The Fourth Annual Medical Genetics Awareness Week Will Be Celebrated March 22-25, 2022: "Be a Champion for Medical Genetics"

News provided by

American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics

Jan 28, 2022, 08:00 ET

BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourth annual Medical Genetics Awareness Week will be celebrated March 22–25, 2022. The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics' (ACMG) fourth celebration of this exciting branch of healthcare will unite the entire medical genetics community to raise awareness of the invaluable contributions that the professionals who comprise the field make to the diagnosis, management and prevention of genetic diseases.

"ACMG is proud to champion clinical geneticists, laboratory geneticists, genetic counselors, physician assistants, metabolic dietitians, nurses and others who comprise the medical genetics healthcare team during Medical Genetics Awareness Week," said ACMG Chief Executive Officer Maximilian Muenke, MD, FACMG. "Our field is unique in that it includes medical, scientific and research professionals in a broad range of specialties, yet we are all champions of medical genetics."

Held in conjunction with the 2022 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting, the largest conference specifically for medical geneticists in the United States (a hybrid event this year taking place in-person in Nashville, TN and online), Medical Genetics Awareness Week will incorporate branded social media graphics, hashtags unique to various medical genetics team members, and other activities to generate participation and encourage professionals to share why they are a "Champion for Medical Genetics." ACMG Annual Meeting registration is not required to participate.

Participants can plan their own Medical Genetics Awareness Week events at their school, employer or institution, share their pictures to social media wearing a Medical Genetics Awareness Week hashtag button or temporary tattoo; using a new Medical Genetics Awareness Week Zoom virtual background; or displaying a Medical Genetics Awareness Week sticker. The week will once again feature theme days, including Diversity Day and Student and Trainee Day. Follow Medical Genetics Awareness Week on social media by searching the #MedicalGeneticsAwareness hashtag and sign up to receive news and updates about Medical Genetics Awareness Week by clicking here. Log in (or create a free ACMG account) and, on the privacy preferences page, opt in to receive news and updates about Medical Genetics Awareness Week.

Since 2019, Medical Genetics Awareness Week has brought together people from across the globe to celebrate the important work of medical genetics professionals. Medical Genetics Awareness Week is celebrated to recognize the difference these professionals make in the lives of patients and families. The week is also intended to educate other healthcare professionals and students and trainees about who medical geneticists are, how they are trained and what they do in the clinic and laboratory.

"The field of medical genetics and genomics has a connection to almost all medical specialties," said ACMG President Marc S. Williams, MD, FACMG. "Clinicians of all disciplines and levels of training understand now that genetics is part and parcel to the patients they see. That is the important purpose of this very fun initiative – Medical Genetics Awareness Week celebrates the hard work that professionals on the medical genetics team put in to improve patient care and public health."

Those interested in collaborating with ACMG to celebrate Medical Genetics Awareness Week, holding their own events or becoming an "champion" for medical genetics are invited to email Barry Eisenberg, ACMG Communications Manager at [email protected] for more information.

Visit the Medical Genetics Awareness Week web pages on ACMG's website for resources and tips designed to support the week's celebrations—and to join the Medical Genetics Awareness Week email list. When posting on social media, participants are encouraged to tag @TheACMG and include the following hashtags in posts related to Medical Genetics Awareness Week:

#MedicalGeneticsAwareness
#IamaMedicalGeneticist
#FutureGeneticsProfessional
#IamaLabGeneticist
#IamaGeneticCounselor
#IamaGeneticsPA
#IamaNurseinGenetics
#IamaGeneticsNP
#IamaPublicHealthGeneticist
#IamaMetabolicDietitian

About the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and ACMG Foundation

Founded in 1991, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) is the only nationally recognized medical society dedicated to improving health through the clinical practice of medical genetics and genomics and the only medical specialty society in the US that represents the full spectrum of medical genetics disciplines in a single organization. The ACMG is the largest membership organization specifically for medical geneticists, providing education, resources and a voice for more than 2,400 clinical and laboratory geneticists, genetic counselors and other healthcare professionals, nearly 80% of whom are board certified in the medical genetics specialties. ACMG's mission is to improve health through the clinical and laboratory practice of medical genetics as well as through advocacy, education and clinical research, and to guide the safe and effective integration of genetics and genomics into all of medicine and healthcare, resulting in improved personal and public health. Four overarching strategies guide ACMG's work: 1) to reinforce and expand ACMG's position as the leader and prominent authority in the field of medical genetics and genomics, including clinical research, while educating the medical community on the significant role that genetics and genomics will continue to play in understanding, preventing, treating and curing disease; 2) to secure and expand the professional workforce for medical genetics and genomics; 3) to advocate for the specialty; and 4) to provide best-in-class education to members and nonmembers. Genetics in Medicine, published monthly, is the official ACMG journal. ACMG's website (www.acmg.net) offers resources including policy statements, practice guidelines, educational programs and a 'Find a Genetic Service' tool. The educational and public health programs of the ACMG are dependent upon charitable gifts from corporations, foundations and individuals through the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine.

Contact:
Kathy Moran, MBA
[email protected]

SOURCE American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics