My Experience as a Second Year Genetic Counseling Student

One of the strengths that I have perceived within the Genetic Counseling Program at Cincinnati Children’s is the wealth of opportunities we have as students here. The first year of the training program is relatively academically heavy with significant coursework, group assignments, research experience, and clinical exposure. The second year of training offers more flexible time and an ability to truly tailor our learning experience. Over the last year, a variety of experiences and opportunities have shaped my professional and personal growth and I wanted to take some time to share that with all of you. Here is a short summary of some of the things I’ve done over the past year and a few pictures as well: https://jmshank.weebly.com

I had the privilege to be a LEND trainee in my second year. LEND stands for Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities. It is a federally funded program which seeks to cultivate leadership skills within clinical and non-clinical members of the disability community. Through LEND I gained an understanding of my own leadership skills and abilities while exploring how those skills fit within the greater context of advocacy and disability policy. The LEND program at Cincinnati Children’s this past year consisted of 24 trainees from 13 different disciplines. Attending classes and working on projects with the other LEND trainees has given me a broad understanding of multiple disciplines and how genetic counseling fits in the greater medical field. LEND afforded me many opportunities to travel for conferences and service trips as well as setting a foundation for lifelong learning and growth through work within the disability community.

Throughout the year I also attended a variety of conferences and experiential learning events. Specific to genetic counseling, I attended the Ohio Genetic Counselor’s conference in Cleveland and the National Society of Genetic Counselor’s conference in Seattle. We also had the chance to attend a bereavement conference in Columbus with other genetic counseling program students from the Midwest area. Related to my work with LEND, I was able to spend a week in Nicaragua working with a developmental pediatrician and a speech team. Our LEND cohort also took a trip to Columbus, the Ohio state capitol, to meet with our legislators for Disability Awareness day. We discussed up and coming bills and developed our own ways to tell our stories and advocate for our patients and their needs.

I also had the opportunity for non-clinical training opportunities. I was able to rotate in our lab at Cincinnati Children’s to gain an understanding of genetic testing technologies and methodologies. I worked with genetic counselors writing reports and interpreting variants in both the molecular and cytogenetic labs. Additionally, I was able to visit Myriad Genetics the summer before my second year which gave me hands-on exposure to industry and oncology genetics.

I am so grateful for my time at Cincinnati Children’s and the experiences I can take with me in my career. You get out of life what you put into it, but it comes back so much fuller. My second year of training has given me confidence in my skills and broadened my perspectives towards genetic counseling and the healthcare field as a whole. With a foundation set in strong clinical, practical, and relational skills as well as the ability to facilitate my own lifelong learning I couldn’t be more excited for my future. 

--Jessica Shank, 2017 graduate