those coping with genetic conditions – from birth defects to cancer.

“This is very low compared to all the surrounding states,” said Debra Collins, a clinical associate professor at Kansas University Medical Center and a genetic counselor. “Many of our families travel to Denver, Omaha and Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Mo., for services.”

KU hopes to beef up this paltry number with the launch next fall of a master’s degree program in genetic counseling. A meeting for interested students is planned for 10 a.m. today at KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.

The field is changing fast. Just this week, scientists in New York reported identifying a gene for Parkinson’s, a central nervous disorder, in people of Jewish descent.

Genetic counselors assist people and families who have been diagnosed or may be at risk for a genetic condition. Among their duties is keeping informed of new developments, such as the Parkinson’s finding.

Counselors help physicians by passing on information about the latest developments, said R. Neil Schimke, the lone certified geneticist at KU Medical Center.

“The average physician can’t possibly keep up with this sort of thing,” he said.

Shannon Barringer, a program organizer and genetic counselor in Arkansas, said patients often are referred to genetic counselors by a general physician. If a patient has a family history of mental illness, for example, a patient may visit a counselor to review that history and determine what tests may be necessary or helpful.

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“It’s really our job to know what testing is available out there,” said Barringer, who also serves as interim chairman of Department of Genetic Counseling at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

And when the results come back, Barringer said counselors must work with patients dealing with what can be disturbing, life-altering news.

“The results you get from genetic testing can affect you in a lot of different ways, especially psychological,” she said.

Field gets a boost

Barringer said the field was boosted by the 2003 completion of the Human Genome Project, which identified all of the roughly 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA.

“That’s just opened the door for a huge number of genetic tests that we can now offer,” she said.

Organizers hope the master’s degree program, with slots for about four to eight students, will help the state rise to the level of service found elsewhere.

There are more than 30 genetic counselors in Missouri, 30 in Colorado and about eight in Arkansas and Nebraska, Collins said.

The program involves a unique linking of several Midwest institutions, all hoping to increase the number of students and counselors in their states.

Called the Mid-American Genetics Education consortium, the program is a partnership between KU Medical Center, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the University of Arkansas for Medical Services, and Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center.

“It’s the first program of its kind in the country,” Barringer said.

Students will stay in their home states, take online coursework and conduct on-site clinical training in their states.

‘Tremendous opportunity’

Students have shown interest in pursuing the field, said Dean Stetler, associate professor in KU’s division of biological sciences.

Stetler, who teaches a human genetics course, said out of a class of 40 to 60 students, seven or eight often inquire about the area. But Stetler has had to deliver the news that there are no programs in Kansas.

Stetler said those that turn to programs outside the state find successful careers, but some qualified interested students end up changing their plans.

“I think this will be a tremendous opportunity for our students,” he said.