GCBrittany

Just got an email to interview from Arcadia as well!

I just got invited by Cincinnati! 

Hi All,
New to the forum! This is my first year applying to programs. I have received an interview to Brandeis, Rutgers and University of Maryland so far and I'm waiting to hear back from 4 more programs. For people who have applied and interviewed before could you describe what questions you were asked, if there were activities, common themes etc. and give any tips you may have for preparation! Thanks and good luck to everyone!!

Good morning everyone!
I just wanted to stop in and remind everyone that, while I know this time is very stressful, you don't want to neglect your own emotional and physical well-being. We're applying for a field with high burn out, so self care is going to be a vital skill for our futures! Go do something that makes you feel good and less stressed this weekend!
My self care: last night I went to dinner with friends, then we went back to one of the women's houses to play games. Simple, fun, needed.

This is great insight, sunT, thank you for offering your perspective.  One question I remember being asked repeatedly last year was essentially, "Why do you want to be a genetic counselor?"  In my case, it was more specifically, "Why do you want to leave your established career [in genomic research] to be a genetic counselor?", so I have been thinking of the best way to convey the answer to that question.  I will have quite a bit more shadowing and advocacy experience to speak from after this last year, and I look forward to being able to draw from that as well this time around.  It would be good for me to really think about what distinguishes me, aside from my magnetic personality, ha ha, because obviously that didn't quite do the trick last year!

February 22/23. I'm really excited! 

March 8th and 9th! How about you?

Guys I finally got my Oklahoma Skype interview confirmed. My very first interview offer! Thank you to all who hoped I would get it! Finally some good news! ???

I took a course about genetic counseling with the University of South Carolina and I'm slowing trying to work through the book list the instructor gave us.  So far I've read: The spirit catches you and you fall down by Anne Fadiman (about cultural diversity and a Hmong girl with epilepsy living in America), Give me one wish by Jacquie  Gordon (about a teenage girl with cystic fibrosis), Anna: A daughter's life by William Loizeaux (a father's memoirs about his grief after the loss of his daughter who had VATER syndrome), and Expecting Adam by Martha Beck (about a woman who decides to not terminate her pregnancy after a Down syndrome diagnosis, despite everyone pressuring her to).  I've really enjoyed all of them so far and can't really pick a favourite because they're all on very different topics related to genetic counseling.
The rest of the book list is: Choosing Naia by Mitchel Zuckoff, Babyface by Jeanne McDermott, Waiting with Gabriel by Amy Kuebelbeck, Spelling Love with an X by Clare Dunsford, Before and After Zachariah by Fern Kupfer, Old Before my Time by Hayley Okines, and Pretty is What Changes by Jessica Queller.
I also read a fictional novel called Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova about a family that carries the gene for Huntington's.

Thank you, these sound like books I would enjoy!  I enjoyed the book about specific genetic counselors and one of their patient's stories called Code Talkers.  

I really liked Telling Genes: The Story of Genetic Counseling in America by Alexandra Stern! Or if you are interested in the history of genetics The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee. My favorite is Genetic Rounds by Dr. Robert Marion.   

Does anyone have any good reading material they would recommend?
(In the category of genetic counseling/related field)
Thanks!

Does anyone have any good reading material they would recommend?
(In the category of genetic counseling/related field)
Thanks!

Just found out I got an interview at Maryland!! Woohoo! 

Try St. Anthony Park or Como. Cathedral Hill is also a nice area if you don't mind a slightly longer commute. 

LOL.   I only laugh because I am counting down the days until the 12th for Utah... but I know once it gets closer I will be freaking out! Seems like the majority of my schools send out invites later in Feb or early March... soooo here I wait .
Also, all of you with full time jobs, I totally understand. My lab knows of my plans for graduate school, but what if I don't get in? I'm training my replacement!

LOL.   I only laugh because I am counting down the days until the 12th for Utah... but I know once it gets closer I will be freaking out! Seems like the majority of my schools send out invites later in Feb or early March... soooo here I wait .
Also, all of you with full time jobs, I totally understand. My lab knows of my plans for graduate school, but what if I don't get in? I'm training my replacement!

For those of you who haven't heard from Augustana yet, don't fret! I emailed the program director asking about the likelihood any additional interview dates might open up (the days available aren't the easiest for me to get off) and he responded with this:
"As our application window does not close until February 5, the ASGCGP expects to continue to receive and review applications from well-qualified candidates who we would like to interview. (In fact, at this point in time we are still reviewing some really good applications that came in weeks ago.) We cannot, at this time, accurately predict how many applicants may fall into this category, nor can we guarantee additional interview slots. It is likely we will open more slots on additional days, but, if we do, we will simultaneously be inviting more applicants to interview. ....  If so, would likely be in March."
Of the three days listed on where you can sign up for interview slots, one day looks completely full, another is half full and the third still has spots for both options (morning and afternoon interviews). Based on last years numbers of interviewing around 50 applicants, I'd say they still have at least half of their interview slots open plus as he mentioned, they could be opening up more dates in the future. 
Also, I am thoroughly impressed because the director shows obvious knowledge of my application last year and mentioned what a great job I had done at making it even stronger this year, commented on Arizona's need for GCs, and then he ended the email with "Pack a coat ;-)". Feels nice to actually "stand out" as a person and not be just another application. Really shows that they truly DO take a holistic review of applications. 

I really liked Arcadia! I didn't interview anywhere else so I can't really compare though. The GC program is in an actual house and it's super cozy, the director and other faculty were all really nice, the students seemed to all get along well, and the town was really cute. CHOP, the hospital where they offer a lot of the rotations, is beautiful too. Really hoping I get another interview there. 

Last year I didn't have a letter of rec from a GC and still got interviewed (and waitlisted) to Arcadia. Don't worry about it!

Totally hear ya on the wait. With every ding of my email, I'm jumping to look. I'm sure after another couple of weeks I'll mellow a bit (probably not ;P). I've started a second job to cover costs and this has kept me away from home during the evenings. Also I'm trying to work out and read a bit more, just to find distractions. You'd think a few months wouldn't be so bad. I bet once this process is all said and done and we're in grad school, we'll be wishing we had all this free time back :).

OOh I didn't know Utah had a date to send invites by! So exciting! Thanks for the info. 

Utah (February 12th) and Augustana (February 16th "last day for students to receive interviews") both have exact dates, others are more broad, like Arizona states late January for notification. If you go look around the websites for schools you've applied to, you can typically find this (if available) in the FAQs, on the Admission page, or some have admission timeline pages). 

Just got an interview invite via email from Case Western!! I didn't expect to hear back this early especially bc results from last year said they didn't send out emails till late January! 

Woo! Just hit submit on my final application! 
Funny, when I started the app process, I thought I'd feel so relieved once I finished them. Now I'm more nervous than ever! Come on March!