Dr. Gerald L. Feldman, MD, Ph.D., is both Director of Clinical Genetics Services at Wayne State University School of Medicine and a professor in the departments of pathology, pediatrics, and molecular medicine and genetics, as well as the Medical Director of the Division of Laboratory Genetics and Molecular Pathology at the Detroit Medical Center-University Laboratories. Dr. Feldman received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Indiana University (1975), followed by his master’s degree in medical genetics from Indiana University School of Medicine (1977). Dr. Feldman earned his doctor of philosophy in human genetics from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Human Genetics (1981), followed by his doctor of medicine from the same university (1984). Dr. Feldman completed a Baylor College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals residency program at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston (1984-1987), and a Baylor College of Medicine Institute for Molecular Genetics postdoctoral fellowship in clinical genetics and clinical biochemical/molecular genetics (1987-1990).
Currently, Dr. Gerald Feldman is the American College of Medical Genetics president-elect, as well as the Program Director for the Newborn Screening Metabolic Management Program at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Dr. Feldman is also the Program Director for the Medical Genetics Residency and the Medical Biochemical Genetics Fellowship programs at the Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Feldman’s special interest in medical genetics education led to his involvement as co-organizer of the first Banbury Summit (2004) on the future of medical genetics training. He was President of the Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics (APHMG) from 2006-2008 and has been chair and member of Michigan’s Genetic Advisory, Newborn Screening, and Metabolic Quality Improvement committees. To date, Dr. Feldman has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and reviews.
When did you first decide to become a doctor? Why?
I wrote an assignment in grade school titled, “Why I want to be a doctor when I grow up,” so my goal was always to be a physician (as long as I wasn’t going to make it as a professional baseball player). [Obviously] my interest in genetics didn’t occur till much later.
How/why did you choose the medical school you attended?
I was working on my Ph.D. in Human Genetics at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. I was not quite finished with my Ph.D. when I applied to medical school at the same institution. Fortunately, I was accepted into medical school and they allowed me to start medical school while completing my Ph.D., so it was logical to remain at that same institution to complete my Ph.D. It was a great opportunity to do both.
What surprised you the most about your medical school studies?
I was surprised by the volume of material that needed to be memorized during the first two years. I knew that once I got through those years, the third and fourth years would be much better, and they were.
Why did you decide to specialize in medical genetics?
[As previously mentioned] I developed an interest in human/medical genetics during my undergraduate years and was therefore working on my Ph.D. in human genetics when I decided to apply to medical school. I chose that path because I was most interested in the clinical applications of genetics in medicine, so medical genetics was a logical choice.
If you had it to do all over again, would you still become a medical geneticist? (Why or why not? What would you have done instead?)
Yes, absolutely I would do it again. There is no other specialty of medicine that is as exciting as medical genetics – it allows the opportunity to be a physician at the cutting edge of medicine, combining new discoveries with new opportunities for diagnosis and treatment of diseases throughout the lifespan. It has allowed me to have a wonderful family life and professional career. I cannot envision doing anything else.
Has being a medical geneticist met your expectations? Why?
Yes, it has absolutely met my expectations. It is the specialty that is applicable to all areas of medicine and continues to evolve with new discoveries every day.
What do you like most about being a medical geneticist?
I like the opportunity to learn new things every day and the opportunity to incorporate those into everyday clinical practice.
What do you like least about being a medical geneticist?
The same thing that I like most is also something that is a challenge every day – to keep up with all that is happening in medical genetics. Because the field is changing so rapidly, it is hard to always be aware of new discoveries, new treatments, new disorders, etc.
What was it like finding a job in your chosen career field? What were your options and why did you decide what you did?
There were many jobs available at the time I was finishing my training. I chose a position that allowed me to have independence in developing a new molecular diagnostic laboratory and practice clinical genetics in a location that was relatively close to our families. Similarly, for our current graduating residents, there are many job options for each of them. They are highly recruited and highly sought after.
Describe a typical day at work.
Every day is different – there is no such thing as a typical day for a clinical geneticist. Every patient is different, every genetic diagnosis is different. Being a geneticist allows one to intertwine clinical skills, teaching skills, and research skills into each day. It is the most exciting part of being a geneticist and is quite different than other specialties.
On average: How many hours a week do you work? How many hours do you sleep per night? How many weeks of vacation do you take?
Genetics is a specialty that allows one to have a relatively normal family life because there is no in-house call or frequent after-hour calls. Of course, certain groups of patients do require 24-hour/seven-day availability. I sleep an average number of hours each night and take the amount of vacation allowed at our institution.
Are you satisfied with your income? Explain.
Yes. An “urban legend” is that clinical geneticists are poorly paid. In today’s specialized medical practice, a clinical geneticist’s salary is obviously not at the level of a surgeon, but the relative shortage of trained clinical geneticists has allowed salaries to become very competitive with other non-surgical specialties.
If you took out educational loans, is/was paying them back a financial strain? Explain.
I did not take out educational loans, but that certainly is an issue for any medical student in this day and age. Medical genetics is no different in that regard compared to other specialties.
In your position now, knowing what you do – what would you say to yourself when you started your medical career?
I would say that I would never have expected the technology to diagnose genetic disorders to have evolved and improved so quickly over the last 20 years. This has revolutionized our field and is not something anybody was prepared for. I would tell any new trainee to expect that to continue.
What information/advice do you wish you had known when you were beginning your medical studies?
I suppose that one can never be prepared for the long haul that it takes to complete medical school, residency, and fellowship, but that is something I wished somebody would have sat me down to discuss. It would not have changed my career plans, but certainly, I would have been better prepared.
From your perspective, what is the biggest problem in health care today?
Patients without insurance – it leads to patients being unable or afraid to obtain appropriate medical care. Our country should be doing a much better job of taking care of our own people.
Where do you see medical genetics in five to 10 years?
Genetics will continue to evolve and will become a part of everyday clinical practice that will reach across all medical specialties. Medical geneticists will be uniquely positioned to be the leaders in medicine moving forward.
What types of outreach/volunteer work do you do, if any?
Working with parent organizations, giving talks at specific meetings and volunteering time with national organizations, such as the American College of Medical Genetics.
Do you have a family? If so, do you have enough time to spend with them? How do you balance work and life outside of work?
Yes. Like anybody else, I do my best to devote time to friends and family. It is not impossible to do if one is committed to doing so.
Do you have any final piece of advice for students interested in pursuing medical genetics as a career?
This is the best time to be a medical geneticist – there is no field that is growing as quickly as ours and there is no other area of medicine that holds the key to diagnosis and management of both common and rare diseases.
Want to know more about medical genetics? Check out our other articles:
- Q&A with Dr. Shane Quinonez, Pediatric Geneticist
- Genetics Education: Training Physicians for the Future of Healthcare
- 20 Questions: David Epstein, Author of The Sports Gene
Juliet Farmer is a writer with over 19 years of experience in various industries and a contributor to numerous consumer and trade publications and websites.