Career In Genetics

Why do we resemble like our parents?……………How does a single cell develop into a living creature?………….Do you want to know about the Science of heredity in living organisms?

Genetics is the answers of all these questions.

Genetics is the study of Science in which we studies how living things inherits features such as hair color, eye color, and risk for disease from their ancestors.

In genetics, a feature of an organism is called a “Trait”.

These traits are described by the genetic information carried by a molecule called DNA.

In a simple way, we defined it as:

“Genetics is the field of medical courses where, we study about heredity, genetic variation & genetic in living beings. It is also known as “Science of Heredity”.

The term genetics comes from an ancient Greek word “Genetikos” which means “genitive”/”generative” that in turn derives from genesis that means “Origin”.

A scientist who studies genetics is called a Geneticist.

The father of genetics is Gregor Mendel, who was a late 19th-century scientist and Augustinian friar.

When the fundamentals of genetics are applied in engineering then, it is referred as “Genetic Engineering”.

Benefits of Genetics Courses:

• You can find job opportunities in hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and other health services.
• It guides you about the operations of clinical biochemical genetics diagnostic laboratories.
• After completing B.Sc in genetics, you can also go for the further courses like M.Sc, Ph.D, etc.

Also Check – Courses After 12th Science

Courses & Duration

Genetics courses are quite popular in India. You can pursue the Bachelor’s, Master’s & a Doctoral degree in this field. It is important for the study of microbiology, cell biology, Bio-Technology & biochemistry.

The role of the geneticist is very crucial for various things such as cancer research, unborn defects, DNA samples & etc.

A geneticist works in both medical & scientific fields in gaining a better understanding of mutation, reproduction & cell growth.

Candidates can apply for AIIMS PG 2024, NEET PG 2024 and JIPMER PG 2024 to apply for this course.

The various courses in genetics are mentioned below:

Undergraduate Courses:

• Bachelor of Science in Genetics (B.Sc. (Genetics))
• Bachelor of Science Honors in Genetics (B.Sc (Hons.) Genetics)
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Genetics, Microbiology & Chemistry

Postgraduate Courses:

• Master of Philosophy in Genetics (M.Phill.(Genetics))
• Master of Science in Genetics (M.Sc.(Genetics))
• Master of Science Honors in Genetics (M.Sc (Hons.) Genetics)
• Master of Science (M.Sc) in Applied Genetics
• Master of Science (M.Sc) in Biomedical Genetics
• Master of Science (M.Sc) in Human Genetics
• Master of Science (M.Sc) in Molecular Biology and Human Genetics
• Master of Science (M.Sc) in Microbial Genetics and Bioinformatics
• Master of Science (M.Sc) in Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering

Doctoral Courses:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics (Ph.D. (Genetics))
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Human Genetics

Admission & Eligibility

Also Check: Courses After 12th

If you are interested in admission in bachelor courses, you have to complete higher secondary examination with Physics, Chemistry & Biology. The duration of this course is three years. Some colleges also conduct an aptitude test for admission in B.Sc Genetics degree course.

To get admissions in master courses, you must have done a bachelor’s degree in the relevant field from any recognized college or university. Some institutions also give admission in genetic courses on the basis of the merit list of the qualifying examination.

Some of the specialized fields of Genetics are:

• Quantitative Genetics
• Ecological Genetics
• Population Genetics
• Human genetics
• Immunogenetics
• Medical genetics
• Conservation Genetics
• Classical Genetics
• Molecular Genetics

Are there any good colleges in India to pursue genetic courses?

Top colleges in India that offers these courses:

• Government Science College, Karnataka
• University of Delhi
• I.M.S University
• Maharshi Dayanand University
• Guru Nanak Dev University

Career & Jobs

What skills or personality characteristics should a geneticist possess?

Good Geneticists have a passion & curiosity related to the genetic basis of health and disease. If you want to be successful at the job, you must have a patience, good communication skills & perseverance. Students in interested to make career in genetics, should take science and mathematics as possible in the high school and college.

Who Hires Geneticists? Where Do They Work?

There are a lot of career opportunities in the field of biology, biomedical and life Sciences. The job opportunity for a genetics degree holder is continuing to expand. The genetic employees are not sufficient now, that’s why the demand of genetics continues to increase. Geneticists can work in various capacities for many different types of employers. Some Employment area where you work after studying genetics course:

• Hospitals
• Military
• DNA Forensics Department
• Universities
• Consultancies
• Pharmaceutical Industry & Suppliers
• Agricultural Firms
• Research Institutes
• Animal Breeding Industry

Some of the Job Profiles are:

• Assistant Professor
• Genetics Laboratory Technician
• Clinical Geneticist
• Regulatory Process Manager
• Biotech Sales Engineer
• Consultant
• Museum Educator
• Nutritionist
• Pharmaceuticals
• Senior Scientific Officer
• Principal Plant Breeder
• Channel Enablement Specialist
• Data Specialist – Advanced Analytics
• Technical Solution Manager

Some of the major employers geneticist in India are:

• AIIMS
• Tata Memorial Centre
• Indian Society of Cell Biology
• Bcs-Insilico Biology

Salary Package

How much salary you earn working in the field of genetics?

Your salary will be depended on your qualification, experience, location, etc. The starting salary of the geneticist is Rs. 20000 to Rs. 25000 in India. Students have a bachelor degree in genetics, they can earn 3.5 lakh to 5 lakh per year. In the USA, the average annual base salary of geneticists is $159,339 to $194,895.

“As more experience, you gain in this field, the higher salary packages will be offered in both public as well as private sector”.

Books & Study Material

Here we have listed the some of the best books on Genetics:

• Genome: The Autobiography of a Species In 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley
• The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
• Evolutionary Genomics and Proteomics, by Mark Pagel and Andrew Pomiankowski
• Genetics by Robert J. Brooker
• The Origins of Genome Architecture by Michael Lynch
• Genetics: Analysis and Principles, by Robert Booker
• Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA by Brenda Maddox
• New Patterns in Genetics and Development by CH Waddington
• Neural Networks and Genome Informatics by Catherine H. Wu
• In the Name of Eugenics: Genetics and the Uses of Human Heredity by Daniel Kevles
• Genetic Maps and Human Imaginations by Barbara Katz Rothman

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