So you want to be a genetic counselor?

It's May! Which means summer is right around the corner, but it also means that there are only 3 more months until the next round of applications open for genetic counseling programs! I've been working really hard for the past year to gather as much information and relevant experiences to make sure that my application is competitive. I've also spent a great deal of time learning as much as I could from genetic counselors, genetic counseling students, and other applicants about the application process, and I am excited to share everything I've learned with you in a two-part blog post. 

This post will be focused on the experiences you'll need before applying to genetic counseling programs. While this is not an exhaustive list, these are things that I have found are common among successful applicants and are promoted by programs. 

1. Look at program's website for course prerequisites

One of the really amazing things about the field of genetic counseling is that counselors come from all different kinds of academic backgrounds. There are counselors with degrees in psychology, social work, biochemistry, and even MD's! But because genetic counselors can come from such a diverse array of backgrounds, many programs have a list of course prerequisites. These are courses that they believe are helpful for students to have a basic understanding of, before entering into the program. Most of the time these courses are in biochemistry, genetics, psychology, and statistics. However, every program is different, so it's important to find out which courses are recommended for the different programs you intend on applying to! For example, I did not take anatomy during my undergrad career (anatomy is a suggested prerequisite for UCI's genetic counseling program), so I've enrolled in the community college near me to take an anatomy course this summer!

2. Shadow a Genetic Counselor!

Every genetic counseling program is looking for applicants who are serious about the profession, and can show that they have made an effort to learn about the field and what it means to be a genetic counselor, and what better way to learn about genetic counseling than shadowing a genetic counselor! The National Society of Genetic Counselors has a really useful resource for any students who are looking to shadow or interview genetic counselors; the Find A Genetic Counselor tool on the NSGC's website has a database of every certified genetic counselor in the United States and their contact information. There is even an option to filter genetic counselors who are open to student contact. I personally used this tool to set up informational interviews with genetic counselors when I was first starting to look into the profession, and through networking with them, was able to set up a long-term internship/shadowing position with the counselors at a local cancer center. There are also many universities like the University of Iowa and Baylor College of Medicine that offer summer internships for prospective genetic counseling students that provide opportunities to shadow. 

3. Counseling/Advocacy Experience

It should be pretty obvious that you're going to need some counseling experience before applying to genetic counseling programs. My mentor once told me that the reason many programs like to see that students have experience in crisis counseling or advocacy experience is because they want to see that you're able to create rapport, converse, and in some cases comfort people who may be physically, emotionally, or mentally distressed without it affecting your own mental health and well-being. Many programs accept a wide variety of experiences that range from crisis counseling, suicide hotlines, volunteering at Planned Parenthood, or at disabilities advocacy groups. I've talked about this on the blog a few times, but I decided to join Crisis Text Line to get some experience in crisis counseling. Crisis Text Line was the best fit for me because you can choose your own hours, which was perfect with my constantly changing schedule. But, what I love the most about Crisis Text Line is their training program, which really sets you up with the skills to help other people in emotional or mental distress/crisis. 

4. Research Experience

While research experience is not something that genetic counseling programs promote for their applicants, it is something that I have found to be extremely beneficial for my growth as a student and has informed my future research interests and career goals for when I become a genetic counselor. Research can be done at any education level, many people perform some kind of research at the undergraduate level, but personally I didn't do any research until after I graduated from undergrad. Currently, I am doing clinical research for rare diseases, which has given me really unique opportunities to work with patients who are living with chronic illnesses and have a rare disease diagnosis. I've been exposed to the clinical side of research, which relies more heavily on patient education and disease advocacy and awareness, which I know will play a huge role in my career as a genetic counselor. 

For more advice on applying to genetic counseling programs, check out My Gene Counsel's post "Advice for Applying to Genetic Counseling Programs"!