GC Applications Cheat Sheet: Interviews (Part 1)

It’s January! Which means applications are being submitted, and the first wave of interview invitations are being sent out. To everyone who has already received invitations for interviews, congratulations! For the rest of us, who are still anxiously waiting for that coveted email notification, check out my blog post on how I like to self-care (link) for some ideas on how to cope with this waiting period.

As many of you already know, the interview process can be extremely stressful, but is nonetheless an extremely important part of the application process. Personally, I love interviews because they give me an opportunity to show my interviewer who I really am. I think that there is a lot of my personality that is lost in text, especially because I’ve always been pretty physically expressive (can you tell I used to do theater and speech team?), and having an opportunity to sit face to face with someone gives me a chance to show them the parts of me that aren’t easily communicated through text.

In preparation for some of the earlier interviews, I wanted to put together a blog post featuring some advice that I’ve gathered from current and past genetic counseling students. This is by no means a comprehensive post, and I hope to write a second installation of interview prep once I start to prepare for my own interviews (fingers crossed). But let’s just jump right into it!

On interview days, many programs pack your day with opportunities to see the campus, introduce you to some faculty, talk with current students, and overall give you a more in depth idea of what the program is. For example, both UCI’s interview process includes a tour of the campus/medical center and an actual genetics case conference featuring genetic counseling faculty, as well as genetics physicians. Many programs will schedule time for you to meet current students. This is a great opportunity for you to get to know more about the program, but it is also an opportunity to put your best foot forward. Many programs speak with their current students to get input as to which applicants will be a good fit for the program! Interviews are just as much an opportunity for the student and faculty to get to know you, as it is an opportunity for you to get to know the program and see where you might be going to school for the next two years.   

“The longer interviews feel more like a conversation where you have time to ask questions as well to learn more about the program and your interviewer. Be prepared to ask a lot of questions because you will definitely have a lot of time to do so.” – Emily Chien  

"Write things down periodically throughout the interview program. Ask your interviewers about themselves. Ask what their grad school experience was like. Pretend this is also your chance to interview the program (because it actually is!). Remember, this isn't just about getting the program to like you, it's also about you liking the program and seeing if it's a good fit." - Emily Wiseman 

“Bring a portfolio and have a list of questions written out to bring with you! This way you don't forget them during long interview days.” - Catelyn Slayback

This is especially important for international students! Here is some advice from current and previous genetic counseling students about some things to think/ask about on your interview day:

“Be sure to ask what sort of support is provided for international students. Does the university have a health plan to enroll in? Check with your country of residence to see whether the university/program would qualify for federal student loans. Lastly, ask about whether the school has someone who can assist/talk to you about work visas, should you choose to practice there post-graduation. Ask whether they have had international students in the past (perhaps from the country you are from). Perhaps they could connect you two [and] see what their experience was as an international student.” – Amy Stenhouse 

“When I left home for Sarah Lawrence, I told my parents I would never move back to Montreal. After graduating, I went through a bit of a "grieving stage" where I had to accept that there are very limited job prospects in Montreal. My suggestion when choosing locations to study, is to try to choose somewhere you can envision yourself living after your masters (unless you like moving to different places every couple of years)!” - Talya Boisjoli

The day of interviews is going to be nerve-wracking. There’s really no way around it. But keep in mind that everyone around you is just as nervous as you are so, don’t forget to be kind! Some of those people might even be your future classmates! Keep in mind that because cohorts are so small, many program directors try to create a cohort that they believe will work well together, and often get input from current students on how you behave outside of the interview rooms, so just be kind to one another. Here is what a couple of current students had to say about handling nerves on interview days:

“Schedule your dream school’s interview as late as possible. The more interviews you do, the less nervous you get and the more accustomed you are to full-day interview events. If you want to put your best foot forward for your dream school and not have nerves get in the way, then doing that interview last might help you.” – Emily Chien 

"Do whatever you have to do to calm yourself beforehand. If finances and work schedules allow it, arrive in the city the day before so you have time to acclimate." - Emily Wiseman

“Practice and don't wait till the last second to do so. Reach out to other discord members or friends to mock interview or utilize the career services or just practice alone with a mirror or videotaping yourself. I think what helped me most was sitting down and writing out my "elevator" speech. I'm much better at expressing myself in written word, so it gave me time to see it on paper and edit it. I then practiced that and memorized it, but in a way that sounded natural. Also, writing out a list of important things that I wanted to include/make sure I touched on during interviews. Once again, this just helped me with visualizing and preparing what I wanted to say during interviews before being put on the spot.” - Catelyn Slayback

As I mentioned before, interviews are a chance to show your interviewer (and ultimately the admissions board) who you really are! This is also a chance to expand upon the experiences you listed on your CV/resume or in your personal statement. As we all know, the personal statements have a word/page limit, and interviews give you the opportunity to talk about your experiences in more detail, and even present some experiences that didn’t make the final draft of your personal statement. Here is what a couple of current students had to say about talking about your experiences:

“Go into your interviews prepared to speak extensively about your experiences. You can mention that you saw X type of case shadowing a genetic counselor, or spent a certain number of hours doing crisis counseling, but those experiences carry more weight if you’re able to hone in on exactly what you’ve learned. After all, your experiences and what you gain from them are unique to you. What did these experiences teach you about genetic counselors, what did you learn about yourself as an individual and as a potential graduate student, and how have these moments deepened your interest in the work genetic counselors do?” – Emily Chien 

“Don’t be afraid of talking about unique experiences and jobs that are (seemingly) unrelated to genetic counseling. Talk about your GCA (genetic counseling assistant) experience, but also don’t forget about the summer you spent researching grizzly bears, or tree-planting! These experiences make you stand out.” – Amy Stenhouse  

“One of my genetic counselors that I worked with had told me to remember that we were all there for a reason, that we're qualified and smart and the program directors and staff already know. There's no need to try and 'compete' or show up the other applicants while you're there. Sometimes people want to talk about their experiences while you're waiting around, but it can be unnecessary and intimidating - we get it! Some people have crazy good experience. However, It all comes down to who YOU are as a person. Yes, you're nervous and it's the longest day of your life, but being the most genuine version of you is the ultimate best advice I can give. Program directors want to know who you really are, not what sort of accomplishments you can list off - they've already read it from your application! Just be your self, and they can see who has the aptitude and personality to succeed in their programs.” – Anonymous

Interviews will often involve questions based on your application, including your personal statement. At some point, an interviewer may ask you why you want to be a genetic counselor, and although you may have answered that question in your personal statement, it is important to know your “why”.

“Staying genuine about your interest in genetic counseling and showing that you’re passionate by sharing your anecdotes and areas of the field you’d want to learn more about (current events, specialties, etc.) will go a long way and help you stand out as a unique candidate.” – Emily Chien 

Now when it comes to your “why”, there is something that my genetic counselor mentor asked me, that I think is really important to start thinking about (if you haven’t started already):

What about you sets you apart from all the other applicants?

How is your “why” different from the hundreds of other applicants who also have shadowing experience, counseling experience, and glowing letters of recommendation? Why should this program invest in you as a student? How will you fill gaps in the field of genetic counseling? What can you contribute to the field that no one else can? (This would be a great opportunity to connect your “why” to your unique experiences.)

Many programs want to see that you have put in an effort to learn about the field and the roles of a genetic counselor. This may come up in your interviews, which is why programs emphasize shadowing experience or informational interviews. 

“I applied twice and had interviews both times. Interviewers will always ask you what you’ve learned about the profession from your interactions with genetic counselors (whether that be shadowing, talking to them over the phone, watching videos, etc.) I found it beneficial to be able to discuss not only what a counselor does in the clinic room with a patient, but also what their responsibilities entail outside of the appointment time. It shows a way better understanding of the profession as a whole. A thorough answer will set you apart from interviewees who are only focused on select aspects of the profession.” – Anonymous 

But being genuine in interviews may also include being honest about the limits of your knowledge of the field of genetic counseling. During KGI’s Open House, Ashley Mills, the program director of Keck Graduate Institute’s program, mentioned the importance of being honest that you may not know everything about genetic counseling—that’s why you’re going to school after all! Approaching your interviews with humility shows that you’re unafraid to admit that you don’t know everything, but more importantly it shows that you have a willingness to learn from others!

Whew! If you made it through this entire blog post, kudos to you! I was so overwhelmed by the support and advice from current and past genetic counseling students who contributed so much to this blog post. Hopefully some of the words shared here are exactly the words you needed to hear today.

If you haven’t done so already, check out the genetic counseling community on Twitter or through the Discord app (link), where I have been able to connect with all of the amazing people mentioned in this post. Their contacts/social media can be found here:

• Amy Stenhouse - @amystenhouse on Twitter
• Emily Chien - @mily.chi on Instagram
• Talya Boisjoli - @Talya_Canada_GC on Twitter
• Emily Wiseman - @catsandc0ffee on Instagram and @EmilyMSGC on Twitter
• Catelyn Slayback - Connect with her on LinkedIn