Joe Jacher, 1st year student from Chicago,
Illinois
How are you adjusting to life as a
GC student?
It’s taken some time, but I’ve
been able to make the transition pretty well.
Being fully immersed in the program has helped me really adjust to this
next stage of my life.
What has helped you make the
transition?
The program faculty and 2nd
year students were all very welcoming and friendly. They have been willing to help out with
anything we have needed.
What is one thing you were most
nervous about starting the UC genetic counseling program?
I knew graduate school was going
to be difficult and time consuming, and I was nervous about the amount of work
that would be required. Thankfully, UC
has a very well-established program and learning is progressive, so there has never
been a point when I’ve felt like what was being asked of me was impossible. I
also went from living in a house with 20 other people to now living by myself
in a one-bedroom apartment, so I was also nervous about that transition.
Prior to starting school, you
might have had expectations of what it may be like. How has your transition
compared to your initial expectations?
It was a large transition in
adjusting how I spend my time. In
undergrad, I was very involved in extra-curricular activities, along with
taking full course loads. I went from
dividing my time equally among several different areas to graduate school,
where my time is now solely focused on the course work. It took some adjusting,
but I think I have handled it well.
What’s one new thing you’ve
learned about yourself?
I have really come to master my
time-management skills. There are some
assignments that are best done at the hospital, so planning out my week and
deciding what I hope to achieve each day has been critical for me. I’ve learned that I’m better at that than I
previously thought.
What are you most looking forward
to this semester?
Getting more involved by taking on
roles in clinic!
So far, how does this year compare
to your first year?
This year’s biggest difference for
me so far is the amount of independence I have been handed (it’s a scary
thought, being left to your own devices!). As a second year you do not have as
many classes, but you are focusing more on your research and clinic
responsibilities. This has been a difficult shift for me personally, as I tend
to not be overly organized. However, needing to schedule several meetings and
being solely responsible for creating my own deadlines for research and clinic
duties, I am getting better at my time management skills.
What’s one new thing you’ve
learned about yourself?
I’ve learned that you can never
underestimate the power of a well-placed Disney movie marathon. Or any movie
marathon for that matter. Self-care is very important both in graduate school
and in our future careers as genetic counselors, and finding what works for you
as a student is incredibly important so that you can carry that over to your
life as a genetic counselor. So, to answer your question, I’ve learned that I
am way more into Disney movies than I had previously thought.
What are you most looking forward
to this semester?
I was really looking forward to
going to the NSGC conference in Anaheim. There were a lot of really cool talks
that were presented there, and we got to mingle with a TON of genetic
counselors!
How does the transition back to school
from your summer rotation compare to your initial transition?
They were both very different
transitions. When I originally started school at UC, I thought I could act like
I was still in undergraduate school and get by. I quickly learned that was not
the case. It was hard to get adjusted to graduate school, but I was able to do
it with the help of my classmates (and frequent dinner dates). The transition
from my summer rotation to my second year has been easier, but different. I did
exclusively prenatal counseling over the summer, and had to transition back
into pediatric counseling upon my return. It took a couple of weeks to get used
to the different styles of counseling. Also, like I mentioned above, time
management is way more important this year.
Caitlin Reinert
1st year student
