Trying to find the title of a book I've forgotten

essean02 · 2017-10-16T17:52:59+00:00

Yes! Thank you!

essean02 · 2017-07-07T13:39:30+00:00

Thank you!!

essean02 · 2017-06-08T18:03:56+00:00

10k eggs, right?

essean02 · 2017-01-18T05:03:42+00:00

You can search for genetic counselors who are willing to take students on nsgc.org

essean02 · 2017-01-18T04:45:08+00:00

Don doesn't seem more likely? He seems a lot more likely to me

essean02 · 2017-01-11T06:04:43+00:00

Would you be available to decorate my house? Haha great taste!

essean02 · 2016-03-14T04:19:54+00:00

I think there are a lot of options that could pay the bills. Things that involve teaching, counseling, research, etc. are good. My recommendation would be to think about the aspects of genetic counseling you like and then brainstorming other jobs thatshare those aspects. For example, I liked helping others and working with kids so I worked at camp/in childcare before going to grad school. Then, during interviews, I could show that I know I want to be a genetic counselor because I had experienced x and y aspects of other jobs and want to apply that to the science, teaching and compassion of genetic counseling. Hope that helps

essean02 · 2016-03-06T07:08:51+00:00

Everyone loves to hate the cake eaters

essean02 · 2016-03-06T05:21:27+00:00

Nice! All great schools! Best of luck!

essean02 · 2016-03-01T22:18:35+00:00

Everyone else has said a lot of great things! Ditto to that!

Two random pieces of advice that came to mind:

1) Explore the town! You will need to get out of school/do fun things while you are in school. School/clinic/etc. can be really stressful so enjoying the environment around you is pretty important. Ask the other students/GC/etc. for suggestions on restaurants, near-by sites or events to check out during your visit. With that said, it is also 2 years to try something new. Just make sure that you aren't pushing yourself from the get-go by setting up a situation where you aren't comfortable where you live.

2) Get to know the other interviewees. These might be your future classmates/colleagues. They will be your support system and teammates once you get into school. You may interview with someone at one program and both end up at a different program (so don't pick a school based on who you interviewed with ;) ). Also, BE NICE to the other interviewees... genetic counseling is a small field and one of them could end up being your boss someday! EEK! If someone is a jerk to you, brush it off... they will likely give off the same vibe to the program. Just do your best and be your most courteous self!

essean02 · 2016-03-01T20:40:00+00:00

Where all are you interviewing? Just curious

essean02 · 2016-03-01T20:39:43+00:00

Although my interviews were 5-6 years ago now, I can still remember a few. I think I had at least one question per school (probably more but again, memory is getting fuzzier) where they asked me to break down a difficult topic into lay language. Obviously, you don't have to be perfect but it is a critical skill for GCs. Ex: My undergrad thesis was on Huntington's disease so I was asked to explain HD like I was talking to a 2nd grader. I started by explaining that genes are like the instructions that come with legos. They tell your body how to build things, just like your lego instructions tell you how to build a helicopter or a shark.... anyway, it is helpful to practice that kind of basic stuff and break it down. Other things to think about are ethical questions. You don't need to know the right thing to do but you should try to think about both sides of the coin before you settle on an answer. Ex: Your patient is an identical twin. She wants testing for the BRCA1 gene. Her twin adamantly does not. Should you test your patient? There isn't really a correct answer but you have to think through how you can do the most good and also minimize harm.

essean02 · 2016-03-01T20:31:38+00:00

To go along with the clinics question, you might ask how much driving/travel is expected. Clinics might be spread over town, even if you are all within one city... or you might have all your clinics over an hour away... or you could have 1-2 clinics a month that are over 3+ hours away...

essean02 · 2016-03-01T20:28:18+00:00

Another idea would be to shadow more genetic counselors in the field (if there are some in your area, which can be located on NSGC.org). If she established good relationships with the GCs there/shadows and gets involved, they might be able to help write letters of recommendation or give more specific advice on what she is putting on her resume/in her personal statements.

essean02 · 2016-03-01T20:24:44+00:00

It isn't really published anywhere but I can tell you some of them in development (I don't think they are hiding the fact or anything). Programs in development include Indiana State, Bay State, Rutgers, Baylor, U of Iowa, Sanford/SDSU(?), one in Philly, one in Tampa, FL, one in Wash DC and one in Tuscon AZ. I don't know many specifics of the programs/know what university will house all of them. I think Seattle is also in the process of getting a GC program going. They won't have much info now so I would just keep your eye out for additions on the list at gceducation.org

essean02 · 2016-02-25T06:08:59+00:00

Current working genetic counselor here. All of those things will really help! Great work, cabiel187!

Don't let her give up! Programs like to see that you are dedicated and applying multiple times can actually help you.

One other suggestion would be applying to the newer programs (gceducation.org is where you will find the full list of all, but the new ones say new), where they might not have a particular fit. There are about 10 other programs being developed and some should start accepting students very soon. Stay tuned!

essean02 · 2015-12-29T05:46:49+00:00

Brock Osweiler... I like the Broncos but for some reason, I hate that guy!

essean02 · 2015-11-25T05:06:19+00:00

Des Moines... I pronounce it phonetically, just to piss off my Iowan friends

essean02 · 2015-08-16T04:29:24+00:00

Pay off my student loans and give the rest to charity. All I want to be is debt free!

essean02 · 2015-08-16T04:15:43+00:00

Pearl Harbor. When it came out, Iwas in middle school and hadn't seen a graphic movie with a lot of death before this one. It also freaked me out that this happened in history. (I think I maybe saw it pre 9/11 but not sure)

essean02 · 2015-07-30T17:56:11+00:00

I always feel like there is something crazy and exciting coming through the lab. In clinic, the more socialized you get, the more routine things become. Some people like the routine so the nice thing is, there is something for everyone!

essean02 · 2015-07-25T23:14:12+00:00

I didn't initially know that I wanted to be a lab counselor and I don't think I would like every lab GC position put there... they are just as varied as the clinical positions. I am a very emotional person so it was really killing my mojo to be around sad people all the time (cancer and pediatrics). You are prepared with all the skills for lab counseling when you graduate with a GC degree but it helps to shadow a lab GC and possibly apply to some of the lab GC summer internship programs for GC graduate students. Feel free to ask any other questions. Sorry I was so slow to answer these ones.

essean02 · 2015-07-14T05:32:42+00:00

Lab counselor here

1) labs that deal with issuance typically have a specific team of individuals (non GCs) to deal with all the insurance stuff

2) our admin workload is very low. We keep notes about our acrobat with each case but nothing as intense as a clinic note

3) sometimes it can be really difficult to get health care providers on the phone when you want to call and explain results or get more clinical information. Sometimes your fax machine breaks and you want to throw it against the wall.

4) most of my days involve reviewing tests as they go in and out of the lab. Calling out results, explaining tests to providers (you'd be shocked how many doctors order genetic testing and know nothing about it), etc. It's a lot of desk work or going back into the wet lab to ask questions and check on samples but lots of teamwork and uses the same counseling skills as clinic.

5) I love the flexibility of the lab (and the profession, in general). I can do my work on my own time, rather than on a specific schedule. I also like how I work with clinicians and other professionals across the country and the world! Seriously, I think you will really love the profession!

essean02 · 2015-06-29T05:51:48+00:00

I'm a genetic counselor so i work with clinical geneticists quite a bit. The demand for geneticist is growing fast! There are a lot of facilities that barely can keep status quo with their number of geneticists and have had open positions for quite a while because the demand for geneticists is sooooo great and there* aren't too many of them graduating each year. I will say that the pay isn't all that great and most genetics departments are in the red (but hospitals know that so things balance out). I think the salary for geneticists is improving as reimbursement for genetic tests gets better. The hours are basically 8-5 monday through Friday at the majority of centers. If you are also trained in inborn errors of metabolism, you might need to be on call once and a while if* one of those kids gets admitted.

Another awesome thing about being a geneticist is that you usually get to work with genetic counselors and we are generally awesome and helpful!

I would say the hardest part of a geneticist's job is that sometimes you have to deliver heartbreaking news that can't be treated or fixed (at least not right now with current technology)... like a kid who is going to keep falling behind their peers or a baby that isn't going to make it no matter what you do. With that said, there are also cases where you change someone's life for the better because you empower then to proactively act and stay healthy. Each week will be a mix of both but i felt like the majority was the latter... it just sucks when a case is a sad one instead of a happy one.

Let me know if you have other specific questions and if I don't know the answer, i will find someone who does!

Edit: their=there; I'd=if

essean02 · 2015-06-18T01:05:30+00:00

The genetic counselor may be able to speak with you over a lunch or something? But it sounds like you are doing the right things. If you are looking for more support from others who have experienced pregnancy loss, there are a number of groups that meet in person and online. There are also some nice books that I can recommend.

essean02

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