Genetic Counseling 2020 Applicants

[bonbon315]

This is created to share resources and questions in regards to the 2020 genetic counseling application cycle. Good luck to everyone, hopefully this helps!

[gene13]

Exciting! Good luck everyone!

[AspiringGC]

Good luck to the incoming applicants! 

GradCafe has become a little under utilized since the making of a discord. If you'd like to join other future applicants and current students in discord please do! 
Here's the link: https://discord.gg/6JwzcnK

[allie m]

My genetic assistant job will be open come this fall in Charleston, SC at the Greenwood Genetic Center! Please apply! You will get to see patients twice a week and conduct the initial clinical evaluations in the general genetics clinic. The job posting should be on the Greenwood Genetic Center website. The office is 10 minutes from downtown Charleston ?

Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume and list of three professional references to:

E-mail: careers@ggc.org

Fax: (864) 388-1062; Attn: Talitha Kay

[JJGC]

Hi everyone!

I'm really wanting to apply to GC schools in Fall 2020, however by the time I would apply I would be missing two prerequisites that I'll be taking in the winter term. Does anyone know if this will affect my chances or not?

Thanks in advance!

[gene13]

@JJGC I"m in a similar position! Some of the schools stated their policy on in-progress or planned courses on their website. For the ones that didn't, I reached out to ask them. Most of them were fine with in-progress courses so long as you told them in your app that they were in progress. One school told me I wouldn't be considered without a grade in a biochemistry class. Hope that helps!

[JJGC]

@gene13 Awesome, thanks so much for your help!

[gene13]

Match info for this round will be updated sometime in July! Hope everyone is having a happy summer thus far

[crum53]

Hey y'all! Anybody else starting to get nervous/excited about applications beginning to open in just a couple months?

[genes4life]

Hello all!

I am looking to sell 3 of my genetic counseling textbooks because I no longer need them. They are some of the more important textbooks and are required by many of the GC programs.

A Guide to Genetic Counseling

Facilitating the Genetic Counseling Process

Foundations of Perinatal Genetic Counseling

 

Please message me if you are interested! 

[Mzadorsk]

Hey everyone! Im a Canadian applying to some schools in the states and they require me to convert my transcript to the 4.0 GPA scale. Does anyone have any experience with this? Does it generally cost money to do this? Any tips/info are so appreciated! Thanks!

[KailaTurncoat]

9 minutes ago, Mzadorsk said:

Hey everyone! Im a Canadian applying to some schools in the states and they require me to convert my transcript to the 4.0 GPA scale. Does anyone have any experience with this? Does it generally cost money to do this? Any tips/info are so appreciated! Thanks!

From what I have gathered from some open houses, some US schools want our transcripts converted by WES. I haven't done mine yet, so I am not sure of the process. I would love to connect with you (Go Canadians!) as I am feeling super alone in this process thus far.

[madgbeck]

Hello everyone!

I am sending in my applications for genetic counseling programs soon! Feeling very nervous and worried about not getting accepted on my first try. I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the program at Indiana State. It is a new program and I can't seem to find a whole lot of information about it from forums of previous years. Also, I was wondering how much shadowing is enough? I have shadowed one day but am finding it difficult to get more opportunities. Do schools just want to see that you have at least some familiarity with the field? 

Thanks!

[daisyhunter]

Hey guys anyone hear from anyone about anything? :)

[CarlyPeterson]

On 1/17/2020 at 9:39 AM, daisyhunter said:

Hey guys anyone hear from anyone about anything? :)

I just got emails with interview invitations from Sarah Lawrence and University of Minnesota, but I'm waiting to hear back about the rest of my schools! Have you heard from any schools yet? :)

[Nefelibata]

Come join us on Discord for up to date info on which schools have sent out interviews/rejections!

https://discord.gg/7HFjFr5

Go to the #bot commands channel and type ?rank 2020 Applicant to be able to access all the channels. There's a #Resources page that has google docs where we update to track when schools are sending out, and of course everyone is talking about it in the discussion channels

So far Minnesota, Emory, Sarah Lawrence, Ohio State, Columbia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Case Western, Augustana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Stanford have sent out interview invites!

Edited January 24, 2020 by Nefelibata

[MaddieB28]

Hey! New here. I've actually heard back from 5 schools (applied to 13 because I'm crazy) and am waiting to hear from 8. I received interview offers at Indiana University, University of Minnesota, and Case Western Reserve. I got rejections from Ohio State and Stanford.

Anyone heard from Wisconsin yet? That's my alma matter and it looks like last year they reached out with offers on 1/31... 

[Daniellesjdisb]

Hi y’all! 
 

Has anyone heard back from USF? 

[KaryoKid]

Hi everyone! Congrats to all those who have interview invitations. I thought I would share my podcast episode offering interview advice as you all prepare. You can listen via the link below or search "DNA Today" on Spotify, Apple, Google Play etc. It is episode "#97 Genetic Counseling Grad School Interviews, Ranking, Matching (Part 2)."

http://dnapodcast.com/episodes/2018/12/30/97?rq=97

More advice is listed in the big post below, it was also the first half of our conversation about applications. 

http://dnapodcast.com/episodes/2018/8/3/87-genetic-counseling-grad-school-apps

If you have questions feel free to email me or the other guests on the show at info@DNApodcast.com. I'm a second year in Sarah Lawrence's program and I hope to see some of you at interviews :) 

Good luck everyone! 

[smd1328]

On 2/7/2020 at 5:59 AM, Daniellesjdisb said:

Hi y’all! 
 

Has anyone heard back from USF? 

I still haven't heard back and it's late March. They still said my application is under review. Have you heard anything?

[KaryoKid]

Match Day is almost here, celebrate with fellow applicants in a Zoom call Friday 7pmET (4pmPT) hosted by DNA Today! ?

We want to wish you congrats and share our advice for navigating grad school, so bring your questions. All are welcome who participated in applications (or plan to!) 

Link to join our live Zoom chat: https://zoom.us/j/97965254344

The panel from Episode 101 will be hosting so revisit it to hear our tips on how to prepare and what to expect during your first year

[Katie Huang]

Do you consider yourself to be underrepresented in the genetic counseling field? Please consider taking Katie Huang’s anonymous survey to identify barriers faced by underrepresented applicants applying to genetic counseling programs. This study hopes to bring attention to the barriers underrepresented applicants face so that the genetic counseling community can begin to address them.  
Click here for more information about an important study from current genetic counseling student Katie Huang: https://tinyurl.com/underrepresentedgc

(‘Underrepresented’  includes but is not limited to age, ability status/disability, citizenship status/natural origin, education background, English as a second language, first-generation college student, gender identity or expression, medical condition, multicultural background, race/ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and veteran status) 

*This study is separate from the survey distributed by Sarah Lawrence College also surveying underrepresented applicants applying to genetic counseling programs.

[Delilah Xiong]

Genetic counseling is a crucial process for patients and families either at risk for a rare disease or have already embarked on a diagnostic journey for a genetic syndrome. Genetic counseling provides three essential services for patients and families: Exploration of family medical and genetic histories in order to understand potential risk of a genetic syndrome or gene mutation. Crucial education and information about how genetic syndromes are inherited, the process of testing for and diagnosing syndromes, as well as the later management of life with a rare disease, as well as resources on preventing future occurrence and making the necessary connections with rare disease support groups, and communities. Counseling to help patients and their families understand the diagnosis they may face, the genetic, medical and psychological implications of a diagnosis on both the patient and rest of the family, and support for living with a rare disease.