Student Spotlight: Experiences Beginning Clinical Rotations

Here at the University of Pittsburgh, genetic counseling students begin their clinical rotations the summer after their first year. Students start out in a variety of settings and specialties, so each student has a unique experience. Read more about how we've adapted to these new steps in becoming a genetic counselor! 

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