When I was furloughed at the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020, it was a time for me to reflect on where I was in life and reassess where I wanted to be heading. Genetic counseling had been on my mind for a little while, but the pandemic granted me the time to do a deep dive on the profession and see if this was the career for me. I decided that it was! I quickly found out, though, that shadowing opportunities were unavailable in Pittsburgh, understandably due to the pandemic, which meant that all my genetic counseling exposure came from other forms of experiences.
Informational interviews were a big part of me learning about genetic counseling. I used the Find a Genetic Counselor search function on the NSGC website to see which genetic counselors in my area were interested in speaking with students. Plenty of emails were sent, and six genetic counselors from all different fields found time to speak with me and answer my very long list of questions, for which I will always be grateful for.
There were a couple of different series on YouTube that I watched, that helped me see for myself what a genetic counseling session would often look like. The NSGC Master Genetic Counselor Series and the Genetic Counseling in Action video series were great ways to see what genetic counseling involves with a patient. Over time, I went back to the sessions and watched them again and as my exposure to the field grew, I could point out different elements and aspects of the appointment. Another series that I watched was the Voices of Genetic Counselors video series. These videos were very useful in seeing the impact that genetic counselors could have on their patients and the impact that patients have on genetic counselors’ lives.
A silver lining of the pandemic was that a lot of exposure days and genetic counseling conferences went online, which meant that I was able to attend these events from all over the country without having to leave my home. Some of the annual education conferences I attended were hosted by the Pennsylvania Association of Genetic Counselors, Southern California Genetic Counselors, Michigan Association of Genetic Counselors, and Canadian Association of Genetic Counselors. I attended prospective student days online including Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Genetic Counseling Virtual Career Day, the DNA Sample Day with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and the Geisinger Genetic Counseling Open House. The Twitter and Instagram genetic counseling communities were also great at promoting these kinds of events, so following relevant accounts that promoted virtual events was helpful (these change cycle to cycle, so search to see who has an active account currently). Webinars for professional development also took off in 2020 and these were a great opportunity to get a short insight into a particular topic.
Listening to genetic counseling podcasts on long walks really helped to cure my pandemic cabin fever! There are some fantastic genetics specific podcasts out there, including from the perspective of the genetic counselor, the patient perspective and about current professional issues. Patient Stories with Grey Genetics had a big impact on how I started to think about genetic counseling, because it really opened my eyes to the patient’s side of the story and the impact that genetic diagnoses can have on a patient and/or family. The NSGC Podcast Series gave me a great view into the life of a genetic counselor. Recently I have been listening to The Beagle Has Landed and GC Chat, which both give thought provoking perspectives on topical professional genetic counseling issues and recently seen cases.
Finally, I would like to highlight how helpful it was to meet with Pitt’s faculty during virtual appointment hours that were specifically dedicated for prospective students. These sessions really helped me to get a feel for the program and the faculty involved, and I got vital feedback on how my application was progressing.
In some ways, I am thankful that my exposure to the genetic counseling field began during the pandemic because I believe it truly broadened my view of genetics and genetic counseling. It made me seek out of different ways to gain exposure to the field, which ultimately allowed me to see and hear presentations about topics that I would never have otherwise been able to.
-Lucy Galea
