Student Spotlight: Lucy Galea

 

When I was furloughed at the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020, it was a time for me to reflect on where I was in life and reassess where I wanted to be heading. Genetic counseling had been on my mind for a little while, but the pandemic granted me the time to do a deep dive on the profession and see if this was the career for me. I decided that it was! I quickly found out, though, that shadowing opportunities were unavailable in Pittsburgh, understandably due to the pandemic, which meant that all my genetic counseling exposure came from other forms of experiences.

Informational interviews were a big part of me learning about genetic counseling. I used the Find a Genetic Counselor search function on the NSGC website to see which genetic counselors in my area were interested in speaking with students. Plenty of emails were sent, and six genetic counselors from all different fields found time to speak with me and answer my very long list of questions, for which I will always be grateful for.

There were a couple of different series on YouTube that I watched, that helped me see for myself what a genetic counseling session would often look like. The NSGC Master Genetic Counselor Series and the Genetic Counseling in Action video series were great ways to see what genetic counseling involves with a patient. Over time, I went back to the sessions and watched them again and as my exposure to the field grew, I could point out different elements and aspects of the appointment. Another series that I watched was the Voices of Genetic Counselors video series. These videos were very useful in seeing the impact that genetic counselors could have on their patients and the impact that patients have on genetic counselors’ lives.

A silver lining of the pandemic was that a lot of exposure days and genetic counseling conferences went online, which meant that I was able to attend these events from all over the country without having to leave my home. Some of the annual education conferences I attended were hosted by the Pennsylvania Association of Genetic Counselors, Southern California Genetic Counselors, Michigan Association of Genetic Counselors, and Canadian Association of Genetic Counselors. I attended prospective student days online including Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Genetic Counseling Virtual Career Day, the DNA Sample Day with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and the Geisinger Genetic Counseling Open House. The Twitter and Instagram genetic counseling communities were also great at promoting these kinds of events, so following relevant accounts that promoted virtual events was helpful (these change cycle to cycle, so search to see who has an active account currently). Webinars for professional development also took off in 2020 and these were a great opportunity to get a short insight into a particular topic.

Listening to genetic counseling podcasts on long walks really helped to cure my pandemic cabin fever! There are some fantastic genetics specific podcasts out there, including from the perspective of the genetic counselor, the patient perspective and about current professional issues. Patient Stories with Grey Genetics had a big impact on how I started to think about genetic counseling, because it really opened my eyes to the patient’s side of the story and the impact that genetic diagnoses can have on a patient and/or family. The NSGC Podcast Series gave me a great view into the life of a genetic counselor. Recently I have been listening to The Beagle Has Landed and GC Chat, which both give thought provoking perspectives on topical professional genetic counseling issues and recently seen cases.

Finally, I would like to highlight how helpful it was to meet with Pitt’s faculty during virtual appointment hours that were specifically dedicated for prospective students. These sessions really helped me to get a feel for the program and the faculty involved, and I got vital feedback on how my application was progressing.

In some ways, I am thankful that my exposure to the genetic counseling field began during the pandemic because I believe it truly broadened my view of genetics and genetic counseling. It made me seek out of different ways to gain exposure to the field, which ultimately allowed me to see and hear presentations about topics that I would never have otherwise been able to.

-Lucy Galea

Student Spotlight: Impana Shetty

 

    When I first started at Pitt this past fall, many people told me that grad school would go by fast. I was pretty skeptical, especially since a two-year program seemed like a pretty long time! Now that I am more than halfway into my first year, I have realized that grad school truly does go by fast. It seems like we were learning about taking pedigrees only a few weeks ago, and now we are having the second-year students give us presentations on clinical rotations. With rotations starting in a few months, I have been starting to seriously think about what I would like to do for my optional rotation.

    At Pitt, students have space for a three-week optional rotation in their rotation schedules. The optional rotation is a time for students to get experience in a specialty they are interested in. A few of the rotations on the list of possibilities are working at Ophthalmic Genetics, the UPMC Clinical Genomics Laboratory, and the Muscular Dystrophy Clinic. You can also get extra exposure in a certain rotation or even craft your own rotation with the help of the program directors and site supervisors. If you want to spend your optional rotation outside at Pittsburgh, you can use this time as an opportunity to either rotate at a place close to home or work at a place you might want to live in after grad school. If there is a particular optional rotation that a second-year student has recently done, you can talk to them about their experience to get a better idea of what the rotation is like.

    Being able to choose an optional rotation is exciting since there are so many different possibilities you can choose from. However, with all of these options, it can also be overwhelming to pick the one rotation you want to do! As I go through the list of the optional rotation possibilities, I have started narrowing down my top three choices based on the specialties I may want to pursue in the future. After taking a GeneDx seminar series last semester, I became curious about laboratory genetic counseling and working in a non-clinical setting. As a result, the options that are in my preliminary top three list are rotating at GeneDx, focusing on exome testing, and conducting research. Since I do not have prior experience in these areas, I think that rotating at one of these places would be a great way to get a better understanding of these specialties and see which one could be a good fit for me in the future!

-Impana Shetty

Student Spotlight: Morgan Brzozowski

 

              I knew I wanted to enter the field of genetic counseling before I graduated high school. I had my path perfectly planned out in my mind: I would go to college, study biology and psychology, graduate, and go directly to grad school to pursue my masters in genetic counseling. I had no doubts this was it. Several years and applications later, I realized that my path wasn’t going to be so direct. I came to accept the fact that my future was now unknown, and I needed to gain more experience in the field to strengthen my application. Luckily, I was able to find a position as a genetic counseling assistant (GCA) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in neurogenetics. While at Penn, I was exposed to the ins and outs of the daily responsibilities of a genetic counselor. I knew I was gaining invaluable experiences through speaking with patients, prepping appointments, ordering tests and following up with results. After a year of working as a GCA at Penn I was able increase my workload to include research coordination on projects involving telehealth satisfaction in neurogenetics. This was an entirely new experience that further opened my eyes to the different possibilities of working as a clinical GC.

              I loved the work I had been doing and was ready to get back into the application cycle. Several months later, I was beyond excited to learn of my acceptance into the program at Pitt. As I began to prepare for this next step in my journey, there was a nagging reminder that I hadn’t been in a classroom for several years. I knew I was entering a program with academically rigorous schedule, and became anxious as to what it would feel like to be back. I often found myself thinking, how will I start to study? What will it feel like to be in a lecture again? How am I going to manage working while taking classes?

              Two weeks after arriving on campus, everything began to fall into place. I realized that I needed to alter my previous style of taking notes and develop a new study regime. As expected and appreciated, classes moved at a faster pace, and I was more passionate about the courses than ever before. My classmates contributed greatly to my transition to being a student again and became a strong support system. In addition to beginning classes, I was also starting a new job as a GCA in ophthalmology at UPMC. I was excited to be able to take on this position but was aware that it would add on another layer of complexity to my schedule. I knew it would provide unparalleled exposure to a new specialty; however, I would have to find a balance between work and school. This was a challenge for me. I quickly recognized that there were not enough hours in a day to complete everything on my to-do list. My time management skills would have to be adjusted so that I could use my days most efficiently and effectively. As the time passed, I began to learn that I needed to take a step back and evaluate, to breathe and not become overwhelmed. By creating a schedule, and holding myself responsible, I acknowledged that there was enough time, and that with stability came success. I found myself back on that path I set years ago. 

-Morgan Brzozowski

2021 Leadership Seminar Series

 

Each year, the second-year genetic counseling students invite an individual from the genetic counseling community to speak as part of our annual Leadership Seminar Series. This is an opportunity for us to hear a unique and important perspective on leadership, genetic counseling practice, and professional opportunities as we approach our graduation. In 2021, we hosted Dr. Gillian Hooker, genetic counselor, former President of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, and current Chief Scientific Officer at Concert Genetics.

Below are some reflections from our current genetic counseling students.

 

When the time finally came for our esteemed speaker, Dr. Hooker, to join us at the University of Pittsburgh, I wondered how someone at the start of their GC journey like myself could possibly approach a conversation with someone with such a robust list of experiences and accolades in the field. However, it didn't take long to see how down-to-earth, relatable, and passionate that Gillian was! I immediately understood her role as a model and expert in the field, and became motivated to gather as many nuggets of expertise from her during her visit as possible. During this time, it was apparent how invested she is in educating the next generation of genetic counselors on how to be innovative as we continue to push the field forward. I appreciate the time that she took to visit us here in Pittsburgh and look forward to reflecting on key points from her fantastic seminar as I prepare for graduation and enter the workforce!

-Frank Swann, Class of 2022

 

It was wonderful to hear Gillian speak about her perspectives regarding the evolution of genetic counseling; being one of the young genetic counselors fighting to make a difference and change what our field looks like was meaningful and made me feel even more excited about my position. Gillian has had an abundance of leadership experience in the field and I can’t wait to take what I’ve learned from her and apply that to my future career.

-Ariel Breeze, Class of 2023

 

Gillian’s presentation was incredibly inspiring. It was great to hear from someone so successful in our field and it made me excited for my future as a genetic counselor.

-Madalyn Charnego, Class of 2023

 

It was so encouraging to hear from someone so well-known and established in the genetic counseling field, and how they believe we should move forward as a field. Being able to discuss and address some of the field of genetics’ shortcomings and how to best proceed made me feel integral in the process and gets me excited for the future of genetic counseling.

-Samantha Runa, Class of 2023

 

Gillian’s talk was both informative in regard to the past and present of our field, as well as invigorating regarding its future. I’m so excited to be joining a profession with such thoughtful and inspiring leaders!

-Kate Cioffi, Class of 2023

 

I was so thankful that Gillian took the time to speak with us. As we enter this fast-growing community of genetic counselors, it feels important to hear about where the profession started and how things may shape in the years ahead. Having the privilege to speak with Gillian, who has been such a leader in the genetic counseling community, helped me understand our responsibility to the profession and made me excited for what is to come.

-Elise Williams, Class of 2023

 

Gillian is a true leader in the genetic counseling field and it was a privilege to have her be our presenter in 2021. Listening to Gillian’s lecture, and speaking with her afterward, about the past, current, and future trajectory of our profession was certainly inspiring!

-Lucy Galea, Class of 2023

 

It was such an amazing opportunity to be able to speak with Gillian before hearing her lecture at the Leadership Seminar. As a second-year class, we were so excited to invite Gillian to be the speaker for this seminar because of her incredible work in the field. She gave such insight into the evolution of the field of genetic counseling and where the field may be headed in the future. Gillian’s talk was both informative and invigorating, and made me so excited about the fact that I will soon be transitioning from the role of a student to that of a genetic counselor. Thank you, Gillian for inspiring future GCs!

-Savannah Binion, Class of 2023

 

It was such a privilege to hear Gillian speak and learn more about her professional journey in genetic counseling. She is so inspiring and it definitely excited me for my future as a genetic counselor!

-Glenna Noska, Class of 2023

 

Unfortunately, I was unable to make it in person, but I appreciated the discussions remotely. Gillian’s lecture was energizing, and her encouragement made me proud to be a part of the "game changers" generation of genetic counseling as a first-year GC student. Afterwards, I reached out to her via LinkedIn to thank her, and she immediately replied with the same energy!

-Daniel Brennsteiner, Class of 2023

 

I was so grateful to have the opportunity to hear Gillian speak and share her knowledge as one of the leaders in the field. As a future genetic counselor, hearing her perspective on the future of the profession was eye-opening and motivating!

-Impana Shetty, Class of 2023

 

It was such an amazing experience having Gillian as our speaker. She really embodies what it means to be a leader in genetic counseling and her insights into where the field is moving really opened my eyes to what it means to be an innovative leader.

-Carolyn Maxwell, Class of 2023

 

I really enjoyed meeting with Gillian and listening to her talk. She came at a time during the semester where things were really starting to pick up speed and get pretty stressful. Her discussion of the future of genetic counselors and genetic counseling was some much-needed motivation to keep going. She made me so proud to be a part of this community and reminded me why I love this field and its people so much.

-Julia Knapo, Class of 2022

 

It is 6 months away from my graduation, and along with the feeling of excitement, I feel the uncertainty in getting my first job and looking into directions for my career. Gillian’s talk has come at such a right time, not only in terms of motivation and dedication, but also an important reminder for me to broaden my horizons and envision what is and will be in the field, as well as what I aspire to make an impact on. As I take what I learned from her talk to shape my niche hopefully starting from my first job, I hope to reconnect with her and hear more of her insights which are sure to be invaluable.

-Phuc Do, Class of 2022

 

I am grateful for having the opportunity to meet with Gillian and have her speak at our Leadership Seminar. We were able to sit down and talk with Gillian before our seminar where she shared her path and took a true interest in getting to know all of us and our journeys. She also talked about the work she is doing to help improve access to genetic services and where she sees growth in the genetic counseling community. I have always had a passion for finding ways to increase access to genetic services and being able to speak firsthand with a leader in this area has made me even more excited to become a genetic counselor.

-Kristen D’Aquila, Class of 2022

 

It was inspiring to hear Gillian present on her experiences in the field of genetic counseling. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn about how she views the future directions of genetic counseling and the ways in which we can contribute to the growth of the field as we continue our education.

-Morgan Brzozowski, Class of 2023

 

Gillian’s lecture was very critical to the evolution of the field of genetic counseling. It is important to be reflective and address the areas that we can improve. Listening to her present was a wonderful experience. Thank you Gillian!

-Haley Soller, Class of 2022

 

I was in awe of Gillian’s lecture as it made me reflect on how far the field of genetic counseling has come in such a short time. Gillian was able to artfully highlight the strengths of our field while addressing the ever-changing areas of growth. I will take her wisdom with me as I enter the field myself and always remember the foundation our careers have been built on.

-Natalie Tri, Class of 2022

 

 

Student Spotlight: Kristen D'Aquila

 

During my undergraduate training I struggled with deciding on what I wanted my future to look like. I entered undergrad as a chemical engineering major, but I did not see myself as an engineer for the rest of my life. I have always had a passion for learning new things and ultimately decided on majoring in secondary education with a focus on life science. In my 3^rd and 4^th year of undergrad I worked at a school for students with disabilities which set my foundation for teaching. After graduation I accepted a position in the high school setting teaching biology, physical science, and environmental science. I appreciated how diverse my students were in their learning styles and I enjoyed using different strategies to teach concepts in order to reach all of the students. While teaching our genetics unit, I collaborated with my colleagues to create a project surrounding genetic conditions. This project was my first exposure to the career of genetic counseling. I invited GC students from a local program to talk with my students about the genetic counseling field and their role in healthcare. I found myself drawn to the career and started to explore opportunities to learn more about it.

After a few years of teaching, I came to realize a career in genetic counseling could engage my interests in life-long learning and teaching, while providing an opportunity for meaningful interactions on a very personal basis with patients. I decided it was time to change careers. Making the decision to leave teaching was difficult. I had established myself in the school and built relationships with the students and colleagues. I was scared of moving into the unknown. I ultimately decided to leave teaching after I had the opportunity to shadow a genetic counselor. Being able to experience the impact GCs can make affirmed that this is what I wanted to do. While changing career paths has been one of the most difficult decisions I had made, it has been on of the greatest decisions. I left teaching to become a genetic counseling assistant (GCA) at a local hospital system in a cancer clinic. My time as a GCA validated my choice of switching careers and provided me with a deeper understanding of the field. I was able experience the “behind the scenes” of genetic counseling and develop my skills by speaking to patients on a daily basis about genetics, documenting patient interactions, generating test requisitions, investigating patient insurances, and calling out VUS downgraded (benign) results.

During my graduate training at the University of Pittsburgh, I have been able to pull on skills that I have developed through my teaching and GCA experience. I believe building a solid foundation of transferable skills has been extremely helpful when transitioning into my clinical rotations. My unique background in teaching can provide different perspectives and I feel that the program leadership, rotation supervisors, and my classmates value my background and experiences. Finding the right career for you can be a difficult journey, and I am grateful for all of the people who have helped me along this path. I am thankful to be a part of Pittsburgh’s genetic counseling program and I look forward to the next steps of finding a job.  

-Kristen D'Aquila

Student Spotlight: Frank Swann

 

    I work with the Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics (CCDG), which is part of Pitt’s School of Dental Medicine, as part of a research study known as the Center for Oral Health in Rural Appalachia study – or COHRA. Headed by Dr. Mary Marazita, who functions as both director of the CCDG and principal investigator of COHRA, this study aims to identify the complex interactions that contribute to higher rates of dental caries among rural Appalachian mothers and their children living in Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. Through the analysis of the factors contributing to differences in caries formation among populations, including genetic, microbial, dietary, and environmental influences on dental health, the team is working to produce data that may allow us to create interventions to address these oral health inequities. Inheritance plays a big role in this research with consideration of how microbial and genetic susceptibility to dental caries are passed down from mother to child. Of course, much of our lived environments are shared with our parents, so even this can be thought a kind of inheritance.

    At present, there are two primary COHRA studies, both of which are longitudinal in design: the continuation of the original cohort that focused on Caucasian women in Northern Appalachia (COHRA2) and a newer study that focuses exclusively on African-American mothers and their children living in the region (COHRA Smile).

    My role in the study is that of a Graduate Research Assistant. While I bet this isn’t the first position that comes to mind for a student in the GC program, I actually come from a robust “line” of GCs that have passed through the CCDG: in fact, I worked closely with my second-year GC buddy here when I was a first-year student! Most of these students were also dual-degree MPH students as well, because we recognize the multi-disciplinary experience of working as a research assistant in a study that leads with health equity as a core value.

    What does a day in the life on the COHRA team look like? I would divide my tasks broadly into two categories:

    First, there is the admin/research side of things, which includes tasks related to study management. This includes work in participant visits, where I work with a hygienist to collect oral samples from women and children in the study. We collect many samples, including saliva samples for genomic analysis of both human and microbial DNA, gingival samples, and samples from enamel lesions and the early formations of cavities! We also record saliva pH, degree of fluorosis, and even record the quality of different tooth surfaces that we expect may help clarify patterns among participants. Of course, it’s also important that I prepare study visit materials, consent forms, cross-check samples, and handle mailing and payment for study participation around participant visits.

    There is also a heavy element of participant tracking that goes into this position. Our participants have very specific windows in which we prefer to have them and their children come into the study for a visit, which differs by age and study phase. Around that, our research arm also reaches out to participants to collect information about the diets, medical health, and dental development of enrolled children. As such, it is very important that I work to maintain timely contact with participants to keep them as close to their assigned windows as possible. Members of the clinical team, including myself, generally track over 150+ participants each in a study of over 1,000 active women and children enrollees! As you can imagine, proper tracking methods play a key role in making sure we continue to follow with participants and get them scheduled to come into the office in a timely manner.

    The relevance of this role to genetic counseling is larger than I could ever envisioned when I started over a year ago. For starters, the participant tracking element is great practice for when I have clinical patients that I need to manage in the future. I also love getting to talk with women and their children during participant visits. Since I am interested primarily in prenatal and pediatric genetics, I get lots of opportunities to learn from our participants and think about elements of conversation that can help bolster rapport with both populations (and with respect to the unique circumstances that tie me to those that I am working with). I also get a chance to work in a setting that encourages discussion about multifactorial explanations, including the genetic contributions, to the formation of dental caries. My favorite moments during the participant exam are when I get to explain our study to a mom who casually asks, “So what are you guys collecting all of this saliva for anyway?” and I get to flex my “patient education” muscles!

    Most of all, I enjoy this work because I know that I am making a direct contribution on the road to reduce a dire health inequity for rural parents and their children. Unfortunately, this is just one of many in our country; there are many more challenges to health equity out there, and many more populations to advocate for. I encourage my GC peers to continue to think creatively about how you can customize your work, either now or in the future, to address health care gaps related to each of your specializations! 

– Frank Swann

A Reflection on NSGC 2021

The Pitt Genetic Counseling second-year students attended the 2021 National Society of Genetic Counselors Annual Conference virtually. We were thrilled to have this great opportunity!

I was so excited to be able to travel to NSGC with my classmates, so when it was moved to remote you can imagine how disappointed I was. BUT my classmates are the best and we put together a little weekend Airbnb vacation in a mountain resort and had the best time. I actually think this ended up being a little bit better of a set up because we were able to watch everything together and talk during the presentations. I also found the presentations really interesting. There were plenty that I continue to discuss with my classmates now, and that I went back to watch after NSGC was over as well.

-Julia Knapo

 

Even as a remote conference, I found NSGC to be an extremely valuable experience. There were so many inspirational talks and speakers; I especially appreciated the emphasis on JEDI topics at the conference this year. I also think it was helpful that the sessions were recorded, so I was able to go back and review any interesting sessions that I missed. My classmates and I were still able to enjoy much of the conference together, and I am so grateful to have them all as peers and future colleagues. I am thrilled to be joining such a great profession and can’t wait for more NSGC conferences in the future.

-Maria Rhine

While we were all disappointed we couldn’t travel to New Orleans as originally planned, this year’s virtual NSGC conference turned out to be a wonderful experience. Our class decided to watch a majority of the presentations together at an Airbnb outside of Pittsburgh, making the conference feel as normal/in-person as possible. I enjoyed being able to discuss the lectures live with my peers and then spend time together after the sessions were done for the day. Additionally, attending NSGC for the second time has shown me just how much I’ve grown in this past year of classes and clinical rotations. I look forward to next year’s (hopefully in-person) conference!

-Liz Bombal

 

Despite having the NSGC conference virtually was unexpected for this year, the conference was still informative and inspiring. The virtual platform for this year was different from last year’s platform. We could access the conference from both the computer and phone application, which made it flexible and easier to access the conference schedules. This year, we were able to have virtual video meetings (instead of a chat function last year) with exhibitors in the Exhibit Halls. This format was much easier to network and get a feel of different exhibitors participating in the conference. As others have mentioned, being able to discuss the content of the presentation during and after the sessions were extremely helpful and exciting. I look forward to attending future NSGC in person!

-Aika Miikeda

 

This was my second year attending NSGC virtually, as I had done so in my first year in the program. I was disappointed that COVID-19 was still taking such a toll on this wonderful experience for the second time, I’m glad that the organizers made the decision to hold the 2021 convention virtually since we understand well the public health implications of an in-person event. That being said, this year was different in that I got to hand out with my GC cohort in-person since we were all vaccinated and watch the events together! It was so nice to create a group itinerary and engage in productive discussion throughout: this was especially helpful when a lecture presented tough concepts to grasp and we could work together to clarify these issues in ways that we could not do alone. For example, one of the talks that I really enjoyed was a discussion on the use of single-gene NIPT for fetal risk assessment for recessively-inherited conditions (which is not yet utilized clinically). This was something that I think was an entirely new concept to all of us, and even now I have some trouble recalling exactly how it works! However, reader, I certainly encourage you to read more about this exciting technology for yourself: Clinical Service Delivery of Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnosis by Relative Haplotype Dosage for Single-Gene Disorders - ScienceDirect -Frank Swann

 

I really appreciated the opportunity to attend NSGC this year. While my classmates and I were disappointed to not attend in person, we were able to still watch a majority of the presentations together. I also think one benefit of the conference being online, is the ability to go back and watch other presentations. There was a presentation on raw data that included genetic counselors and a lawyer. The presentation talked about how individuals are now requesting their raw data from direct-to-consumer testing companies and asking third parties to translate the information. Raw data is not validated or accurate. Different companies interpret SNPs differently, which can lead to misunderstanding and unnecessary stress. I was able to use part of the talk and the articles mentioned in the presentation for my public health essay/thesis.

-Haley Soller

 

Although it was disappointing to attend another virtual NSGC conference, it was a great learning experience for me. I was able to attend the sessions I was most interested in as they happened live, but I now also have the opportunity to rewatch other sessions, as they were all recorded. The material presented this year focused a lot on the new language and integration of gender-fluid or non-binary individuals, which I appreciated. There were several interesting presentations on pedigree standardization for individuals who are gender non-conforming. I am excited to see what next year’s conference brings, and I look forward to the potential in-person conference in 2022.

-Natalie Tri

 

I was disappointed about not being able to go to New Orleans this year, but I appreciated the opportunity to attend NSGC the second time during my graduate school experience. It was exciting and inspiring to see the personal growth within a year, as I was able to relate and think of ways to integrate the knowledge learnt from the talks into the future career or even current rotations. I particularly enjoyed the video/Zoom platform to interact with people, making it easier to talk and learn from people’s experience compared to last year. Other topics I appreciate are diversity and inclusivity addressed by not only by multiple institutions but also testing laboratories, which provided exciting insights into expanding our genetic databases and the field’s direction. I look forward to attending NSGC in years to come, hopefully in person.

-Phuc Do

I had a wonderful time attending NSGC (virtually) this year! As many have said it was disappointing to not be in person, but my classmates and I made the best of it. We ended up attending the virtual conference together from an Airbnb in the mountains, and it was such a lovely way to engage with the NSGC material. We were able to spend valuable time together and discuss our thoughts on the various lectures we attended. I am incredibly grateful that we made the most of this experience, even if it was not the experience we originally had in mind.

-Savannah Binion

 

I enjoyed attending NSGC virtually with my classmates. I was disappointed that it was not in person this year but our class made the most of it and rented an Airbnb outside of Pittsburgh. This was a great way to still have in person conversation and discussions about the talks and it was really helpful for me to be able to talk during the session and ask questions to my classmates. The content of the conference this year was also very interesting and impactful related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. A great feature of having the conference virtual is that I am able to go back and rewatch some of the talks that I was not able to attend live with my classmates. Overall, attending NSGC virtually still provided great talks to move the profession forward and I look forward to next year’s conference (hopefully in person)!

-Kristen D’Aquila

 

Like everyone, I was saddened not to be attending NSGC in person in New Orleans, but I also understood that moving it to a virtual setting was absolutely the safest choice overall. In every other way, this year’s conference was fantastic. It showed me how much I’ve grown in just a year -- I understood so much more about every presentation I watched and could make connections to lectures I’ve had or cases I’ve seen in clinic. Every talk on the schedule sounded so exciting that I was really grateful the virtual mode made it possible to go back and watch the ones I had missed. It was fantastic to feel like such a part of this wonderful community and even envision myself presenting at NSGC some day in the future!

-Bailey Sasseville