What to Expect During Your Visit With Genetics
We are happy you’ve chosen Rady for care and we look forward to being your partner in health! Rady is affiliated with University of California San Diego and is a teaching hospital. Therefore, it is very likely that you will see specialists-in-training who are being supervised by the specialist. If you have had prior evaluations and/or testing, please bring copies of records to your appointment or upload the documents in MyChart.
Seeing a geneticist does not necessarily mean having genetic testing. For some conditions, no testing is available or helpful. For other conditions, testing may help confirm a diagnosis or investigate the cause of a problem.
If the condition you are being evaluated for is one that does not require a physical examination, you may be seen by a genetic counselor rather than a doctor. If the appointment is in metabolic clinic (biochemical genetics), you will be seen by a nurse, dietitian and social worker in addition to the doctor and genetic counselor.
During the initial visit with the specialist:
- Your provider will ask lots of questions designed to better understand your concerns and those of the provider who referred you
- Your provider will construct a family tree
- Your provider will take a medical history pertinent to the concerns you or your referring physician have
- If a physical examination is needed, a doctor will perform this
Sometimes a diagnosis can be made with the information gathered. If a diagnosis is made, your doctor will discuss that condition with you and may recommend some tests to confirm the diagnosis or investigate the diagnosis further.
If a specific diagnosis is not clear, there may be some tests recommended to investigate.
Sometimes it takes more than one appointment to understand a diagnosis.
If you have any questions about your visit or the information above, please call our office at:
858-966-5840
Video Visits (Telemedicine)
Ready to receive care from the comfort of your own home? Our Rady Children’s Specialists now offer video visits (telemedicine) from your computer or mobile device. Your physician can address many of your medical issues, prescribe new medications and refill medications. Save time by skipping the traffic and waiting room while still receiving exceptional care from your medical team. Learn more.
Preparing for Your Upcoming Telemedicine or In-Person Visit
Time with your child’s health care team is important, and we have resources to help you make the most of your upcoming specialty appointment. Learn how to get ready.