Precision Medicine Specialists

A variety of careers are available in precision medicine. Common occupations include precision medicine physicians, nurses, scientists, engineers, counselors, pharmacists, pharmacologists, technologists, and technicians.

Precision medicine physicians interview patients regarding their lifestyle habits and living and work environments, as well as conduct genetic and other tests (to identify biomarkers) that provide information regarding their risk for developing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. Once they identify risk factors, they work closely with patients to help them reduce these factors. Physicians also treat patients who have been diagnosed with an illness, such as cancer. For example, a precision medicine oncologist will perform an extensive genomic analysis of a patient who has been diagnosed with cancer to understand their specific genomic proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. They also conduct a genomic liquid biopsy to obtain key information about the status of the cancer. Understanding the genetic conditions that may fuel the cancer allows the physician to seek to develop strategies to deactivate these drivers and fight the disease. Once they have this information, the physician can design a specialized precision drug treatment (including patient-specific chemotherapy and immunotherapy medications in a precision targeted approach) for that patient based on their genome. (It’s important to note that precision medicine physicians also use conventional medicine treatments during patient care.) Once the first treatment is administered, the physician conducts tests to evaluate how well it worked. The patient may be cured, experience some improvement, or have no response to the treatment. If the patient has improved, the physician will continue the treatments and, perhaps, other treatments. If the patient has no response to the original treatment, the physician conducts more genetic and other tests and devises a new treatment strategy.

Many workers assist physicians. Nurses and nurse assistants who are trained in precision medicine provide direct patient care—especially in hospitals and other in-patient care settings. Genetic counselors explain complex technical information about inherited health disorders so that it can be understood by the patient. In collaboration with the physician, they discuss available options for testing for or treatment of these disorders, and the risks associated with each option. Counselors also provide emotional support to patients who have been diagnosed with an inherited disorder or disease. Precision medicine pharmacists and pharmacologists are experts in pharmacogenomics (the study of how an individual’s genetic makeup may affect how their body processes certain medications). “Precision medicine in pharmacy involves therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), in which drug levels are monitored in the patient’s blood to ensure therapeutic concentrations are achieved,” according to “The Evolution of Precision Medicine in Pharmacy,” an article in Pharmacy Times. “TDM can help to adjust the dose, especially of drugs with a narrow therapeutic index, to optimize drug efficacy and reduce adverse events.”

Many precision medicine specialists work in research scientific positions. For example, genetic scientists (including molecular biologists, biochemists, genetic chemists, cellular biologists, molecular geneticists, and other scientists) conduct research in genetics, perform testing for inherited and acquired genetic disorders, and develop precision medicines and treatments. Genetic engineers alter, splice, eliminate, and rearrange genes to modify an organism or groups of organisms to prevent or treat diseases or to meet other goals in fields such as agriculture and manufacturing. Precision medicine technologists and technicians assist scientists and engineers in laboratories and other research settings.