The American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) board of directors has voted to add the word "Genomics" to its name, thereby changing the name to "American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics" officially. The change will go into effect at the 2012 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics meeting in March 2012.
The ACMG acronym will remain the same. The ACMG was founded in 1991 in recognition of the importance of the genetic approach to diagnosis, management, and prevention of disease, maintaining health, and improving the quality of life for all people. The addition of Genomics to the name recognizes the increasingly central role of medical genomics and its importance alongside genetics in fulfilling the mission of the ACMG.
"Although medical geneticists have used genomic tools for a long time, the vastly increased power of the genomic approach has made it more and more vital to the practice of medical genetics. Adding the term ‘Genomics’ to the ACMG name at this time recognizes the importance of genomics today, and especially for the future, in both the clinical and laboratory practice of the medical geneticist," said Wayne W. Grody, MD, Ph.D., FACMG, president of The American College of Medical Genetics.
Source: American College of Medical Genetics
