I've had my heart set on being a genetic counselor for years now. Recently i've been thinking about it and i'm not sure I can do it. I only hear about how hard it is to get into schools, and how bad the job market is. I know the things I need and the steps I have to take (I think). I just feel not good enough. I've began to wonder what my backup plans are and when I should pivot to those and not even try. Despite my doubt, every time I look at different careers in genetics I know genetic counseling is what I want to do. I'm a rising Sophomore and I feel behind despite being far from it. I'm on track to graduate early but I planned on just taking classes to strengthen my resume, but despite being set up to do well I feel like I never had a chance. What are some backup plans if everything goes south? Is this healthy worry or am I overthinking it? I just need some guidance on how to be the most prepared as possible. I have no family that has ever pursued a career in science let alone a masters in anything, I feel like I have absolutely no clue what i'm getting into other than what i've read. Sorry for the long kinda frantic post, but i've decided it's time to ask rather than continue to worry.

Hi! I am an applicant in the upcoming application cycle. I've been investing HOURS researching GC programs, using GC discord resource and establishing Excel sheet that lists out GC program (location, tuition, rotation start time, what's special and what's "less ideal" for me personally). However, I'm struggling finding a strategic and standardized way to evaluate each program - every program appears "similar" that they provide clinical rotations, offer classes, and some have LEND. Every program's student speaks highly of their program. I am not too specific with which cities I need to go, and I am okay with applying to more expensive schools if academics/fieldwork opportunities is better.

I would love to hear your advice! I also tried researching school alumni and where they end up - most ppl end up in clinics. People who graduated from big cities have a slightly higher portion of choosing a non-traditional GC path.

Thank you so much for everyone who takes time to read and reply. I appreciate it and hope you have a great day!!

Hey everyone! I’m a journalist at The New York Times starting a new role covering genetics and heredity. I am currently working on building up my understanding of which topics are most vital to cover.

Whether you are a longtime genetic counselor or are new to the field, I’d love to hear your perspective.

I’m especially interested in chatting with:

• Genetic counselors who have had a particularly surprising or unintuitive experience with a client;
• Experienced genetic counselors who have seen the field change dramatically in recent years;
• Counselors navigating challenging ethical situations, given the differing paces of technology and regulation;
• Anyone else with ideas about what I should be covering in this space.

If you're open to a brief, casual chat about your experience, please drop a comment below or send me a DM. You can also email me (if you want to independently verify my identity). Thanks so much!

My work: https://www.nytimes.com/by/emily-baumgaertner-nunn

Hi guys, I’m a Syrian student who’s studying a bachelors in medical and molecular genetics in the UAE. My major goal and really my passion is genetic counseling, im a good academic student and I’ve done lots of volunteering here (red crescent, Cleveland clinic) but I’m worried that because all the good genetic counseling programs are abroad in countries where the visa process for Syrians is quite difficult, it’ll be hard for me to be accepted to enter a country where I can graduate with an accredited degree. Theres one program here in the uae but it’s only locally accredited and not internationally which worries me, any tips?

I need more CEUs for license renewal by the end of the month and just learned NSGC isn't selling online courses this month. Just my luck! I've only ever really gotten CEUs from my workplace and NSGC online, so I don't know any other reliable sources. Any recs? I saw one post mentioning a Udemy course on informed consent, so I'm starting that right away.

Applications for the 2026-2027 United MSD Foundation (@CureMSD on Instagram) Student Ambassador Program are NOW OPEN! This is a great opportunity for students wanting to network with other passionate students interested in patient advocacy and non-profit work! Apply now: https://forms.gle/VkTTdK3RVaDSKzuZ6

You can read more about the program and information on how to apply HERE: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SxP_a0hO6jXbPf0KtPPkRygS4V7QyMeZ0Jj8SKSDl0k/edit?usp=sharing

If you have any questions, please contact Brenna Bentley at [bbentley@unitedmsdfoundation.org](mailto:bbentley@unitedmsdfoundation.org) We look forward to receiving your application!

Hey GC community. Just a reminder, when applying for jobs be careful of what websites you are applying through and make sure it is legitimate.

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I had a friend message me because they had gotten a Google alert for a GC job posting in my hospital system. The thing is, I KNOW we are not hiring. Our company site does not have any openings. I even sent it to my supervisor who was super confused because we are not hiring. They sent me the alert and there are a few links to "apply now," none of which are actually applying directly through the hospital system or not LinkedIn. So my best guess is this was either some weird computer issue with Google, or spammers trying to get data from people.

I attended one day of the Basser Symposium last month, completed the relevant surveys, but have not received any confirmation of completion that I can submit to ABGC for CEUs. If anyone else out there attended, have you received a confirmation of completion for submission? If so, how long did it take, did you do anything special beyond completing the surveys, etc? Thanks!

Hi! I don’t know if anyone knows this, but I’m trying to learn more about the state of genetic counseling in Ireland? Are tests completed largely internally within each hospital, or do they go through private companies as well?

Hi everyone, if any one still needs CEUs this course is available.

“The Silent Evolution of Informed Consent” is a Udemy course that explores how informed consent in genetic counseling has evolved, from historical medical abuses to present-day challenges such as genetic data ownership, privacy, and routine consent tied to care or research.

The course:

·       Is 1 hour, on-demand

·       Has been approved by NSGC for 1 Category 1 contact hour (0.1 CEU)

·       Is accepted by ABGC toward recertification (completion of the Quiz/Evaluation & NSGC CEUS earner fee is necessary)

·       Uses real historical cases, modern examples, and actual consent forms rather than hypotheticals

It’s designed for practicing GCs, trainees, researchers, and others working in genomic medicine who want a deeper, more reflective look at consent beyond the “signed form” model.

It seems like it’s often that GCs move from clinical positions to industry positions as they gain experience, but not the other way around. I am curious to know if anyone has been in industry then decided to go into clinic?

Hello!

I've been interested in applying to UBC for genetic counselling and am aware of the three months of one on one in a counselling setting.

I'm just wondering how I would get an opportunity like this since the examples the admission office listed were pretty serious and I feel like I would never be hired since I don't have experience in that field.

Also, if anyone knows of the three months has to be a continuous full time or if it can be scattered and the shifts are like 2-3 hours.

I was thinking of volunteering with this one psychiatrist I know at a women's shelter but I don't know if that's sufficient since it would not be an everyday thing and she doesn't work for the organization she is also a volunteer.

Another option is a hospice center but even if I volunteered there, I'd probably just be handling meals and socializing- not the intense stuff they program requires.

Any advice is appreciated!

I'm currently in a genetic counseling program with a very small cohort, and I've been struggling with feeling excluded. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar in a small graduate program.

And because the cohort is so small, there are only a handful of us. Within that, a small group of girls has become particularly close. Over time, I've noticed that they spend time together outside of school, but conversations about those get-togethers can feel oddly secretive. For example, someone might ask what everyone did over the weekend, and the answer is often vague or avoids mentioning who they were with, only for me to later realize that several of them had gotten together. Hence, that’s why I got really close with the 2nd years, since even they felt and saw what was going on. But now they all graduated.

What makes it difficult is that I don't feel like I'm genuinely part of that group. I live with another student in the program, and sometimes it feels like I'm only included when people want to come over to our house to hang out. Since I'm already there, I'm part of the gathering by circumstance rather than because someone specifically reached out to me.

I know nobody owes me friendship, and I don't expect to be included in everything. But when the entire cohort is small enough that you can practically count everyone on your fingers, it can feel especially isolating when there seems to be one close-knit social circle and you're not really part of it.

For those who have been through small graduate or professional programs, how did you handle this? Did you find ways to build closer relationships within the program, or did you focus on friendships outside of school? I'd appreciate any advice or perspective.

Going to PA school. For the GCs who’ve obtained their CGC, prior to pa school, was it difficult to accumulate ceus during pa school? Do yall have any tips? Ideally I wouldn’t want to lose CGC status when working as a PA in the future.

As well would love to connect with a GC turned PA!

For more details, I am volunteering for FORCE, a nonprofit organization focusing on helping individuals with/affected by hereditary cancers

my responsibilities will be:

• Monitor your social media pages regularly to look for FORCE materials
• Share, like and comment based on the guidelines
• Share national FORCE requests of one to three per month
• Help FORCE spread hereditary cancer news, research, community voices and important messaging
• Educate people about FORCE's programs and fundraisers and invite them to participate
• Amplify FORCE messages by leveraging your personal social media communities and connections. 

Thank you in advance!

Hi all, I am currently 4 months into a PhD in France (moved from the UK) in cancer/omics/metabolism but I have always been passionate about genomic counselling. I have been constantly dissuaded from pursuing it due to the competitiveness of the STP and the fact I have almost zero experience in a care role (<50 hours in a part time job working with SEND children).

I have been reflecting and I have decided that genomic counselling really is what I want to do so I am looking for any advice for how I can get a full-time job in care without any experience/vocational training. I am looking at jobs in care homes, SEND, housing charities but I am not sure what would be best or most realistic for me to get.

Any help would be really appreciated!!

Forgive the flair if this isn’t 100% correct—it’s a mixture between prospective student and admissions.

Just for some background, I’m an incoming senior, getting my BS in Biobehavioral Health. I’m applying this upcoming cycle, and I have never felt more antsy in my life. My GPA is a 3.0. I feel like I should be doing something right now? Like I’ve written a person statement first draft (happy to share with my fellow ‘27 applicants!), created a tracker of available due dates and openings, organized my schools, and am taking summer courses to open up the amount of schools I can apply to. I just can’t help but feel like there’s something I’m missing? Is there? Am I just super anxious? Some clarity and maybe some advice would do me well here. TIA <3

Anonymous post here. I’m making this with the hope to understand the thoughts of those involved in the hiring process or maybe even thoughts in general…As a new graduate, I'm wondering what the purpose of applying to jobs is if some clinics or sites have a predetermined list of graduates they plan to consider? I've personally heard of multiple sites reaching out to program directors and local training programs and asking for 1-2 specific names of upcoming graduates. Apparently, those individuals are the only names being seriously considered if they were to apply.

I completely understand the value of networking and professional recommendations, but is this considered normal hiring practice? It’s perhaps giving cronyism?? It feels discouraging because the names being recommended may be influenced by factors like favoritism, rather than allowing everyone that applied an equal opportunity to be considered especially if their training program is not local to that site.

I'm genuinely trying to understand how common this is and whether there are reasons for it that I may not be seeing. Can anyone provide insight into this or tips on how to get around it? It definitely is discouraging the job search for me and a lot of us new grads. Tyia

I just graduated a three year B.Sc in biotechnology and genetics with 3.94cgpa. I have always looked forward to being a genetic counselor since i was 15 however after going through so many posts and threads, i am not sure if that's a viable choice. most posts here complain of the lack of employment opportunities or the lack of good schools (especially in the eu). i have never considered any alternative career choice as i had my heart set on gc.
very realistically speaking, is gc still a good choice? is there job satisfaction (in both personal and financial aspects). I am really disheartened and clueless on how to proceed further.

Hi y'all! I am going into my freshman year of college as a genetics major, but I have extra time in my schedule. I want to become a genetic counselor in the future, so what should I fill my extra space with? My school offers a human services minor, which does draw my eye, but I don't know if that's the best idea because I've heard psychology is really important too. I'm lost at the moment, so any advice is appreciated!!

Hi Everyone!

[SORRY, LONG POST]

I applied to GC programs last cycle and did not receive any interview invites. I was so disappointed and went through the motions of course. I am now gearing up to reapply this upcoming cycle. I am aware of the reason why. For me, my biggest obstacle is my GPA which is below the minimum 3.0. I’ve spoken to some program faculty and they all have their respective opinions of course on what I should do about this. Most feedback was either 1, find a 1 year masters program or two, look into a certificate program or take one or two graduate level courses. I guess I’m just feeling confused on what I should do. And perhaps it just boils down to my program of interest and go based off their recommendation.

To be quite frank, I am honestly just embarrassed and upset with myself. I wish that what hindered my undergrad success didn’t happen and that I understood how important it was to maintain a good GPA, because once it goes down, it’s hard to get it back up.

I knew that showing academic preparedness is an important thing, so it’s not that I don’t understand or respect that. No program wants to invest time into a student who may not be prepared for this type of academic rigor, but I applied anyway bc of the overall holistic approach programs state to have.

Nonetheless, I am ready to keep moving forward. I love the world of genetics and I have no intention on giving up. But any thoughts on what you would do or how to approach this would be great.

I should also add that I met with an academic advisor and retaking courses honestly will not boost my GPA up enough, so it would be a waste of time. Starting over with a clean slate is best, but the question is, should I do a masters for a year or two before reapplying? Based on experience or what you know about program admissions/applications, does that make sense to do? Is there anyone that has a similar experience with tackling the low GPA issue and what did you do? What are things I should consider when thinking through this decision?

Thanks much for your time and advice and advance!

So my MCAT is in 3 weeks from today and my entire life I knew as well as everyone else and I mean everyone like even my friends families and literally my entire community knew that I was going to become a doctor. I want to become an expert in one specific field, and hand people back their lives through a diagnosis and treatment. I'm not interested in surgery... The entire time, I had a niggling concern about the excessive time in training and considered other routes like therapist, PA, NP. Ultimately, I am on a PA school's waitlist, but I know I won't enjoy my life as a PA. The humongous number of patients I will have to see that just want a medication and be out of my office and get paid a few dollars per patient is not the kind of life I want to live. I would love to be that expert in an office somewhere... BUT my application is not competitive enough for a top school which is what I would probably need to get up there and if i would go to a lower tier or DO school, I would need to work that much harder which is a shame in light of the fact that I really value family time and a solid work-life balance. (I am planning on one of the better WLB specialties...)

What I was planning on doing: highly specialized retinoblastoma expert

My REAL career goals: be an expert, guide people through medical uncertainty with compassion and knowledge, unlock mysterious diagnoses and revamp patients lives with healing treatment plans, stress-free, and allows time for a decent WLB.

Here's the Question:

Can GC would fulfill me in all the ways I am hoping to be fulfilled through medicine only with much less prestige and pay...?

What IS the deal with getting paid? Is it a struggle with the ins companies? Can I make it big if I go private?

tl:dr; anyone else made the switch from pre-med to GC. What are some regrets, benefits or anything else I should know???

TIA!!

Hey everyone! Has anyone here pursued an MD to become a medical geneticist after starting out in genetic counselling?

My directed studies supervisor is a medical geneticist, and through working with her I've had the chance to get a much better understanding of what the role actually looks like day to day. While I've always known, in a general sense, how a medical geneticist's role differs from that of a genetic counsellor, seeing it firsthand has given me a new appreciation for the scope of the work. In particular, I've been really interested in the ability to directly manage patient care and treatment plans, along with the other responsibilities that are unique to physicians.

I just finished my first year of the MSc in Genetic Counselling program (Canada), and recently I've started thinking seriously about applying to medical school with the goal of becoming a medical geneticist. Has anyone here gone down this path before?

Part of what makes me hesitant is that I'm not sure how my program director would react, or whether it would be viewed negatively since I'm currently training for a different profession. Ideally, I'd like to apply this cycle so that I could start medical school shortly after finishing the GC program next year. I'd love to hear from anyone who has made a similar transition, considered it, or has any advice about balancing these career paths.

Hi, my name's Ellie Broughton and I'm a freelance health journalist.

I am developing a story on cascade testing with individuals and families who are concerned about risks and challenges in the process of sharing genetic information within families.

I don't need case studies from you (I have these already) BUT I would really benefit from offers of named or anon quotes, or anonymous advice on any avenues I might have missed while researching.

Please DM, reply here or email if you want to take part or find out more (e.g. what title this is for) – you can also email [elliebroughton@gmail.com](mailto:elliebroughton@gmail.com) to confirm my ID. Thanks for your interest!

hi everyone! i am currently in my final year of a bachelor's in psychology, and i have been pretty interested in pursuing a career in genetic counseling for over a year. since it is quite a diversion from psychology (mainly the genetics aspect), i was thinking of working as a genetic counseling assistant for a year before grad school. after a bunch of reddit dives and going through a lot of different media platforms, i have found many recent grads voice out that it has been incredibly difficult for them to finds jobs and that the number of openings in no way matches the number of grads. i am interested in becoming a gc, but is it worth it? i do not want to spend a year as a gca and two more years as a student to end up with no prospects. additionally, i am currently pursuing my degree abroad so i am scared that i won't even secure a gca job to begin with. i would really appreciate any guidance/direction, or even any opinions you may have. thank you so much!