A Voice: "There's an App for that!"

As I sit here in our program's area at Children's, I've got white earbuds jammed in my ears bringing me wonderful music from my iPod. Some of us might have iPhones, Droids, or other smart devices which we use to text, checkour facebooks as if something majorly important needs our attention, tweet with twitter apps, or play games like Sudoku or Angry Birds. Yet, have we really thought of the potential of these devices?

Using google I found this picture of the one, the only, the iPad. Now, my thinking might be primitive, but I expected business people to use this for hands-on presentations, checking the stock market, sending emails. I expected my Grandma to use it to read a book through a Kindle App. In a little google search "uses of iPad," some of the top uses were for Mobile Gaming, eReading, Business, texting and tweeting, watching TV/videos, and using it as a GPS. However, I'm not sure the creators of this device ever expected it to give someone language.

Setting: I'm a first year student rotating in our clinic space. This clinic space is sometimes shared among services - so today there was a Cancer Genetics rotation and an Aerodigestive clinic. While I was only in one of them, everyone is very friendly and we share insights about patients (more like they share, and I, the student, listen). I had just stepped out of a room with a patient, and was called over to the other side of clinic by one of our Geneticists. She said "you've got to see this!" - and she was right.

In front of me was a six-year-old child in a wheelchair who had several health complications due to her condition. Up to a few months ago, her family and doctors thought she was basically non-communicative. She wouldn't respond in animated ways when her mother talked to her, she wouldn't ask for anything, she wouldn't move her arms. Then, she got her iPad.

I didn't pry into how exactly the idea of getting an iPad was brought up with the family, but the mother seemed very active in her child's care and after six years of low to no communication, I wouldn't doubt that she figured this out for her daughter in talking with other parents.

The six-year-old girl could now click on a drink application on the iPad homescreen, and tell her mom what she wanted to drink. She could play educational games and point to the correct shapes if you asked her. She knew who the Disney Princesses were now. Her mom said to me "last week, she read her first book all by herself." Her mom said they both had more freedom, and how special it was to be able to communicate with her daughter after all this time. To me, I was SO touched, I had to hold back the tears. Here I was (as well as most of the population) playing on iPads, thinking they're "cool," playing mindless games, checking my e-mail and then here was this child who was given language with an iPad. Just think of not being able to verbalize your needs, wants, desires. Not knowing popular culture. Not reading. Not Communicating. And then, with a new-age device - you can.  I can say confidently, it was an experience I will never forget. It most certainly put things into perspective, and showed me so many lessons on all I have to be thankful for, and just how sweet technology is becoming.

I don't think the inventors of the iPad ever intended for such a large impact on that child and family, and me in clinic that day. But I do think that everyone needs to take a step back and realize just what this technology can do for patients and families. Not only with genetic conditions, but with several lifelong conditions. There are tools for them, and sometimes it seems we just have to think outside of the box.

I wonder if there's an App for that.

Posted by Leslie Gress, First year

Happy New Year!

It's a busy start of 2011 for the GCP!

This quarter, first years are taking two different classes than last quarter and beginning to work hard on their Thesis Projects. So far, I think we're all enjoying Epidemiology and Embryology very much! Our professors are very fun to learn with, and make the long classes go fast :)

Other than that, I think first years are "Thesis-heavy" right now - we're figuring out our research questions, meeting with our advisors, and beginning to think about IRB submission. With all of us working on different topics and projects, I think it is very exciting to hear where everyone is at in the process and how they're liking their project so far. It's a longgg project so I won't be surprised if frustrations happen sooner than later!

We're ALL very busy in clinic. Right now, I'm rotating with the Hereditary Cancer Program. It's such an interesting rotation and I've seen a lot of cases that makes me excited about what's to come in research for genetics. For example, I saw a family and I thought for SURE they would have a genetic mutation that would pre-dispose them to cancer, raising their risk. Only to find out while taking the family history, they had tested negative for such a mutation. It made me want to figure out all I could for this family, and made me so excited about my field. With more research and understanding, we'll be able to provide answers for more famillies, and hopefully ensure better medical care. It may be dorky - but it surely is exciting!

This quarter is a busy one - but we've got more updates coming! Next on the list: a unique clinic experience :)

Until then!



Posted by Leslie Gress, First Year

A new endeavor: First Years get Thesis Assignments!

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how our program director, Melanie, was matching the first years up for thesis projects. Some of us have come from a research background, and others have not. Personally I have not!

My topic is "Assessing the Needs of Adults with Genetic Disorders." Pretty broad, right? I guess that's one thing about my project I like. Some of my classmates have a more pinpoitned subject, but I like that I can kind of take my project wherever it wants to go. I'm working with a great advisor, Dr. Rob Hopkin, who's really active in our program and runs the Human Genetics course we (the first years) just finished. I have to be honest though - the project is intimidating! Right now I'm so excited about my thesis and about the research I could be doing. I feel like it might actually make a difference to genetic counseling and to how we practice. Basically, there are a lot of genetic conditions where children survive into adulthood and cannot be seen at Pediatric instutions which just happens to be where a bulk of geneticists practice. Obviously this would make their medical management, prognosis,etc. very hard. On the same tolken, some people may not even know that they have a genetic disorder until a family member is diagnosed and then they come in for adult genetic services (not to be confused with adult ONSET.. yikes!). My project is looking at what these adults need, why they came to genetics, what difference a genetic consultation made in their medical management, and how health professionals can provide best care for these patients. It's exciting now, but I'm sure after 18 months of it I'll be ready to be done!

I asked a few of my classmates what they thought about Thesis Projects. Meron Azage, a fellow GA with me, sent me this little blurb:

"I will be working with Elizabeth Schorry, MD on her project to look at fracture rates in adults and elderly patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1. Dr Schorry is an associate professor of clinical pediatrics and an expert researcher in the field of NF1 study. I am interested in this topic and I am very excited to get started on this project. I am however, a little intimidated by this process because I have never worked on a study before. My plan of action at this moment is to stay organized and remember the satisfaction of overcoming a challenge."

Some of the other topics this year include:

- Predictive Testing in Adult onset Neurological Disorders

- Long-Term Cancer Survivor Genetic Assessment

- Impacts of BRCA mutations on family relationships

- Investigations on Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy

They're all so different it's so exciting! I feel like we all have the support of each other and the program that we will be able to be successful in our projects - hopefully without too much frustration!!

Leslie Gress, First Year

Work Hard, Play Hard!

The quarter is officially over! The first years survived and the second years are in the home stretch!

I think a big part of being successful in any graduate program is to know how to balance - your school life vs. your home life, fun vs. work, knowing when you've reached your limit, etc. I feel like this is even more important in our lives as GC students. We are learning how to build rapport with our patients and families, how to support them, how to give them a helping hand when they may need it. I feel like in learning to do that, we spontaneously do it with each other. I know I could go to any one of my classmates and ask their perspective on something, or help with a concept - we truly do all support each other. While we are here at the hospital and "on campus" for long days at a time, we also make sure we have time to have fun and explore Cincinnati!

Here are some of our adventures...

September: Most of the first years ('12) and some second years at a Prom for Special Needs Children at a church on the West side of Cincinnati. Each of us got an "escort" and got to do things throughout the night like dance, play games, and eat food! Our escorts ranged in age from teens to adulthood and it was a really good experience and it was fun to dress up and enjoy the night together!

November: With 12 people in a class, it's easy to find things to do. Nicki Smith ('12) found a great event at Eden Park in Mt. Adams, a neighborhood of Cincinnati, with hot air balloons! They light them up at sunset, and you can even get hot chocolate.. I was really jealous of all my classmate that got to go! It really seemed like a fun event. In general, Cincinnati promotes its park program which makes the fall season really enjoyable and a nice break from school work!

As we come from all over, it's been really fun to learn what people consider "cold" or "a lot of snow." I'm from Northeast Ohio and am used to inches of snow from Lake Effect weather.. But some of my southern classmates (Chandni from Alabama, Laura from Florida) really enjoyed the first snow Cincinnati had! All of us snow gals are teaching these Southern Belles how to drive safely in the weather, even though they seem to be a new fan of car-pooling!

As you can see, there's plenty to do in Cincinnati and in having fun outside of the hospital and classes, I feel like it makes our time at school that much more productive. We know each other very well and are able to provide feedback during roleplays, or help during stressful times in ways we may not have been able to if we didn't know each other so well. This is part of the reason I personally came to Cincinnati - it feels like home! As we all went our separate ways for Christmas break, it was exciting to hear everyone's plans but I think we're already looking forward to being reunited for Winter Quarter!

Happy holidays from the UC GCP! :)

Leslie Gress, First Year

Hustle & Bustle in the GCP!

It's a busy time of year for the students and staff here at the program!

First years have begun their clinic rotations and are about to wrap up their first quarter of classes. We just had a big Molecular Genetics test on Monday, and finished a few weeks with what seemed to be endless assignments for other classes. It's nice looking at the rest of our "to-do" list: only a few exams and we are onto Christmas break! Although, I think the lesson a lot of us are learning in our first few weeks here at UC is that the "to-do" list is surely going to be never-ending over the next two years! The "buzz" around us is all about thesis topics - we submitted our choices to Melanie on Monday and are waiting to hear back which project we will be devoting endless hours to over the rest of our time here. We were really lucky to have great choices to pick from, and I think most of us would be happy with whatever we get! Updates on that are sure to come!

Second years are deep into their research for their Thesis projects. In talking with a few of them, it seems they are really enjoying their classes, especially Advanced Genetic Counseling and Teratology. Also they are seeing more patients on average because several of them are in a specialty clinic setting. Even though I'm just a first year, I get the feeling that the second years really enjoyed their summer rotations, but are glad to be back at Children's and UC and wrapping up their time on the way to graduation in June!

The program staff is also busy! Like I said, Melanie is matching students for thesis projects which I'm sure is keeping her busy. Katie is preparing the rest of the clinic schedule for the first years, and Kathleen and Carrie are always busy as well! I think we are all VERY thankful for our program coordinator, Bette Young, who joined the program staff in September. Speaking from experience, if there is a superhero out there - it IS Bette! She is such a pleasant woman and can get anyone whatever information you need. She also keeps little treats for us - like pretzels, or cough drops when you're ill, and recently hand lotion has made an appearance since winter is approaching!

I'd say generally all is good and happy here at the GCP. I'm working on some more specific blog posts about clinic experiences, classroom experiences, and other things - just waiting for some feedback from my classmates to be able to post! :-)

Thanks for joining us on our blog-endeavor! Remember, you can e-mail us gcgradstudent@cchmc.org or comment below. Have a great day!


Posted by: Leslie Gress, First Year

Hello & Welcome!

Welcome to the official blog for the Genetic Counseling Program of the University of Cincinnati in association with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. We are looking forward to keeping in touch with alumni and sharing with prospective students through the experiences of our current students and staff that will be shared here!

More to come shortly!



LAG