Back to School…Again,  Part 3:

This summer we are sharing a series on our blog – we have asked the students who took some time off between undergraduate and graduate school to answer some questions about what this process was like for them.  In the third installment of “Back to school…Again” students answer the question: How has it felt to be a student again?

Being a student again has definitely made me more empathetic to my previous students!  I think the hardest part has been having to sit still for hours at a time, where I used to be up and about teaching for hours at a time.  I think (and hope!) that I’m doing a better job of being a student this time around.  I am much less shy, which has allowed me to engage more with the professors and get more out of the lectures and office hours than I did my first time around. 

– Sarah Brunker

It’s been both more humbling and more rewarding than I had anticipated. This program is such an immersive experience, and it has taken a lot of reflection to find the right balance. In fact, this is definitely still an ongoing challenge. My time out of school and my professional goals have shaped my perspective such that my coursework feels compelling in a way that my undergraduate career rarely did, as wonderful as it was. I’m learning how to manage feeling pulled in so many directions though, which seems to me like a generally good problem to have. – Caitlin Russell 

My students had a good laugh when I told them I’d be in their seats next year, and if I’m being honest, I’ve laughed at myself a few times since then too.  There have been some rookie mistakes—like choosing the freshman move in day to get my student ID—that have reminded me you will never truly be a professional student.  I think you expect to be better at it the second (or third) time around, but it’s important to remember to have a sense of humor and perspective about your return.  Because we’re human, there will be those times when you have to grab Dunkin for the third time that week because you keep forgetting your lunch or are really struggling to grasp a concept you know will be the main focus of the next exam.  On those days, it’s helpful to remember why you wanted to return and have some humility.  For me, empowering people in their healthcare decisions and having the constant opportunity for new knowledge were two of key reasons I applied.  I was able to remind myself that my struggle would be for my future patients and even the way we navigate our graduate school experience will inform our future practice. For the first month I had the urge to remind myself and others that I wasn’t “starting over.”  It was hard to feel like I hadn’t just walked away from a career and a salary to take on more student loans and be the newbie again.  It takes humility to be honest about the fact that in your previous life you may have been proficient in some things and in this new endeavor you are at the same level as everyone else who is starting the year with you.   Over the last year, I’ve been able to really embrace this semi-new beginning and soak in all that I can from my classmates and professors.  I have really enjoyed the opportunity to analyze and discuss topics I feel so passionately about. – Kelsey Bohnert 

It’s been a challenging and rewarding experience. I feel more immersed in school than I ever did as an undergraduate and I know the effort I’m putting into school will only benefit my professional growth and development. With that being said, it’s also important to find a balance, which I think is something the majority of grad students struggle with finding. I try to reward myself with a night off or something as simple as an early bedtime! – Alyssa Azevedo 

It has definitely been a change from having a 9-5 type job, because as a student you really always have something you should be or can be working on, so learning how to build time into your schedule for yourself can be hard (especially if you have a type A personality). I love to learn, so being a student again really agrees with me. In many ways it has been quite the change, because a full-time student schedule where I’m in class all day is pretty different, but my dog appears to be adjusting to my new schedule. – Natasha Robin Berman

It has been a stimulating and overwhelming experience. Entering the program, I hadn’t been a student for almost seven years- needless to say, I was a little rusty on note-taking and studying. It was an adjustment, but I started to treat it like any other job I’ve had, putting in the time and effort of 40+ hours a week, and it has paid off. Graduate school gives back what you put in, and I feel very strongly that I have gotten as much as I have given. I am a glutton for knowledge, so once I adjusted to school, I have been elated to be back in the classroom, soaking up the wisdom the amazing faculty at Pitt have to offer. – Charlotte Skinner

Back to School...Again Part 2 

Applying to graduate school is always an intense process and it can be daunting to think about going back to school once you have been out. Some of our second-year genetic counseling students answer questions about their choice to come back to school and their process to prepare as part of our six-part summer blog series. We continue with part two of our series and students answer the question: How did you prepare to apply to graduate school?

Before applying I requested informational interviews over the phone or through email with several of the genetic counseling program directors.  I spoke with several current genetic counselors in a variety of specialties.  I read about different training programs and hospital systems, and made a list of the different program attributes, including unique opportunities available and any prerequisites I may have been missing.  I took two courses online, which was really helpful in easing myself back into being a student again. – Sarah Brunker

I applied to work at a local company that I thought would put me in the center of the genetic testing world, offering to fill whatever position they would give me for that opportunity. I took a few relevant online courses and read a lot of books and articles. I also made sure to really appreciate my sleep and free time with family and friends. --Caitlin Russell

Research and excel sheets.  My classmates would probably describe me as laid back, but when I make big decisions like this, I really need to see all the options laid out.  I had sheets for different career choices that included educational requirements and job market projection, sheets for potential programs of interest with tuition and deadlines, and pro/con sheets for leaving my students.  I would spend a few hours each week looking over the options and really narrowing it down to options that seemed reasonable.  Once I had it down to 5 or so programs (including genetic counseling and some PhD programs), I reached out to people at the schools that could answer more personal questions.  I choose programs that would accept my past experience and undergraduate coursework, to avoid enrolling in more pre-requisite classes. By being deliberate about my applications, I was able to save time and money—things you will be grateful for in grad school. --Kelsey Bohnert

I found it helpful to give myself small goals and a general timeline. When you are working full-time, it isn’t easy to convince yourself to study for the GRE or work on your application and these are things you don’t want to wait on. More specific things I did to prepare, were to speak with as many genetic counselors as I could since shadowing opportunities were limited in my area. I also began volunteering and strengthening my application through advocacy experiences. – Alyssa Azevedo 

I, personally, had to take quite a few courses that I didn’t take during my undergraduate career as a political science person. So for this I actually went back to school before I came back to school. This was really helpful to prep because I took all of the prerequisite classes in about two years, which meant it was all very fresh. I also talked to any genetic counselor who would talk to me, I couldn’t shadow all of them (because of privacy guidelines it can be tricky getting people to shadow) but at one point I emailed just about every genetic counselor  who was open to student contact in my state. I lucked out because two of them did let me intern with them and it was wonderful experience! I also tried to talk to current students, especially in the programs I was looking at to try to get a feel for what day to day life as a student would be like. I also listened to some genetics podcasts and read so many books (I actually asked most genetic counselors if they had any good book recommendations and they always did). I always recommend Far From the Tree! – Natasha Robin Berman

My job was integral in helping me prepare for the genetic counseling graduate program; the professional skills and scientific knowledge I acquired in my first career remain invaluable to my success, in and out of the classroom. I also had the opportunity to shadow two wonderful genetic counselors, who helped solidify my confidence in genetic counseling as the right career for me.--Charlotte Skinner

Summer Series: Back to School (again)

We are excited to kick off our summer series of blogs about going back to school (again), which will focus on students who have taken some time off prior to returning for graduate school. These students worked in a variety of fields and jobs and bring an interesting perspective for those who are considering making the plunge of going back to school. 

For this series we will cover the following topics:

How did you decide to go back?

How did you prepare to apply to graduate school?

How has it felt to be a student again?

What recommendations do you have for surviving graduate school?

Would you do it all over again? 

And finally, what advice do you have for those considering going back to school?

We hope you will find our experience to be helpful! So without further ado the first part of our series will cover how students made the decision to go back to school…

How did you decide to go back?

I think there were several opportunities that came together and brought me to the decision to go back.  I had been volunteering at a hospital and found it was incredibly professionally satisfying.  A group of cancer genetic counselors in the hospital system was very welcoming and gave me the chance to shadow them in action.  The more I read about the genetic counseling profession, and the University of Pittsburgh genetic counseling program and the Medical Center specifically, the more enthusiastic I became about applying.  I had a very specific end goal in mind and Robin and Andrea and Candy gave me the opportunity make it a reality.  When I spoke with Andrea over the phone about accepting the offer to study here I found that I didn’t need to think about my decision.  A “Yes, thank you!” burst out and I felt as if the decision was so perfect it made itself. – Sarah Brunker

After college, I planned on working a few years and then going back to school for something specific that was not genetic counseling. But I learned quickly that while I had a good idea of what was interested in, I had no ideahow I wanted that interest to manifest itself in a career. At least, it was not what I had originally thought. I tried out quite a few things and honed in on what qualities I prioritize most in a career, as well as my life in general. When I learned about genetic counseling, it was kind of “ah hah” moment. I shadowed a few genetic counselors. From there, I really had no second thoughts as I prepared to apply to programs, because I knew it was the next step to get there.

—Caitlin Russell 

During my undergraduate program, I was able to secure an internship at a biotech company. This opportunity turned into a full-time work position, which allowed me to gain invaluable professional experience. It was during this time, I realized I wanted more from my career than just science. I was missing the connection with people and I knew genetic counseling would offer both of these things. I decided to take a leap of faith and began strengthening my resume in order to apply to programs. It was a year long process for me but I knew the sacrifice would be well worth it! —Alyssa Azevedo

I knew I wanted to go back to school, because I knew I didn’t love what I was doing at the time. I also knew I didn’t want to come back to school unless it was for something I knew I could see myself being involved in for the rest of my life. I already had a graduate degree and realized that it wasn’t the career path for me so I knew I didn’t want a degree just to get one, but one that would take me where I wanted to go. Once I found genetic counseling I felt like it might be a good choice, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to ‘hack it’.  Luckily, I had a very supportive environment to do my prerequisite classes, which really helped me know that going back to school was the right choice for me. I also spent a lot of time discussing going back to school with my husband, who agreed that life is better when you love your job. He encouraged me to read a textbook about genetic counseling (thinking if I could make it through the textbook and still be interested that is a pretty good sign) and I made it through the green book and loved it. --Natasha Robin Berman

I had always planned to pursue education beyond a four-year degree, but didn’t feel ready to commit to more schooling after finishing up a B.S. degree in Biology, and a Chemistry minor. A few years after graduation, while working as a cytogenetic tech in a clinical genetics lab, I discovered genetic counseling. I loved my job, so it was hard to leave, but when I had mastered my position as a cyto tech, and begun to feel like it was no longer helping me grow, I knew it was time to go back to school- and genetic counseling was calling my name. –Charlotte Skinner

 

Honestly this was more of an ease back into being a student.  After undergrad, I joined Teach for America to become a middle school science teacher.  After several years in the classroom, I had to decide whether to continue teaching or return to research.  As a sort of middle ground, I took a leave of absence from my position and pursued a research Masters program in the UK. The accelerated program allowed me to really “try on” being a researcher. – Kelsey Bohnert

Springtime Shenanigans:

The top ten things #PittGC students look forward to in the spring!

Although the weather in Pittsburgh has been nothing more than temperamental this year, it is finally starting to feel a bit like spring. So it’s time for our students to get outside and enjoy some sunshine...or stay in when it decides to rain (or even snow!).

A view of the cathedral of learning #HailtoPitt

  1.     Mt. Washington. On a clear day, going to Mt. Washington is a breathtaking sight. Seeing the city helps you appreciate where the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers meet. Not to mention, downtown looks gorgeous as well and you can take the Monongahela Incline!

The view! 

2.     Lumberjaxes. A good way to get some stress out, or have some fun, is axe throwing! You may even find yourself picking up a new hobby.

Just taking a study break and a stroll (Frick Park)

3.     A stroll through the park. With Schenley, Highland, and Frick parks, it’s easy to find a spot to go for a quiet, afternoon stroll. When you’re admiring the woods of Schenley Park or skirting the reservoir at Highland, you can forget you’re in the city.

4.     Phipps Conservatory. Right now, there is a butterfly room at the conservatory. In addition to seeing the beautiful blooms, you can watch these colorful creatures flit about without worrying they’ll fly out of your sight forever.

5.     Get a tea or a coffee. Don’t forget that your favorite cafe most likely offers cold versions of that Japanese Sencha you like so much! Cold brew season is upon us, and with hotter days spring-ing into Pittsburgh, it can certainly be needed. Plus, it’s important to stay hydrated

6.     Teatime. If it’s not enough to just grab a quick drink, there are some tea houses that have teatime once a week - so put on your teatime best and get ready for finger sandwiches.

                                                                                                                                               

7. Baseball anyone? Pittsburgh has sports for everyone all year round. This time of year is the perfect time to catch a game at PNC Park. You can watch the game and try out the “Tastes of Pittsburgh” (the food court at PNC Park) which includes famous Pittsburgh eateries like Primanti brothers, Mrs. T’s Pierogies and more traditional baseball food.

Spring means baseball season has started!

8.  The Roberto Clemente Museum. The legacy of baseball great Roberto Clemente can be found in a retired fire station near downtown area, it boasts an impressive amount of memorabilia, awards and photos of a Pittsburgh baseball hero. Clemente was born in Puerto Rico and used his baseball prowess to escape poverty. Clemente would go on to  have numerous awards and he was also posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame (the first Latin American and Caribbean player to do so). He was also known for his philanthropic endeavors (such as earthquake relief missions). 

Roberto Clemente Museum (care of their website)

9.     Farmers market. It’s that time of year again, by the end of May the farmers markets will be back and amazing fresh fruit and vggies will be in your grasp. Many of our students love the Squirrel Hill farmers market, it is a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

10.  Dance in the park! Free weekly dance sessions in Schenley Plaza on Wednesdays starting May 30 through the rest of the summer. They start at seven and cover everything from Balkan dance to the waltz and the argentine tango!