Clinical Genetics and Counselling

At Mediclinic, we help you through clinical genetics to understand how your current health, genes, and family history shape your well-being and interact with your environment. Far from just looking at the past, it acts as a proactive roadmap—helping you spot hidden risks, prevent complications before they start, and find answers to medical mysteries through precision hospital care. Genetic counseling is the supportive heart of this journey, where expert specialists translate complex science into everyday language so you can make confident, informed choices for yourself and your family.

What is clinical genetics and counselling?

Clinical genetics is the medical specialty that diagnoses and manages conditions caused or influenced by genetic changes. It combines symptoms, medical and family history, physical findings and previous tests to look for an underlying diagnosis and decide which further investigations may be useful, your risk stratification and future plans.

Genetic counselling helps you understand inheritance, your personal and family risk, the tests available and what a positive, negative or uncertain result may mean. This information can support decisions about follow-up, prevention, family testing, pregnancy planning and, where relevant, more personalized treatment.

Who might see a clinical geneticist or genetic counsellor?

While a Consultant Clinical Geneticist provides medical diagnosis, complex clinical evaluations, and treatment oversight as a physician, a Genetic Counselor specializes in risk assessment, psychosocial support, and navigating patient communication.

You might want to consult our team if you are navigating questions about your own health, exploring your family history, planning a family, or looking for answers to an unexplained medical condition. People commonly reach out when:

• They are experiencing persistent symptoms that remain unexplained after seeing three or more specialists.
• A genetic condition runs in the family and they want to understand personal or child risks.
• They are planning a pregnancy or are currently pregnant and want to explore their options.
• A routine pregnancy screening or blood test has delivered an unexpected result.
• Their child is experiencing developmental delays, learning challenges, malformations, or health features with an unknown cause.
• They carry a strong family history of cancer, heart disease, kidney problems, neurological disorders, muscular dystrophies, or other inherited conditions.
• They or a family member have a known genetic condition and need specialized, proactive care management.

While many patients are referred by their regular doctor or specialist, you can also reach out directly with your own concerns. Across the UAE, advanced screening is also a standard part of premarital planning and newborn health, combining mandatory checks for inherited diseases with expanded genomic testing. Similar options are available for every UAE resident.

What to expect

Your first appointment is a consultation setting and usually runs longer than a standard doctor's visit.

• If you see a Consultant Clinical Geneticist (Physician): Your evaluation includes diagnosing complex conditions, assessing multi-organ symptoms, performing physical examinations when indicated, ordering advanced diagnostic investigations (laboratory, radiological, or specialized tests), formulating medical management plans, and coordinating cross-specialty referrals (e.g., to oncology, neurology, cardiology, nephrology, immunology, or pediatrics).
• If you work with a Genetic Counselor (Allied Health Specialist): They conduct detailed family history reviews, build structural family trees (pedigrees), and calculate specific recurrence risks. They specialize in translating complex genetic information into clear, empathetic guidance to help you navigate emotional considerations and testing decisions. (Note: These counseling aspects are also fully integrated into a clinical geneticist visit.)

Not everyone needs a genetic test, and many people take time to decide before moving forward. If you do test, the team walks you through what the results mean for you and your family. Throughout the process, the aim is to give you clear information and steady support so your choices remain entirely your own.

Clinical Genetics/ Precision Medicine / Rare Diseases / and Counselling at Mediclinic

Our genetics service is based at Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai, where clinical geneticists and genetic counselors work closely together through diagnosis, testing, counseling, risk calculation, and clear management planning.

We stay in close contact with you and your relatives at every stage, ensuring you are supported through initial questions, test results, and follow-up care.