How to Become a Genetic Counselor
Genetic counselors have a Master’s degree in genetic counseling from an accredited institution and must pass the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) certification examination soon after graduating from their program.
The ABGC expects that after completing a genetic counseling graduate program, one should be able to demonstrate skills in four domains: communication skills; critical thinking skills; interpersonal, counseling, and psychosocial assessment skills; and professional ethics and values.
In applying to graduate programs, many will be looking to see that you have some familiarity in these areas. Therefore, before applying to genetic counseling graduate programs, there are some general areas of experience you should acquire.
Advocacy Experience
Some type of advocacy experience is important, since, as a genetic counselor, one of your roles is as a patient advocate. By gaining this experience, you will improve your interpersonal and general communication skills and your understanding of professional values. Some typical examples of advocacy work include volunteering at a pregnancy center or a crisis hotline.
Shadowing a Genetic Counselor
It also strongly recommended that you shadow a practicing genetic counselor before applying to a graduate program. This can be done by contacting a genetic counselor in your area and letting them know that considering the field of genetic counseling and would like to observe them. The NSGC website will allow you to search for genetic counselors in your area that are happy to have prospective students observe. However, due to the HIPAA federal regulation designed to protect patients’ confidential medical information, it may be difficult to find opportunities for shadowing, but contacting multiple genetic counselors and being persistent may help you find someone to shadow. If you cannot find opportunities to shadow, it would still be very useful to meet and speak with several genetic counselors and have a list of questions you are prepared to ask about the field. The better informed you are about the field, the more likely genetic counseling programs are to consider you for acceptance.
Course Prerequisites
You are expected to successfully pass certain courses prior to applying to genetic counseling programs. Common prerequisite courses include:
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Genetics
- Organic Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Psychology
- Statistics
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