Genetic Counseling Assistant Experience - Grace Waldow

I work as a genetic counseling assistant (GCA) at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and I think this experience has been one of the most formative in my decision to pursue genetic counseling. I went to the University of Pittsburgh for my undergraduate degree and graduated in 2022, and then began my time as a student in the genetic counseling program here at Pitt the same year. I have worked as a GCA since October 2020 and have had many different roles within my position, as it has evolved with the needs of the clinic I work for. 

Originally, my responsibilities were very similar to that of a traditional GCA role. The clinic included five genetic counselors, and so I helped them call patients about insurance authorization, obtain medical records, mail letters and scripts, and track test results. In addition, the genetic counselors also had a utilization management role. Utilization management involves working with providers and genetic testing labs to ensure that appropriate genetic tests are ordered and that these tests are cost and time efficient. As a GCA, this means that a critical part of my role includes managing a database of genetic testing ordered in the hospital, and tracking certain types of tests for results and subsequent disclosures. Over time, the clinic has been restructured and now primarily has a laboratory role. Since I mostly work with the genetic testing database, I am able to be a part of several different research projects through the clinic. For example, I researched hearing loss panels ordered through the clinic and presented these findings with a genetic counselor to the Audiology department at the hospital. Currently, I am helping in a project that looks at the utility of whole exome sequencing in an inpatient setting. I hope to continue my work in the utilization management space, and am planning to pursue a related project for my thesis. 

I have learned a lot and gained many skills from my time as a GCA. Before working at the Children’s Hospital, I had limited experience interacting with patients or genetic counselors. However, I have now had the opportunity to talk to hundreds of patients and shadow several genetic counselors in different types of appointments. In addition, I have learned a lot about genetic testing methods and have become familiar with genetic tests that are commonly ordered in a pediatric setting. Working as a GCA is also interesting because I am able to see and experience parts of a genetic counselor’s job outside of direct patient care – and there are a lot! For example, genetic counselors work with insurance companies to get testing approved for their patients, coordinate genetic testing with providers, work through challenging cases with their fellow genetic counselors, and lead research projects about genetic testing. 

Although having a work position as a student is a considerable time commitment, it is an invaluable addition to the process of becoming a genetic counselor. My time as a GCA has allowed me to gain confidence in talking to patients, learn how to navigate clinical information, and nicely complements my coursework where I learn about genetics and genetic counseling. I am excited to continue in this position, and would recommend the experience to anyone interested in the field!