Student Spotlight: Natalie Tri

 

Everyone who is interested in the field of genetic counseling knows how competitive the graduate programs are. Over the years, it has been increasingly more difficult to apply and get into grad school directly out of undergrad. Many applicants are having to find work related to the field for a couple years after school to help build their applications up. I was one of those students who had attempted to apply to grad school straight out of undergrad and did not even get so much as an interview at any of the schools I applied to.

Afterwards, I started to look for work in the field and learned about a genetic counseling assistant position at Allegheny Health Network. I started as a GCA in July of 2018 and learned that I was the first GCA the program had ever had. This was a really cool experience to be a part of because not only did I get to grow my own skill set and learn more about the world of genetic counseling, but I got to shape the future of the genetic counseling assistant position. With a second GCA who joined, I supported six genetic counselors. As a GCA I got to learn more about the full experience of being a genetic counselor. Genetic counselors are not only responsible for seeing patients, but there is a whole host of additional responsibilities including putting in genetic testing orders, verifying insurance claims and getting insurance authorization, and tracking down old patient and family records. This work is what many students who shadow a genetic counselor are unaware of. My position allowed me to see the inner workings of the job that I hoped to do one day.

As a new GCA, I also got to help build the future of the jobs. Many of the counselors had never worked with a GCA before, which was a good experience for the counselors as well. I got to be there for them and show them that a GCA was capable of putting in test orders, getting insurance authorization and tracking down patient records. These were all things that the genetic counselors had been doing for themselves. I was also thankful to be able to have opportunities as a genetic counseling assistant that I would not have had in another position. I was able to help the counselors with various research projects and ended up getting three posters at national genetic counseling conferences over the two years I worked as a GCA. I also was fortunate enough to collaborate on a published paper with a physician at AHN as well.

Overall, my experience as a GCA gave me valuable insight into the field as a whole and allowed me to have numerous opportunities that furthered my career as a GCA and boosted my applications for grad school. I am so thankful to be able to have had the opportunities I did and the experiences I had the ability to work with genetic counselors and make connections with individuals in the field who would eventually become my colleagues. For anyone who is considering applying to grad school for genetic counseling, I would strongly recommend considering working as a GCA for a year or two. This experience is an invaluable one and can really help strengthen your future application.

-Natalie Tri