Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Genetic counselling in India: training and certification | CION Cancer Clinics
Nobody needs a government licence to call themselves a genetic counsellor in India. What protects you instead is the specific postgraduate training behind the title, the supervised practice that came with it, and whether a hospital genetics service has already checked those things. This page explains the routes people take into the work and what to ask before you book. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists review your family history with you and guide you to the right genetic counselling and testing.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Who is actually qualified to counsel you about genetic risk?
- Genetic counsellor, clinical geneticist, or oncologist: who is who
- How someone becomes a genetic counsellor in India
- The words on a counsellor's introduction, decoded
- What to ask, and what a good answer sounds like
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things people assume, and what is actually true
- Common questions about counsellor training and certification
The short answer
Who is actually qualified to counsel you about genetic risk?
In India, nobody needs a single government licence to call themselves a genetic counsellor, unlike a doctor, who must be registered with a medical council before they can practise. That does not mean the field is unregulated in practice. Genetic counselling for cancer is usually delivered inside a hospital genetics or oncology unit, by someone with a specific postgraduate training behind them, working alongside doctors rather than instead of them.
What actually protects you
It is not a certificate on a wall. It is the postgraduate training, the supervised practice that came with it, and the fact that a hospital genetics service checks these things before it lets someone see patients. A counsellor working inside a recognised cancer centre has already been through that filter.
Why this page exists
Families searching online meet counsellors advertising independently, and it is fair to ask what stands behind the title. This page sets out the routes people actually take into this work in India, so you know what to ask. It matters more here than in most fields, because the conversation you are being offered often decides whether the rest of your family gets tested at all.
It also matters because the shortage of trained counsellors in India means demand outpaces supply in most cities, and some people advertising the service have picked up the vocabulary without the training behind it. Asking a few direct questions costs you nothing and protects you from that gap.
A qualification you cannot verify is not a qualification you should rely on.Three kinds of professional
Genetic counsellor, clinical geneticist, or oncologist: who is who
The titles get used loosely. Each one comes from a different training path and does a slightly different job.
Genetic counsellor
Holds a postgraduate degree specifically in genetic counselling, usually after a first degree in a life science. Trained in reading family trees, explaining risk and supporting the decisions that follow. Does not diagnose or prescribe.
Good for
- Explaining what a result means for you and your family
- Working through the decision to test or not test
Clinical geneticist
A doctor who has trained further in medical genetics. Can examine a patient, diagnose an inherited syndrome clinically and manage cases where genetics overlaps with other medical problems.
Good for
- Unusual or complex inherited patterns
- When a diagnosis needs an examination, not just a result
Oncologist with added training
Some medical oncologists complete short courses in cancer genetics and handle straightforward referrals themselves, sending anything unusual on to a genetic counsellor or clinical geneticist.
Why the label matters
None of these titles is protected by law in India the way "doctor" is. What matters is which of these three paths the person in front of you actually took, and whether you can verify it.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistThe training path
How someone becomes a genetic counsellor in India
A first degree in a life science
Most enter from biology, genetics, nursing or a related science degree. This is the entry requirement for the postgraduate courses that follow.
A postgraduate degree in genetic counselling
A small number of Indian institutes run a dedicated postgraduate programme in genetic counselling, teaching genetics alongside communication and counselling skills.
Supervised clinical practicum
Trainees sit in on real family sessions under a qualified supervisor before they see patients alone. This is where the classroom training turns into a usable skill.
Ongoing case discussion
Working counsellors keep discussing difficult cases with colleagues and doctors. The learning does not stop at graduation.
Titles, explained plainly
The words on a counsellor's introduction, decoded
- Genetic counsellor
- A non-medical professional with a postgraduate degree focused specifically on genetics and risk counselling.
- Clinical geneticist
- A doctor who has trained further in diagnosing and managing inherited conditions, including cancer syndromes.
- Medical geneticist
- Used interchangeably with clinical geneticist in most Indian hospitals; both describe a doctor with genetics training.
- Practicum
- The supervised, hands-on part of a counsellor's training, done with real families before they practise independently.
- Professional membership
- Voluntary membership of a genetics professional body. It is not a licence, but it is one sign someone stays connected to current practice.
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Before you book
What to ask, and what a good answer sounds like
You ask
A good answer sounds like
What is your qualification?
A named postgraduate degree, not just "trained in genetics"
Where did you train, and with whom?
A named institute and a named supervising service
Which hospital or centre are you attached to?
A specific department, reachable independently of them
Who do you refer complex cases to?
A named clinical geneticist or oncology team
Can you send this in writing?
Willingness to put the plan and the result letter on paper
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether a particular person you have found online is properly trained. Checking that means asking the questions above and, if you are unsure, asking the hospital they are attached to directly rather than taking a website at its word.
It cannot replace a hospital's own vetting
Booking through an established cancer centre's genetics service does most of this checking for you, because the hospital has already reviewed the person's training before letting them see patients. That review happens once, before the person is ever put in front of a family, not each time a new patient books.
Who this does not apply to
Most people never need to personally verify a counsellor's credentials, because they are seen inside a hospital department that has already done it. This matters mainly if you are booking an independent counsellor found outside a hospital setting, or a service that only exists online with no named hospital behind it.
If you are unsure who you are speaking to, call the helpline and ask which service they are attached to.Commonly believed
Four things people assume, and what is actually true
"Any doctor can give genetic counselling just as well as a specialist."
Explaining risk, drawing out a family tree properly and supporting a decision to test are specific skills. Most doctors have not trained in them, which is exactly why the counselling role exists separately.
"A genetic counsellor is the same as the lab technician who runs the test."
The laboratory processes the sample. The counsellor never touches it. Their job is the conversation before and after, not the testing itself.
"If someone calls themselves 'certified' online, that settles it."
India has no single body that issues a universal licence, so the word "certified" alone tells you little. Ask which degree, from where, and check it.
"Only a doctor can explain what a gene test result means."
A trained genetic counsellor is specifically qualified to explain a result and is often better placed for the longer conversation a family needs, working alongside the doctor rather than instead of one.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about counsellor training and certification
Is genetic counselling a licensed profession in India?
Not in the way medicine is. There is no single statutory licence for the title "genetic counsellor". What protects patients in practice is postgraduate training, supervised experience, and hospital-level checks before someone sees patients.
What degree should a genetic counsellor hold?
A postgraduate degree specifically in genetic counselling, usually built on an earlier degree in a life science. Ask for the name of the degree and the institute, not just the word "trained".
Is a clinical geneticist more qualified than a genetic counsellor?
They are trained for different jobs, not ranked against each other. A clinical geneticist is a doctor who can examine and diagnose. A genetic counsellor is trained specifically in risk communication and decision support. Complex cases often involve both.
Can my oncologist do this instead of referring me?
For a straightforward question, sometimes yes, especially if they have taken extra training in cancer genetics. Anything unusual is normally referred on to a genetic counsellor or clinical geneticist.
How do I check someone's training before booking?
Ask for their qualification, where they trained, and which hospital or centre they are attached to. Then call that hospital independently to confirm, rather than relying on their own website alone.
Does professional membership mean someone is properly trained?
It is a reasonable sign, since it means they stay connected to current practice, but membership is voluntary and is not the same as a licence. Treat it as one data point, not proof on its own.
Does CION's genetics team meet these standards?
Counselling at CION is delivered alongside the oncology team, with cases discussed together rather than by one person working alone. Call the helpline if you would like to know who you will be seeing before your appointment.
What if I cannot verify someone's credentials at all?
Treat that as a reason to look elsewhere. A genuine counsellor working within a hospital system will have no difficulty naming their training and the department that can confirm it.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- Cancer Research UK — Inherited cancer genes and increased cancer risk
- NHS — Predictive genetic tests for cancer risk genes
- MedlinePlus Genetics — What does it mean to have a genetic predisposition to a disease?
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
What a genetic counsellor doesWhat the appointment itself actually coversGenetic counsellor, clinical geneticist or oncologist: who does whatThe three roles compared in more depthHow to find a genetic counsellor in IndiaTurning this into an actual bookingDo you need a referral for genetic counselling?What to arrange before you call
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