Student Spotlight: Elise Williams

I am a dual degree student in the Genetic Counseling and Public Health Genetics programs and in addition to the offering the dual degree plan option, I was drawn to the Pitt Genetic Counseling program’s model of clinical preparation called the “Confidence-Building Model”. We go from in-class learning and observing patient sessions to having simulated patient sessions before we start our clinical rotations. I have recently started summer clinical rotations and I have been reflecting on just about how far my class and I have come in less than a year!

The confidence building model is an educational framework that gradually provides us with skills and the space to try new things as we get more comfortable with transitioning from classroom learning to clinical work. We focus on classroom-based learning our first semester, transition to clinical education and simulations in our second semester, and then start clinical rotations in the summer before our second year. Starting with classroom learning gave us an educational foundation of genetics. As we all come from different backgrounds prior to joining the program, these courses helped us have a good starting baseline knowledge of genetic counseling.

In the second semester of the first year, we start observational rotations where we can observe pediatric and cancer genetic counseling sessions. Being able to observe these sessions helped me learn some things that are difficult to learn in a classroom, such as the structure of the different sessions, what the flow of a clinic looks like, and where I can keep my lunch! During the last month of our second semester, we also had an amazing opportunity to have simulated patient sessions. Each week for four weeks, we have the patient actors simulate a genetic counseling session. We divide the session up among a group of students to practice our genetic counseling skills and have the chance to ask them questions. These simulated patient sessions helped me feel more confident about presenting genetic information and helped me learn how to co-counsel with my classmates, which will be important in clinical rotations as we work with other genetic counselors to complete a patient session.

Our clinical rotations start in the summer, so I am currently in my third week of rotations (ever) in Prenatal genetics. Each day, I am learning new ways of counseling and given opportunities to try new things in patient sessions. Yesterday, I was discussing how a session had gone with a genetic counselor mentor. I told them that I felt I could have done a better job explaining a topic but that it was the first time I had discussed that topic with a patient. “You did fine!” they said, “that’s genetic counseling; you just practice, and practice, and you will change things a little bit each time you meet with a patient.” So, when will I have enough confidence to complete the model? This conversation made me realize that when you choose a career in genetic counseling, there is no end to the confidence building model! With constant adaptation of counseling styles as we have new experiences and learn new things about genetics, we will always be growing and changing to have the privilege of helping meet our patients’ needs.