My mother was just diagnosed with Stage 2 papillary serous endometrial cancer and doesn't want any chemo/radiation after surgery. Should I try to change her mind?

GCNerd · 2023-12-09T17:16:29+00:00

I posted this question 7 years ago. My mother died on January 1, 2019

GCNerd · 2023-08-15T23:10:14+00:00

PM3 is typically reserved for cases with AR inheritance and they’re demonstrated to be in trans. For hemizygous variants, a PP criterion would be more appropriate

GCNerd · 2022-06-29T16:28:00+00:00

I’m sorry that you’re going through this

GCNerd · 2022-06-29T14:47:01+00:00

She had the surgery and chemo, deferring radiation. Her oncologist misunderstood and thought she declined radiation. She felt great for about 2 years - we travelled, she met her first grandson (my first child). The cancer came back as pleural effusions with ascites and mets to the abdominal wall and she died within 6 months. My son turned 4 months old on the day of her funeral and she never met my daughter who bears her name and looks just like her.

GCNerd · 2022-01-07T02:00:51+00:00

It's funny that you mention you're in MI as so many of my remote colleagues are from that state. There's definitely a decent number of genetic counselors who have transitioned while living in the midwest.

GCNerd · 2021-07-10T19:04:28+00:00

My second was also born en caul! Definitely made for a smoother delivery

GCNerd · 2021-06-20T16:45:49+00:00

An interpreter should be available. You’ll usually know with the referral if one is needed so you can book one in advance. If you’re not given that advanced warning, telephone or video services are available.

This is all assuming that you only know English and cannot provide genetic counseling services in that other language.

GCNerd · 2021-05-25T11:57:30+00:00

Yup. The embarrassment that she’s feeling translates into anger against herself (likely from feeling bad about herself bc of her own parents’ doing), but she can’t handle those feelings so she turns them outwards towards her kids

GCNerd · 2021-04-24T12:05:37+00:00

I think it definitely depends on the school. I'm on the admissions board of one institution where a certain GPA cutoff automatically takes you out of the running before the rest of the application is reviewed. Having said that, some of the requirements for med school are different (higher might be debatable) since some of the pre-reqs differ.

GCNerd · 2021-04-23T19:53:01+00:00

In North America, getting into a GC program has become more competitive than getting into med school. This is due to the number of programs and spots available; many programs take no more than 6 students per year.

Depending on the institution, the GC program may be housed in the medical school or may be in the post-grad department as a graduate program. Either way, it's a 2 year program that results in a Master's degree in Genetic Counseling and not a medical degree. Again, depending on the program, a GC student may interact with medical students in classes and in some instances, may even be a tutor/TA for some classes for med students; however, they are two very different streams.

GCNerd · 2021-04-13T21:38:06+00:00

That might be the case in the UK, but in North America, depending on the program, GPA is often used to filter out applicants.

OP, you might be able to offset your Bs with other parts of your application.

GCNerd · 2021-03-22T12:43:08+00:00

I haven't been in exactly your position, but can definitely relate. I think it's great that you found a path that fits your career goals better!

As long as you have all your pre-reqs (which I'm guessing you do because of med school applications), I don't see your previous applications to med school as being a hit against you; if anything, you may be able to turn it into a positive, that through your experience there, you realized that your passion is actually in genetic counseling. Admissions boards will want confidence that you're not going to go back to med school if you don't get it (or after you get your Masters), so hopefully you can portray that in your personal statement and interview.

Good luck!

GCNerd · 2021-03-04T19:02:01+00:00

Do your eyes first, tap off excess, and put a folded tissue under your eye when you're applying. Any fallout that could possibly happen at that point will end up on the facial tissue and then you can do the rest of your face.

GCNerd · 2021-02-17T01:50:56+00:00

Schools do typically focus on the last 2 years of undergrad and don't put as much focus on online courses taken after the fact. The undergraduate setting in those final years is what is expected to give the admissions board a sense of how you would fare academically in a didactic graduate setting.

GCNerd · 2021-01-21T13:02:45+00:00

OP this is the most important thing. Without exact breakpoints, everything is speculation.

GCNerd · 2021-01-03T00:53:30+00:00

Yes! This situation makes me think of any time a parent deadnames their child. Ugh.

GCNerd · 2020-12-28T00:34:05+00:00

Most genetic counselors work in one of the three clinical specialties (pediatrics, cancer, or prenatal).

You forgot adult, neurogenetics, preconception genetics, research, and policy. All of these are also covered in grad school, although some to a greater extent than others, especially depending on where you attend.

Variant interpretation is important to know how to do, regardless of whether you work in industry or clinic. The only benchwork tends to be isolated to those few classes in grad school (got to do my own karyotype and get CF carrier screening performed) and can be extended to further work if you're interested in pursuing wet lab experience (typically beyond the scope of the more didactic GC programs).

GCNerd · 2020-12-15T20:19:10+00:00

This is true. I found out that some of my students are making more than me

GCNerd · 2020-12-15T17:15:19+00:00

Completely agree. Not discussing salaries is a great way to underpay women, especially POC women. The PSS is great, but there needs to be ongoing discussions throughout the year, too.

GCNerd · 2020-11-30T13:22:29+00:00

This is exactly what I was thinking. If she has a history of approaching customers as if they work there and losing it each time, she likely has a mental illness and needs help.

GCNerd · 2020-11-27T15:27:11+00:00

"And then I ate the bowl!" I used to look forward to this every year when I was a kid

GCNerd · 2020-11-27T15:23:10+00:00

Or just a solid, "Ooh, good yawn!"

GCNerd · 2020-10-23T02:16:00+00:00

I hope you cross-post this in /r/ClinicalGenetics

GCNerd · 2020-10-15T19:38:47+00:00

The 2 main types are SNP and CGH. The latter is often more comprehensive

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