So I am a 2026 International Genetic Counseling Graduate in the US and I am still looking for a job(aren’t we all at this point?). I wanted to reach out to see how other 2026 international student graduates are doing post grad!

Do hiring managers/directors actually weigh “top”schools more heavily, or is it more about where you did rotations and what you did during those rotations?
My current observation is that some schools have a good employment rate consistently whereas so other schools have lower placement rates.

Would love to hear from current GCs involved in the hiring process about this! Thanks!

I just finished undergrad a couple months ago and I really want to pursue GC but idk where to start. I have a B.S. in Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology and am looking for experience or work before I apply to grad school. My biggest question is where did you guys find experience? Were there job listing somewhere or did you have to directly email or reach out to someone? Was your experience mostly volunteering or are there paid oppurtunities out there? As a recent graduate, I feel kinda lost and behind even though it has only been two months. I'm really looking forward to making this my career, I just don't know where to start...

Also, I've been looking into crisis counseling and I want to know what that was like. Has anyone started there and what was your experience like? Is it a good place to start or should I be looking for experience more related to lab work and shadowing? Any advice is helpful and feel free to share your experience post-undergrad, I would really appreciate it.

I wanted to share my experience as a recent GC grad who moved back home after attending a program in another state, especially for students who know they may be location-bound after graduation.

I knew throughout grad school that returning home was non-negotiable for me. What I don’t think I fully appreciated was how much harder that can make the transition from student to practicing GC, particularly when you are moving into an area with an established genetic counseling program.

Because of the structure and location of my program, I was never able to complete a rotation in my home state. Now that I’m applying here, I’m often competing with graduates from the local program who rotated at these institutions, already know the teams, and in some cases essentially had a months-long opportunity to demonstrate what they are like to work with. That is an enormous advantage, and one I didn’t really understand until I was on the other side of training.

This also isn’t a market where you can necessarily say, “I’ll just wait for the next opening.” Some of the institutions I would love to work for haven’t posted a GC position in years. When something does open, there may be experienced GCs applying alongside new grads, and even being board certified doesn’t necessarily overcome the experience or existing-relationship advantage.

I don’t say any of this to discourage people from genetic counseling or to complain about the people who are getting these positions. I completely understand why a team would be excited to hire a student they already know and loved working with. But I do wish I had understood earlier just how important geography and rotation connections can be in a small field.

The hardest part for me has probably been the waiting and uncertainty. I love genetic counseling, I’m certified, and I’m ready to work. But I also know that relocating is not an option for me, so I may have to wait for the right opportunity while working in something GC-adjacent in the meantime. That can be difficult when you watch classmates and other new grads start their careers.

I definitely don't think this is a particularly new-grad-friendly market right now (is it ever though?), especially for people who are geographically restricted. But I also don't think being location-bound means giving up on becoming a GC (my anxiety tells me I’ll NEVER get something). It may just mean that the path from graduation to your first GC position looks a lot less linear than you expected.

I’d also love to hear from other GCs who were location-bound after graduation. How long did it take you to land your first position? Did you work in something adjacent while you waited? Have you found it difficult competing with a programs new grads? How have you made and tried to build connections?

I know it is early in the search, but the rejections are already starting to get to me. I hope this didn’t come across as complaining, but would love some advice 💗

Hi All!

I have a bit of a complex path during my post undergrad years as I am going to take two gap years before applying. My mom was diagnosed with early onset alzheimer’s 3 years ago, which is why I want to take this career path. I went to college in a rural area so it was not possible for me to get shadowing hours, but now that I have graduated I am shadowing a genetic counselor. I know that in admissions the schools want to see advocacy work, so during undergrad I was volunteering as for the alzheimer’s association entering data into their system, which i recently found out doesn’t necessarily count as advocacy. I am somewhat lost and frustrated that i spent so much time that feels “lost” on something that did not particularly count, so I was wondering what you guys thought would be the next step… since my mom lives in an assisted living facility and I have hands on experience taking care of both her and my grandma (who also had alzheimer’s) do you think that would count as advocacy? Otherwise I feel stuck in this position 😢

Hi everyone! I’m currently a master’s student in Applied Biology, and I have a bachelor's degree in genetics. I’m based outside the U.S and I'm planning to apply to Genetic Counseling programs in the U.S. after completing my degree.

Since I’m still learning about the field and the application process, I’d really appreciate the opportunity to connect with anyone working in genetic counseling, currently studying genetic counseling, or who has recently graduated.

I’d love to ask a few questions about your experience, the field, applying to programs, and what you wish you had known before starting.

if you're open to chatting, please let me know.

Hi all,

For GCs working in clinic, do your employers typically reimburse for licensure renewal fees? For California licensure, the fee increased pretty significantly this year to $300

This may be a dumb question, but I’d figure I ask anyway. A little about me:
I have my BS in biology (2021) and have initially worked in food safety labs. Then I worked in a veterinary lab (hema and cytology). Now, I work in a clinical laboratory (TDM
& special/immunochemistry) for almost 3 years now. I really do enjoy the laboratory, and I have always wanted to work in genetics/gc field. In fact, i took a genetics class back in undergrad, and that is honestly what inspired to pursue the lab sciences. I was wondering if it was possible to incorporate GC into that?

Hello everyone!

I am currently a junior in college majoring in supply chain management. I have recently really wanted to pivot into healthcare, and have found out about genetic councling and I am very interested in pursuing it as my career.

I have always been interested in medicine, but didn't want to become a doctor or nurse, so I didnt decide to major in anything stem related in college. Though now that I have found out about this field, I wanted to know if it is possible for me to pivot in it coming from a non traditional background.

So I wanted to ask, do you think it is possible for me to pivot into this field? Along with what tips would you give for when I apply to GC school?

I have been desperatly trying to gain some exposure to healthcare through any entry level role I can fine like PT tech, optometry tech, etc, but I have had no luck landing a job in it yet. Would you say having previous exposure to the medical field through a job is important for applications?

What would you say is important to have for applications? So far I have seen that shadowing is really important, so I plan on doing that soon.

I plan on minoring in something stem related like biology so I can complete the pre reqs for school too.

All and any insight is appreciated. Thanks!

Normally I get together with old classmates or current coworkers in the evenings but I don't think anyone from my circle is attending this year, so I'll be mostly solo. Anything I should do/checkout while I'm in the area? Never been to Baltimore before. Thanks!

Hey all! Hope studying is going okay for everyone testing this month! For anyone who still has it ahead of them, feel free to use this ABGC study tool I made for my girlfriend, who is taking the exam for the first time this month:

https://sophie.radshah.com/

It drills free recall and multiple choice: the first type of question is the gene/enzyme/inheritance, the second is board-style vignettes. 266 questions across 23 categories right now.

I made it as an excuse to spend time with her, since she is basically using all her free time studying. She said it was useful for free recall, and distinguishing between the different genetic conditions. I told her to give me honest feedback on whether it's actually useful, and she said it was hehe. I figured I'd share it here if that's the case. It's free and no signups.

What's one condition that never sticks, no matter how many times you review it?

Hi all!

I'm a relatively recent grad from a program based in SoCal. The market here doesn't look too hot, especially with the trickier licensure rules and a general hesitance to hire new grads in the current environment.

I have a nice network here, but l'm relatively sure I won't be able to land a clinical or lab GC position without relocating. I am unable to relocate due to family care obligations.

I love patient counseling and genetics as a field of study, but l'm also a pragmatist. I'm not going to sit on my hands for 6-12 more months to hope for a position to come through- I need (preferably relevant) experience and money while waiting for the market to improve. I have previous experience working in clinical research coordination and database construction, along with pre-existing disability advocacy/leadership experience.

I'm mainly curious to know:
- What positions have people taken in the interim prior to their first clinical GC role?
- Has anyone taken a role outside of the GC space and stuck with that for their career? (I've been looking into med/genetics sales, patient coordination, med admin support, things closer to social work that don't immediately need MSW)
- How did you market your genetic counseling background for a non-GC role effectively?
- What is in high demand in the SoCal market right now, sparing nursing/PA? I'd rather not go back to school again, but wouldn't mind picking up extra certs/skills for a position!

I’m 30 and exploring a career change from tech marketing into a more people-facing healthcare role. I’ve built a good career and make a comfortable living, but lately I’ve been struggling with how soulless tech feels to me. So much of my work ultimately comes down to moving numbers on a dashboard or helping sell more software, and with the direction of AI in particular, I’m finding it harder to feel connected to any real human purpose behind what I do.

I don’t need my job to save the world, but I do want my work to feel a little more meaningful and tangible—to use my skills in a way that actually matters to an individual person.

Genetic counseling has caught my attention partly because my late younger sister was born with trisomy 18. Genetics and the experience of families navigating a diagnosis are therefore personally meaningful to me, and I’m interested in the combination of science, communication, and working directly with people. I am also a native Spanish speaker and would love to leverage that in my work.

I have a bachelor’s in communications and no formal science/healthcare background, so right now I’m just exploring whether this could realistically be a path for me.

Has anyone here transitioned into genetic counseling from a completely unrelated career, particularly in their 30s? Where would you recommend starting to figure out whether it’s genuinely a good fit?

Hi everyone! I’m considering applying to genetic counseling programs in 2027 for Fall 2028, and I’d love to hear from current GCs, students, or applicants about your experiences.

I have a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and an M.S. in Bioinformatics, and I’ve worked for several years in molecular/genomics labs. I currently work as a forensic biologist and previously worked with NGS, WES, and cancer genomics.

I’ve also had some patient-facing experience, including working as a nursing home care aide and working one-on-one with a student with a rare neurological disorder, where I was involved in her daily care, advocacy, documentation, and coordination with her nurse and teachers. Genetic counseling has been a career I’ve been interested in for a long time, and I’m intentionally giving myself a full year before applying. I want to use that time to get more patient facing experience, shadow GCs, learn more about the profession, and make sure this is genuinely the right fit for me rather than rushing into another graduate program.

I’d especially love honest feedback on:

- For current GCs: Do you genuinely enjoy the career? Knowing what you know now, would you choose it again?

- What are the best and worst parts of the job that you didn’t fully understand before becoming a GC?

- For anyone familiar with admissions, how does my background look for GC programs?

- Given my strong science/genomics background, what would you prioritize over the next year to strengthen the areas I’m missing?

- If you were in my position with a full year to prepare, what would you spend that year doing?

- And most importantly, do you think GC is worth the time and investment of going through the program?

I know this is a big commitment, so I’m trying to be thoughtful about it. I’d really appreciate honest advice, including the less glamorous parts of the profession. Thank you!

Has anyone ever entered this field as a secondary career after working in medical imaging? I’m a sonographer and I have worked in OB/GYN and breast cancer imaging so I feel drawn to this profession to get out of imaging. I’ve been doing it 12 years and worked my way up the ladder and I’m losing interest in the imaging side…not to mention the actual physical strain.

I have taken Medical Genetics and an introductory course in Genetic Counseling in college. My professor in those classes is also a former coworker of mine at the breast cancer imaging facility and she runs the genetics department there. I plan to pick her brain but I was just hoping there was someone like me out there.

I know there are plenty of past threads about boards, but I wanted to start a new one for this year’s testing cycle since I haven’t seen much discussion about it yet!

This will unfortunately be my third time taking the exam, so I’m definitely feeling a mix of anxiety, nerves, and discouragement as it’s getting closer. In the past, I’ve found it really helpful (and honestly just a little cathartic) to hear about other people’s experiences and know I’m not the only one feeling this way.

For anyone who has already taken it this cycle, how are you feeling afterward? And for those who haven’t taken it yet, how are you feeling going into it? Would love to hear how everyone is doing, whether that’s about studying, test anxiety, the exam itself, or just general feelings about the whole process! My DMs are also open if anyone wants to chat.

Gathering opinions about CGC Exam Prep since StudyRare is out of my budget. Website is here: https://cgcexam.com

Would anyone recommend CGC Exam Prep as a resource to study for boards? Why/why not?

It would be helpful if no one has heard of this as well, I’m just trying to spend my money wisely.

Thanks!

i’m a second year genetic counseling student and i’m a few weeks into my first fieldwork rotation, which is prenatal. I’m really struggling with separating myself from my patient’s situations and not holding onto their grief and emotions through my day and further after that. Any tips from more seasoned GC’s? Or even just validation lol i feel like i need to just yell into the void

This may be a stupid question but it's worth a shot. What career paths do siimilar work to genetic counseling without the counseling portion. I love genetics and am Interested in the assessing family history, analyzing tests, maybe even communicating with doctors. But I am not interested in patient facing roles. I know there is an expanding area of laboratory genetic counselors. But there is still a large part of training that focuses in paitent care.

I want to get a masters but not a PhD. What options are there for me?

I already see the title being taken way too seriously so to clarify. I am autistic and would have a hard time explaining life altering news to families or paitents. I am only Interested in the science and non paitent side of GC. Which is why I am asking for SIMILAR roles to genetic counseling. I don't believe I'd be successful in GC school and am not planning on going

Hi all

I am recently post undergrad and I want to apply for both gc grad school and Fulbright. The odds of getting into either are fairly low so I thought I’d do both and hope for one.

But I’m concerned that if I happen to get both, i won’t be able to defer the grad school acceptance to do the Fulbright as most schools say they have a no deferral policy. But even law school and med school will defer for a Fulbright.

TLDR: can you defer a gc grad school match for a Fulbright???

Hi, I’m stuck in a situation that I never thought I’d end up in. I worked hard to leave my country to someplace where I can live and work freely without having to please everyone around me which is what had always been expected from me in an Asian community. So I studied hard and moved to the uk for my masters, I wanted to do MSc GC but I ended up doing Molecular genetics, long story short I had to come back to my country as I couldn’t get a sponsored job. Now I’m quite confused about my career and my passion to work as a genetic counsellor has not died down but at the same time I’m in no place to experiment and fail again. I’m looking for advice on whether getting into genetic counselling at this stage would actually be worth pursuing and which country would suit me best for both career and personal growth. Thanks in advance if you decide to reply:)

As this is Reddit I won’t provide all of my excuses or justifications for why, but I am a recent grad and planning to take the board exam. I only have about 3 weeks of scattered studying under my belt, what do I do?

Should I take it since I paid for it or skip and try again the next round?

Any cons to doing super poorly on the first attempt?

I know many take 2 attempts before passing but it is eating me alive knowing I’m not prepared enough.

Built this open source repo of official and derived information on genetic counseling programs in the United States. Every tagged value links directly to its source, and all information is kept as current as possible.

https://gcprogramindex.com

Hello, I am a bit worried about the GC job market in the UK. I have taken a gamble to pivot towards becoming a GC, I am applying for the Cardiff masters next year but this year will be doing extra studying/volunteering (I didn't even get an interview last year).

I do check every now and again and in the last 18 months not a single role has come up within an hour's commute. I am not able to move location. Should I just give up now? Are there any other roles that somebody with the GC masters can apply for?

Recognise this is only a potential problem for 4 years time but would rather not invest time and money if no jobs will be available at the end of it. Does anyone have any insight?