The Provincial Medical Genetics Program provides children and adults, including pregnant people, with personalized information, support and care to help them make informed decisions about their health.
The clinic focuses on assessing the risk for genetic conditions and ensures that patients understand their options and results in a compassionate and respectful environment.
We serve patients from across British Columbia and the Yukon, excluding Vancouver Island residents who are served by the
Victoria Genetics Clinic.
We provide the following services:
- Diagnosing genetic conditions and providing information regarding these diagnoses
- Offering genetic counselling to help individuals to understand and navigate their diagnosis, including clarifying test results and assessing the risks of inherited conditions
We have two distinct referral pathways: one for pregnant individuals, and one for non-pregnant patients. Individuals need a referral from their health care provider (such as a family doctor, nurse practitioner, midwife or specialist) to access care at this clinic.
For referral information, visit the appropriate referral page below:
For pregnancy assessments, prior to your appointment with the Medical Genetics team, we may schedule you for an ultrasound appointment. Find out more about the
Fetal Diagnosis Service.
If the consultation is about a concern for a family member(s), the patient should request the relative to sign the
release of information form (PDF). Ideally, please provide them to our program at least 2 weeks prior to the appointment.
A typical appointment in our clinic is approximately 1 to 1.5 hours in length. You should plan to arrive early to allow time for parking, locating our clinic and registration. We recommend bringing a support person with you. If requested, we can arrange an interpreter.
During the appointment, we will review your medical and family history, and may perform a physical exam depending on the reason for the clinic visit. After the assessment, the team will discuss the possible causes of the condition and the options available for testing, if applicable. If we make a diagnosis, we will provide further recommendations and suggest resources for ongoing support; we will also send a summary letter back to the referring provider.
Please check in with our receptionist, and if possible, please bring the following to the appointment:
- Care card or other health care coverage, and picture ID for yourself and each individual participating in the appointment
- Current address and phone number(s)
- Family doctor name(s) and other health care professionals involved in care
- Emergency contact information
If the appointment is by phone or telehealth, please ensure you are in a quiet and private place before starting the appointment.
Our hours of service are from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, Entrance #77
Medical Genetics Clinic
Main floor, Room C234
4500 Oak Street
Vancouver, BC
V6H 3N1
Phone: 604-875-2157
Main fax: 604-875-2825
Prenatal fax: 604-875-3484
Please call us as soon as possible if you need to change or cancel your appointment so that we are able to utilize and rebook all available appointment times.
Please note, the medical genetics clinic is separate from the genetics laboratory, thus we may not have access to testing performed in the Genome Diagnostics Lab at BC Children’s Hospital.
