A Reflection on NSGC 2020

In mid-November, our students virtually attended the 39^th Annual National Society of Genetic Counselors Conference. The NSGC conference “showcases advancements across the breadth of the genetic counseling profession to provide education and build community.” In this blog, our students reflect on their experience as first-time attendees and the switch from an in-person to virtual conference.

 

 

“One of the silver-linings of a virtual conference is the fact that all sessions were recorded! There were so many interesting talks, and I was able to attend all of the ones on my list by watching them live and recorded. I learned a lot of information about hot topics in genetic counseling and heard from a variety of speakers from different backgrounds. Although we couldn’t be in Nashville, it was still a conference to remember!”

-Megan Czekalski, Class of 2021

 

“I enjoyed that there was so much information concerning whole genome sequencing, which is a main focus of my thesis. The topic was mainly introduced by laboratories but was then discussed openly by genetic counselors, so it was interesting to hear both viewpoints. It also helps that everything was virtual, so I was able to download all of the associated materials and make notes on the chats.”

-Julia Gerow, Class of 2021

 

“I was very thankful to have a roommate who is also in the program because we tried to make the most of watching the conference sessions from our apartment by casting some of the sessions to our TV. Doing that, paired with breaking out our current knitting/crocheting projects, helped break up the monotony of looking at a computer all day. It was even better when we did a group zoom with other current students and program leadership for the main sessions - it made it feel a little more like we were watching the sessions in a group setting like we would have in Nashville, and we were able to have some great conversations!”

-Trinity Sprague, Class of 2021

 

“NSGC was super interesting, and the number of topics that I got to see in just a few short days was absolutely thrilling. I made sure to take down what notes I could in my handy dandy notebook for reference and review. However, I think what I enjoyed most about my first NSGC experience was the amount of networking that I got to do. It was so humbling to see the great work that GCs across the world are putting in to advance the field. I was inspired to reinvigorate my Twitter, got in touch with fellow GCs to gather research and resources to keep the learning going post-NSGC, and loved getting a chance to meet Pitt alumni for bingo and casual break-outs. In short, I didn’t think networking could be this fun. Thanks, NSGC!”

-Frank Swann, Class of 2022

 

“Although I was sad not to be in Nashville, I really enjoyed NSGC. The presentations were all super interesting and informative. I loved hearing Gunnar Esiason’s story because it was such a personal insight into the experiences and feelings shared by many of our patients. I also appreciated that I could watch some of the longer, pre-recorded sessions in shorter intervals, which wouldn’t have been possible in an in-person presentation.”

-Chelsey Walsh, Class of 2021