John Hay
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Genetics of Disease (Medical Interventions)
Unit 2: Unit 2.1 Genetic Testing & ScreeningMI 2.1Bio-Molecular Technology

Write A Genetic Counseling Memo

Structure a genetic-counseling memo: state what the test shows, what it cannot prove (the limitation), and the recommended next step.

Builds on (2 levels back)inferred · high confidence
  • DNA/RNA base pairing: Sequence and codon tasks depend on reading bases in order.
  • Read a genetics model: Pedigrees, karyotypes, and charts are models that need a key.

Prerequisites are inferred: pending teacher review.

Re-learn the skill with worked practice and clear examples.

Write a genetic-counseling memo by putting each idea in the right section: Result, Meaning, Limitation, Recommendation.

Step 1: Read the section guide
Use the table: Result states the finding, Meaning gives risk (not certainty), Limitation states what the test cannot prove, and Recommendation gives the next step.
SectionWhat it states
Resultwhat the test found
Meaningrisk level, not certainty
Limitationwhat the test cannot prove
Recommendationthe next step or follow-up
Genetic counseling memo sections table
Step 2: Place each sentence
For each sentence you write, ask which section's job it does, then put it there. Keep limits separate from the recommendation.
Step 3: State the limitation honestly
The Limitation section must say plainly what the test cannot prove, so no one reads risk as a certain diagnosis.
Practice

Use the memo sections table. Which section states what the test cannot prove?

Reviewed
SectionWhat it states
Resultwhat the test found
Meaningrisk level, not certainty
Limitationwhat the test cannot prove
Recommendationthe next step or follow-up
Genetic counseling memo sections table
  1. A.Limitation
  2. B.Result
  3. C.Recommendation
  4. D.Meaning
Show the worked solution ▾

Answer: A. Limitation

  1. Step 1: Read the table: The table says the Limitation section states 'what the test cannot prove'.
  2. Step 2: Match the option: Result is the finding, Recommendation is the next step, Meaning is the risk reading; only Limitation covers what cannot be proven.

Why it's right: The table assigns 'what the test cannot prove' to the Limitation section.

Why the others miss:
  • B: Result states the finding, not the limits.
  • C: Recommendation gives the next step, not the limits.
  • D: Meaning gives the risk reading, not what cannot be proven.

Aligned to Bio-Molecular Technology · reading level ~grade 9

Where you'd see this
  • A counselor drafts a memo and checks that the 'cannot prove' sentence sits in Limitation, not buried in the Recommendation.
Careers that use this
Genetic Counselor: Writes the limitation clearly so a risk result is never mistaken for a confirmed diagnosis.
Video library
Watch: Write A Genetic Counseling Memo
What Is A Genetic Counselor?
National Society of Genetic Counselors · ~3 min
Guided notes

Fill these in as you work through the lesson.

Big idea: A genetic-counseling memo has four sections: Result, Meaning, Limitation, and Recommendation, so the reader sees the finding, the risk, what cannot be proven, and the next step.
Key terms: write the meaning
  • Result (what the test found):  
  • Meaning (risk level, not certainty):  
  • Limitation (what the test cannot prove):  
  • Recommendation (the next step / follow-up):  
The rule

In a counseling memo, what the test cannot prove goes in the   section, and the next step goes in the   section.

Check yourself
  1. Which section states the finding? 
  2. Which section states what the test cannot prove? 
  3. Where does a follow-up action belong? 
Work one example

Using the table, sort four sentences (a finding, a risk statement, a 'cannot prove' note, and a follow-up step) into the correct memo sections.