I think clinical rotations are a part of the
program we all look forward to as soon as we’re matched to a program,
especially because at Pitt we spend the summer before second year, and the
entire second year, focused mainly on rotations. I was really excited to get
started but I was having some self doubt that I was actually ready. We’ve
learned so much over the first year but at least for me, I still felt “Was this
enough for me to work with patients?” Now that we’re a few months into
rotations, the answer is yes. Of course you’re never going to know everything
and you’re going to learn so much while actually rotating, but it’s so
important to have confidence in the material you do know. Give yourself the credit you deserve and trust yourself
because as soon as you do, your sessions will start to have more of a flow.
-Julia Knapo
Starting clinical rotations this summer was
incredibly exciting, but also quite nerve-wracking. I was worried that I wouldn’t
know what to do when I got into a real session with a patient. Though there was
definitely a learning curve, it didn’t take me as long as I expected to start
feeling comfortable. My first rotation was cancer, which is the rotation where
we spend three weeks at the AHN clinic site and six weeks at the UPMC clinic
site. The counselors at each site worked with me to make sure that I felt
prepared before taking on new roles in the sessions. This gradual buildup of
responsibilities helped me feel more capable and confident. I was able to
become comfortable doing each part of the session before taking on the
responsibility of doing a full session. Overall, although there were a lot of
nerves along the way, I was surprised by how much I was able to do in that
first rotation. I feel so grateful for the exposure we got to such a wide
variety of patients in this rotation. I can’t believe we’re done with our first
rotation block already, time really does fly!
-Savannah Binion
Admittedly, I was a
little nervous about starting clinical rotations because COVID-19 really
limited students’ ability to observe and “get in the zone” prior to starting.
However, supervisors throughout my first rotation at UPMC Magee-Womens for the
past nine weeks have been so supportive and understanding of student
experiences that I have felt confident and adventurous in my ability to take on
new parts of the counseling session. Of course, there have been challenging
sessions - the most cringe-worthy coming to mind is when I case-prepped for the
wrong indication based on some confusion in the contact notes (and for a
telehealth visit, no less)! I was a complete ball of nerves, but the supervisor
working with me that day did such a great job of normalizing feelings about a
rocky session. She also reminded me that every session is a new chance to
improve and restart feelings about an emotional or difficult case. I was able
to pick up the pieces and keep moving with my head held high throughout the
rest of the day! All of this is to say: lean on your supervisors. This is one
of many scenarios when the counselors around me gave me wholesome, realistic
advice about how to improve my counseling style. Find one, two, three people
you can come to when you are feeling overwhelmed or need additional guidance.
Without question, invested mentors are a large part of the reason I made it
through my first rotation feeling good about my techniques so far and eager to
improve!
-Frank Swann
Beginning clinical
rotations was an exciting time for myself, as I felt like we had prepared all
year in classes for this time. I started my rotation in the cancer genetics
department which was a benefit for me, as I had worked in cancer genetics as a
GCA for the two years prior to school starting. Jumping into rotations was a
big learning curve, but I learned that the rotations documents provided coupled
with a planner are my new best friends. For the incoming class, I would highly
recommend knowing what you need to do before each rotation starts and making
sure to complete the assignments as far in advance as you can, as that really
saves you from unnecessary stresses further into the rotation block.
-Natalie Tri
After
finishing the spring semester, I knew clinical rotations were the next step,
and I remember feeling excited but also still slightly unsure of myself. Would
I be able to adjust and handle the demands of clinic life? These feelings were
dismissed once I started my rotation and met all of the wonderful supervisors
that would be guiding me through this process. My first rotation was in
pediatrics at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. This rotation was
certainly a lot of work, especially in prepping for patients. I think it is
important to be organized and reach out to the supervising GC in a timely manner
to be sure you are prepared for the case. Overall, it has been quite empowering
to take everything I have learned over the last year and begin to apply it in
the clinic setting. There is certainly an adjustment when starting rotations,
but I think it is important to trust yourself and be confident in the knowledge
you have been building throughout the program.
-Maria
Rhine
Starting clinical
rotations was exciting and nerve wracking! I knew that the courses taught in
the first year prepared me to start rotations, but I was still nervous. I
started my rotations in pediatrics at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Starting in pediatrics was definitely a challenge and a lot of work outside of
the clinic to prepare for your cases. This rotation allowed me to slowly build
my skill set and all of the Genetic Counselors were very supportive with their
feedback. One of the biggest things I am taking away from my pediatric rotation
is that I need to be confident in myself and the material we have learned over
the past year.
-Kristen D’Aquila
I was excited and
nervous to enter my second year and to start clinical rotation. My rotations
began with specialty rotation, thesis block, and primary care & precision
medicine (PCPM). I was glad to be eased into rotation with observation since we
had little to no observational experience in our first year due to COVID-19.
During the thesis block, it definitely felt like I was falling behind from
everyone else for not having as many counseling experiences. However, the
primary care rotation became one of the huge learning curves for me to start
catching up. It is important not to compare your progress and improvement with
your peers as each one of us will have unique schedules and learning
experiences.
-Aika Miikeda
My first rotations
included three weeks of Specialty, Primary Care/Genetic Testing Clinic,
followed by three weeks on thesis. I was nervous going into the Primary Care rotation
because unlike Specialty rotation (which was mostly observational), Pricary
Care engaged students’ participation quite early because we only had three
weeks in this block. I got a little overwhelmed during my first week but
started to get more comfortable once I went through the process of thinking
things through when articulating genetic concepts to patients, facilitating
decision-making, and especially analyzing different elements of cases to come
up with a plan. I was grateful for specific feedback from my Genetic Counselor
Advisors, who wanted to help us learn and always responded enthusiastically to
my eagerness in learning. One takeaway for me after the Primary Care rotation
is that open-mindedness and not being afraid to jump into or try new things
will help me make the most out of the learning experience, and I will try to
keep up such spirit in the upcoming rotations.
-Phuc Do
Starting rotations
can be a challenging time because you’re trying to find a new routine. I
started my rotations at West Penn prenatal, which I would say is one of the
easier rotations. I would recommend keeping a log of the assignments that are
due for each rotation. Also be flexible, try not to jam pack your weekly
schedule. Sometimes patients no-show or you see a procedure, so you’ll want to
make sure you leave room to make up patients if needed. Rotations are a great
time to learn and apply your classroom knowledge in a clinical setting.
Remember to have fun and be open to feedback. Also, don’t forget to talk to
your classmates and second year buddies for support!
-Haley Soller
Like my classmates,
I was excited and nervous to start clinical rotations! Having just completed my
first rotation at Magee, I can reflect on how much I’ve been able to learn,
build new skills, and apply coursework in a clinical setting. I also felt like
the rotation process has taught me a lot about myself and what I want to
accomplish as a genetic counselor. Though this experience is challenging, I try
to remind myself that this is part of the process of becoming a genetic counselor,
and as I continue to learn and take more roles in sessions, my confidence
grows. I also find it helpful to remind myself that every GC has been in the
same position we are as rotating students. I’m so grateful to our program
leadership, clinical supervisors, and classmates who are there to support us
every step of the way.
-Lauren Garcia
Starting rotations
this summer was exciting, especially after a whole year of everything being
virtual. It has been so nice to step out from behind the computer screen and
start applying the knowledge and skills we spent so much time building during
the first year of classes. That being said, it has also been a very challenging
experience. My first rotation was with the pediatric genetics clinic at UPMC
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. This rotation is incredibly busy and
definitely a lot of work. Preparation for these cases is very involved and
there are many assignments to keep track of. I have found staying organized to
be extremely important. Pediatrics also tends to have a higher rate of
no-shows, so I recommend trying to be flexible with your schedule since you may
need to make-up cases. Remember that your classmates, supervisors, and program
leadership are there to help you succeed!
-Elizabeth Bombal
One thing I really
liked about Pitt’s program when I was applying was the confidence-building
model, where our first year is primarily coursework and our second year is
primarily rotations. This also means that entering my first rotation was a
complete change of pace and a huge learning curve! Despite some of the bumps in
the road, I’ve had a lot of incredible experiences and I’ve grown so much just
over the course of one rotation. Learning to be a real genetic counselor and
put all this didactic learning into practice has been challenging and very
rewarding, and makes me more certain than ever that this is the field I’m meant
to go into.
-Bailey Sasseville
