Student Experience: Precision Medicine Clinic

Dr. Mylynda Massart is a primary care physician who sees patients at UPMC Matilda Theiss Family Health Center and has a special interest in genetics. The genetic counseling students are fortunate to have a three-week rotation with her in our second year. Over the summer, Dr. Massart started a precision medicine clinic; its purpose is to see patients with genetic conditions, family histories that might indicate a genetic condition, and/or need a genetic test ordered. Some of our second year students who have rotated in this clinic share their experiences.

Dr. Massart’s precision medicine clinic is still in it’s “dream stage” as she likes to put it, but currently is taking a small number of patient referrals. As a student, rotating through this clinic offered me the unique opportunity to get involved with the administrative and organizational processes required to get a clinic off the ground. By attending meetings, reviewing literature, and creating forms, I got a small taste of what Dr. Massart and her team’s vision was turning out to be. And it’s exciting! I even got to speak to and gather family histories from some of their patients. The idea that genetic testing can direct medication management for patients has been around for a while now, but Dr. Massart and her team are doing a great job at making this idea a reality.

-Andrew Fazenbaker

I had the honor of attending Dr. Massart’s first precision medicine clinic! One patient actually had two rare genetic disorders but no genetic testing due to a number of barriers preventing this individual from being seen by medical genetics. With Dr. Massart, I was able to take a detailed intake for this patient and give an overview of genetic testing. Dr. Massart plans to order the genetic testing this patient needs through the precision medicine clinic. It was very exciting to see firsthand the impact this clinic will have on individuals living with a number of genetic disorders. I am excited to see this clinic grow and help a large population of people with genetic disorders who need a PCP experienced in genetic disorders.

-Sarah McGee

Being able to spend time in Dr. Massart’s primary care clinic has been an eye opening experience.  I never had any idea of how much work it takes to set up a clinic, never mind all the other clinical and research work that Dr. Massart does on a day to day basis.  My favorite part of spending time in her clinic thus far is collaborating with medical students and teaching them about what “red flags” we look for in families to assess genetic risk.  It highlights how collaborative Dr. Massart’s clinic will be and the need for integration of genetics into primary care. She is truly changing the game and it is exciting to be a part of it.

-Christine Drogan

In Dr. Massart’s clinic, I had the opportunity to share my interest in genetics with other PCPs, nurses, medical students, pharmacists and pharmacy students. It became evident at a Precision Medicine meeting how important working as a multidisciplinary team is when we were researching pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing companies. One of the companies we were discussing briefly mentioned genetic counseling as an option following testing. I researched how many others did the same. Of the five companies offering PGx that we were investigating, only one required genetic counseling. Two companies recommended genetic counseling, of which one added it as a “complementary” service with purchase of the test. The remaining two companies did not mention genetic counseling on their website at all. The fields of precision medicine and pharmacogenomics are rapidly becoming integrated into our healthcare system. Many genetic counselors have little formal training in pharmacy or pharmacogenomics which is why it is so important for us to continue collaborating, learning from and educating our healthcare provider teammates. Dr. Massart is a fantastic person to lead the charge.

-Rose Venier

Student Work Position: Genetic Counselor Assistant at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Currently, I work as a genetic counselor assistant (GCA) at The UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. I have been in this position for approximately 2 years, and over this time period, the position has evolved and fostered the development of skills that I will be using in my future career as a genetic counselor.

When I began the position in 2017, it was the first year Children’s Hospital hired GCA’s. In the beginning, we were given tasks such as creating patient lists, scanning documents in to the EMR, mailing letters for the genetic counselors, and submitting authorizations to insurance companies. Over time our responsibilities with the position have grown. Now, our responsibilities include interacting with patients over the phone, taking pedigrees for the genetic counselors, completing test requisitions, disclosing normal test results, and writing patient materials. The growth of the position at Children’s Hospital is an example of the benefits of a genetic counseling assistant position. Over the years our job has evolved based on the needs of the genetic counselors, and we, as GCA’s, have also been able to grow and develop as well.

As a current genetic counseling student I could not imagine a better position throughout graduate school. My schedule has changed constantly over the last two and a half years, and this position has provided me with a great deal of flexibility. It has been reassuring to know that I work in an office that is understanding of my schedule. I am able to work around my class and clinic responsibilities, which has made it feasible to balance work and school. While at work, I am able to practice a variety of skills that I have learned in the classroom as well as in the clinic. It gives me the opportunity to stay immersed in the field and hone skills that I will be utilizing as a genetic counselor in only a few short months.

The team at Children’s Hospital is comprised of many wonderful and supportive members who are committed to fostering the growth and development of the GCAs. I am thankful for my time as a GCA and believe it has helped prepared me for the genetic counseling profession.

Ashley Lahr 

2nd year Genetic Counseling student