As genetic and genomic testing becomes increasingly integrated in healthcare, the roles of genetic counselors continue to expand. While the majority of genetic counselors still focus on direct patient care in a variety of clinical settings, approximately a quarter of the profession now works in non-direct patient care roles. These positions can include variant interpretation, medical writing, product management, marketing, business development, patient advocacy, research, and education. These expanded roles mean more opportunities for genetic counseling graduates while also highlighting the need for genetic counseling training programs to provide adequate exposure for students.
To prepare students for these evolving roles, genetic counseling training programs must offer a wide range of fieldwork experiences beyond patient care. Non-clinical fieldwork, such as rotations in research, public health, biotechnology, and policy organizations, provide students with a broader perspective on how genetic counseling skills can be applied outside of direct patient care. Students gain exposure to diverse career paths and a more comprehensive view of the transferable skills that are increasingly valuable in a rapidly changing job market.
Genome Medical is proud to have supported over 75 genetic counseling students through clinical and non-clinical fieldwork rotations. In 2023, we expanded access to our non-clinical fieldwork rotations, including dedicated rotations with our clinical research team as well as our advisory services team, further diversifying student experiences.
We spoke with two recent genetic counseling intern graduates, Haley LeBlanc and Kara Lane, about their experiences completing a non-clinical fieldwork rotation with the Advisory Services team. Both completed their training at the University of Minnesota Genetic Counseling Program in May 2024. Haley now works as a provider engagement specialist at Greenwood Genetics Center and Kara is volunteering with ClinGen’s variant curation working group. Kara and Haley jointly delivered a poster presentation at the 2024 National Society for Genetic Counselors annual meeting.
Here are some highlights from their experience and how it has shaped their career outlook:
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Can you share some highlights from your experience working with Genome Medical as a genetic counseling intern?
Haley
Working on building a panel of recommended actionable diseases for reporting on whole genome sequencing was definitely my highlight. This project involved researching different incidental finding reporting protocols and the criteria used to select them. It refreshed my knowledge about ACMG secondary findings and also expanded my perspective on future possibilities for this list by seeing how other research groups had considered gene additions. Based on the literature review we drafted a recommended panel and created a step by step workflow for interpreting all types of variants to ensure our criteria were applicable in real world examples.
Kara
Haley and I were both lucky to have a previous robust experience with variant interpretation and it is an area we both really like. It was a really unique experience to be in a position where we critically looked at resources from ACMG and other research studies to determine what would be feasible and helpful for a gene list to have in the context of the hospital system we were working with. There was a lot of discussion between the two of us about what actionability really means and thinking about how these decisions may affect patients.
How has your experience in non-clinical fieldwork rotations complemented or enhanced your genetic counseling training?
Haley
My non-clinical rotations have significantly added to my idea of roles that genetic counselors excel in outside of the clinical setting. I was able to work with a team of genetic counselors across multiple functions in Genome Medical including roles in medical and scientific affairs, consulting, and clinical partnership support… I learned how others have applied their skills from genetic counseling to various fields and leveraged their clinical experience to break into new roles. These types of perspectives aren’t always available from clinical placements or program faculty and I was able to expand my network during this rotation.
Kara
I have been very fortunate to have non-clinical fieldwork experiences here at Genome Medical, the University of Minnesota Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, and Myriad. These experiences have given me a lot of knowledge about variant interpretation and how much nuance there is to the process. I also think understanding billing and reimbursement policies relevant to genetic testing and counseling services to make genetic counseling accessible are also really important supplementations to coursework. Exposure to other career opportunities for genetic counselors has been really helpful for me entering the job market.
In what ways do you believe your non-clinical experiences throughout your genetic counseling training has broadened your understanding of the field of genetics or genetic counseling?
Haley
My non-clinical experiences have broadened my ideas for expanding access to genetic counseling and services. I worked with the Advisory Services team consulting on the launch of a new partnership involving a large scale public health project. Walking through the workflows for this project showed me the many different places and time points along a patient’s diagnostic odyssey that genetic counseling can benefit patients. It also provided insight into how we can reach patients when it’s not always possible to access genetic counselors directly, such as through the development and implementation of education tools, or by providing training to other healthcare providers in order to empower patients and ensure they have a good understanding of genetic conditions.
Kara
Non-clinical experiences have allowed me to think about genetic counseling and genetic services on a more macro level. In a clinical setting, our primary focus is on patient care. However, we may be in a position where a clinic is understaffed or there is need for new genetics services and there is a need for you as a genetic counselor to step up and develop a strategy and business case justification to expand these service offerings. There is tremendous value in involving genetic counselors early in product and program development processes. Gaining non-clinical perspectives has boosted my confidence in advocating for this role.
In what ways does involvement in non-patient facing genetic counseling positions shape and enhance your skill set when working in a clinical environment?
Haley
In addition to expanding my ideas of genetic counseling, these rotations also helped me develop my more “traditional” genetic counseling skills. From my experiences working with genetic testing labs I gained a better understanding of the insurance prior authorization process and how to appeal denials. This helps me understand what criteria insurance companies require for coverage, how to explain this process for patients with questions, and figure out how to move forward after claims have been denied. My experiences with the Genome Medical Advisory Services team were centered around relationship building and project planning, two essential skills for working in any professional healthcare setting.
Kara
Interacting with partners who may not have experience working with genetic counselors has helped me to effectively articulate the value that genetic counseling brings to healthcare. This experience also broadened my perspective on contracting skills. Contracting skills can extend beyond the traditional clinical applications like building patient rapport and can be valuable in building business relationships. I think these skills will help me be a better advocate for myself and colleagues in a clinical setting.
What advice do you have for other genetic counseling students who are interested in working in non-clinical or industry facing roles following graduation?
Haley
I would recommend that you explore these types of roles as much as you can during graduate school, even if you’re just curious about them. This time period is intended for you to learn and grow and there are so many opportunities that you may never get again once you enter the working world. You don’t often get to “try out” jobs and decide if they’re the right fit for you. From the start of my genetic counseling program I knew I was interested in nontraditional roles and so I took every opportunity I had to gain exposure to those roles. I spoke a lot with my program faculty at school about these goals and they were helpful in connecting me with people across all career paths and recommending specific rotation sites. Even if you decide they’re not the right fit for you, there are many unique things you learn from non-clinical roles that can be applied anywhere.
Kara
I think if you have the chance to have at least one experience in industry or non-clinical facing roles before graduation and it interests you, take it! I came into graduate school thinking that I would 100 percent be in a clinical setting post-graduation, but learning about the different paths really made me realize that a non-clinical role could also be a good fit for me as well. I don’t think we can call these non-traditional genetic counseling roles anymore because of how many genetic counselors there are in industry. Traditionally, I think there has been some stigma against genetic counselors who work in non-clinical roles in the past but that is changing. There is so much need for genetic counselors in a broad range of roles and settings. Being in industry does not take away from your clinical experience, and you can still be an advocate for patients in these roles. Follow your passions!
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Exposure to non-clinical settings during graduate school can enhance genetic counseling students’ skill sets, broaden their career perspectives, and promote a deeper understanding of the multifaceted impact of genetic counseling beyond the clinical setting. Genome Medical remains committed to providing genetic counseling fieldwork opportunities for future students to explore and prepare for diverse roles in the field of genetic counseling.
