Back to School…Again,  Part 3:

This summer we are sharing a series on our blog – we have asked the students who took some time off between undergraduate and graduate school to answer some questions about what this process was like for them.  In the third installment of “Back to school…Again” students answer the question: How has it felt to be a student again?

Being a student again has definitely made me more empathetic to my previous students!  I think the hardest part has been having to sit still for hours at a time, where I used to be up and about teaching for hours at a time.  I think (and hope!) that I’m doing a better job of being a student this time around.  I am much less shy, which has allowed me to engage more with the professors and get more out of the lectures and office hours than I did my first time around. 

– Sarah Brunker

It’s been both more humbling and more rewarding than I had anticipated. This program is such an immersive experience, and it has taken a lot of reflection to find the right balance. In fact, this is definitely still an ongoing challenge. My time out of school and my professional goals have shaped my perspective such that my coursework feels compelling in a way that my undergraduate career rarely did, as wonderful as it was. I’m learning how to manage feeling pulled in so many directions though, which seems to me like a generally good problem to have. – Caitlin Russell 

My students had a good laugh when I told them I’d be in their seats next year, and if I’m being honest, I’ve laughed at myself a few times since then too.  There have been some rookie mistakes—like choosing the freshman move in day to get my student ID—that have reminded me you will never truly be a professional student.  I think you expect to be better at it the second (or third) time around, but it’s important to remember to have a sense of humor and perspective about your return.  Because we’re human, there will be those times when you have to grab Dunkin for the third time that week because you keep forgetting your lunch or are really struggling to grasp a concept you know will be the main focus of the next exam.  On those days, it’s helpful to remember why you wanted to return and have some humility.  For me, empowering people in their healthcare decisions and having the constant opportunity for new knowledge were two of key reasons I applied.  I was able to remind myself that my struggle would be for my future patients and even the way we navigate our graduate school experience will inform our future practice. For the first month I had the urge to remind myself and others that I wasn’t “starting over.”  It was hard to feel like I hadn’t just walked away from a career and a salary to take on more student loans and be the newbie again.  It takes humility to be honest about the fact that in your previous life you may have been proficient in some things and in this new endeavor you are at the same level as everyone else who is starting the year with you.   Over the last year, I’ve been able to really embrace this semi-new beginning and soak in all that I can from my classmates and professors.  I have really enjoyed the opportunity to analyze and discuss topics I feel so passionately about. – Kelsey Bohnert 

It’s been a challenging and rewarding experience. I feel more immersed in school than I ever did as an undergraduate and I know the effort I’m putting into school will only benefit my professional growth and development. With that being said, it’s also important to find a balance, which I think is something the majority of grad students struggle with finding. I try to reward myself with a night off or something as simple as an early bedtime! – Alyssa Azevedo 

It has definitely been a change from having a 9-5 type job, because as a student you really always have something you should be or can be working on, so learning how to build time into your schedule for yourself can be hard (especially if you have a type A personality). I love to learn, so being a student again really agrees with me. In many ways it has been quite the change, because a full-time student schedule where I’m in class all day is pretty different, but my dog appears to be adjusting to my new schedule. – Natasha Robin Berman

It has been a stimulating and overwhelming experience. Entering the program, I hadn’t been a student for almost seven years- needless to say, I was a little rusty on note-taking and studying. It was an adjustment, but I started to treat it like any other job I’ve had, putting in the time and effort of 40+ hours a week, and it has paid off. Graduate school gives back what you put in, and I feel very strongly that I have gotten as much as I have given. I am a glutton for knowledge, so once I adjusted to school, I have been elated to be back in the classroom, soaking up the wisdom the amazing faculty at Pitt have to offer. – Charlotte Skinner

Back to School...Again Part 2 

Applying to graduate school is always an intense process and it can be daunting to think about going back to school once you have been out. Some of our second-year genetic counseling students answer questions about their choice to come back to school and their process to prepare as part of our six-part summer blog series. We continue with part two of our series and students answer the question: How did you prepare to apply to graduate school?

Before applying I requested informational interviews over the phone or through email with several of the genetic counseling program directors.  I spoke with several current genetic counselors in a variety of specialties.  I read about different training programs and hospital systems, and made a list of the different program attributes, including unique opportunities available and any prerequisites I may have been missing.  I took two courses online, which was really helpful in easing myself back into being a student again. – Sarah Brunker

I applied to work at a local company that I thought would put me in the center of the genetic testing world, offering to fill whatever position they would give me for that opportunity. I took a few relevant online courses and read a lot of books and articles. I also made sure to really appreciate my sleep and free time with family and friends. --Caitlin Russell

Research and excel sheets.  My classmates would probably describe me as laid back, but when I make big decisions like this, I really need to see all the options laid out.  I had sheets for different career choices that included educational requirements and job market projection, sheets for potential programs of interest with tuition and deadlines, and pro/con sheets for leaving my students.  I would spend a few hours each week looking over the options and really narrowing it down to options that seemed reasonable.  Once I had it down to 5 or so programs (including genetic counseling and some PhD programs), I reached out to people at the schools that could answer more personal questions.  I choose programs that would accept my past experience and undergraduate coursework, to avoid enrolling in more pre-requisite classes. By being deliberate about my applications, I was able to save time and money—things you will be grateful for in grad school. --Kelsey Bohnert

I found it helpful to give myself small goals and a general timeline. When you are working full-time, it isn’t easy to convince yourself to study for the GRE or work on your application and these are things you don’t want to wait on. More specific things I did to prepare, were to speak with as many genetic counselors as I could since shadowing opportunities were limited in my area. I also began volunteering and strengthening my application through advocacy experiences. – Alyssa Azevedo 

I, personally, had to take quite a few courses that I didn’t take during my undergraduate career as a political science person. So for this I actually went back to school before I came back to school. This was really helpful to prep because I took all of the prerequisite classes in about two years, which meant it was all very fresh. I also talked to any genetic counselor who would talk to me, I couldn’t shadow all of them (because of privacy guidelines it can be tricky getting people to shadow) but at one point I emailed just about every genetic counselor  who was open to student contact in my state. I lucked out because two of them did let me intern with them and it was wonderful experience! I also tried to talk to current students, especially in the programs I was looking at to try to get a feel for what day to day life as a student would be like. I also listened to some genetics podcasts and read so many books (I actually asked most genetic counselors if they had any good book recommendations and they always did). I always recommend Far From the Tree! – Natasha Robin Berman

My job was integral in helping me prepare for the genetic counseling graduate program; the professional skills and scientific knowledge I acquired in my first career remain invaluable to my success, in and out of the classroom. I also had the opportunity to shadow two wonderful genetic counselors, who helped solidify my confidence in genetic counseling as the right career for me.--Charlotte Skinner