From Classroom to Clinic: Reflections from My First Rotation - Grace Ferrell

    One of my favorite things about Pitt’s genetic counseling program is our confidence building model, where first year students are primarily immersed in the classroom before heading into clinical rotations during the summer months and for the remainder of our training. I personally appreciated the time I had to learn the majority of information needed prior to seeing patients. While this allowed me to really focus on content, the transition from classroom to clinic is one that took me time to adjust to. It’s for this reason that I want to share some pearls of wisdom that I’ve gleaned from my first eight weeks as a genetic counseling intern at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

1) Your brain has got your back, and when in doubt, so do your supervisors! 

    One of the biggest obstacles for me when starting my pediatric rotation was the worry that I wouldn’t have all the answers and that by not having them, I would negatively impact a session. As I observed more sessions and witnessed genetic counselors handle tough questions, I learned a few things. I quickly learned that a challenging question is an opportunity to build rapport with patients. It can be beneficial to answer what you can of a patient's question, using the knowledge gained in the classroom, and then defer to the supervising genetic counselor. Alternatively, mention that you will look into it and get back to them as soon as possible. I think this can show patients that you are listening and care about their question, while also wanting to not speak out of turn. By recognizing my role as a learner, a lot of the pressure of having all the answers fell away, and I was reassured that there were ways to get the information needed.

2) A genetic counselor’s best friend isn’t their dog - it's OMIM, GeneReviews, ClinVar, and Google!

    Speaking of finding answers, this rotation showed me firsthand how genetic counselors utilize their resources to provide accurate information for their patients. Luckily for Pitt GC students, we have a whole bioinformatics course that helps us understand what platform and databases we can frequent to learn about a condition or variant of interest. Along with helpful bioinformatic tools, Google was an unexpected life saver as daily I would be learning about a new condition with associated clinical features that I had never heard of before. A sticky note with definitions of medical terminology was always nice to have in my back pocket. 

3)Feedback is your friend!

    Going into this first rotation, I knew I was going to be receiving feedback to a level to which I wasn’t accustomed. This can understandably bring about feelings of apprehension when you aren’t sure what to expect. However, any feelings of nervousness quickly dissolved when reflecting on a case and possible areas of improvement. Not only do genetic counselors already have an innate skill set for providing feedback in a respectful and comfortable manner, but what they shared often was so insightful and genuinely helped in aiding the development of my skills. If I received feedback I wasn’t expecting or didn’t understand, it was really helpful to walk through my thought process with the supervising GC to address how my thinking could be adjusted. Overall, I felt most proud when receiving feedback in one session and being able to immediately make the changes in the following one. Constructive criticism provides an opportunity to learn and grow.

Along with some of my favorite lessons listed above, these weeks have continuously reminded me of the importance of self-care and the utilization of one’s support systems. In order to show up for patients, it’s important to show up for oneself! Lastly, I’d like to thank all the genetic counselors out there who support GC students in developing our skills and confidence in the clinic.