Mentorship Services are Temporarily Paused
Thank you for your interest in our Mentorship Service. Unfortunately, our mentorship and informational interview services are on pause. We look forward to being able to resume this service in the future. Until then, please reference Find a Genetic Counselor (NSGC) Website to locate local and remote genetic counselors open to prospective student contact. You can also reference our Alternatives to Shadowing page for other options for prospective students seeking informational interviews.
The Prospective Genetic Counselor Guidance Program (PGCGP) mentorship program is free of charge and open to all prospective GC students! The goal of our mentorship program is to support prospective students, as well as bridge the gap in resources, opportunities, and information, in an effort to make the genetic counseling profession more accessible to all who are interested in pursuing genetic counseling!
We welcome all prospective GC applicants to reach out for mentorship. Individuals who fall under the following criteria are particularly encouraged to reach out for mentorship:
Current undergraduate or post-grad student, or graduate of either (will consider high school students interested in learning about the career path)
Individuals applying or intending to (re)apply to genetic counseling graduate programs in the next admission cycle or in the future
Individuals who live in rural areas and/or lack local Genetic Counselor shadowing opportunities (please refer to the shadowing resource page for guidance on looking for shadowing opportunities)
Those who identify as a minority or are underrepresented in the GC community
Please note: The PGCGP is not affiliated with any Genetic Counseling graduate program. Participation in the PGCGP does not guarantee acceptance to graduate school.
These opportunities may include the following:
Phone call/video chat info sessions
Virtual Case Conferences
Emailing back and forth about GC questions
Resume/CV/Personal Statement overview
and more!
If you are interested in speaking with a PGCGP Genetic Counselor regarding their experiences, please send us an email (iwanttobeagc@gmail.com) with the following information:
Your first and last name
Where you are in the application process (just looking to get information about the GC field; considering multiple career paths; planning to apply to a GC program in the future, applying to a GC program this year, or applied to GC programs in the past but not accepted; etc.)
Whether you live in a city vs. rural area and whether you've had conversations with/access to other GCs, or any struggles finding a GC to speak with
If you would prefer to speak with a specific GC whose bio you "clicked with", or any GC working in a certain sub-specialty, with a disability status, with a diverse background, etc.
Your time zone and the best days/times to connect
Also, keep an eye on our Events Calendar! We will keep this updated with events that Genetic Counseling Programs host, as well as our own internal PGCGP virtual events (such as Case Conferences).
*Please note: If a Volunteer GC recognizes, after phone/video/email discussion, that a prospective student may benefit from more formal/structured Mentorship, that can be arranged.
Our team is excited to work with you!
Location: Our GC volunteers are located throughout the United States and provide guidance to prospective students virtually via video chat, phone, and email.
Hours: GCs may host a variety of informational opportunities, including CV/resume building, personal statement writing, interview workshops, case conferences, shadowing patients, and one-on-one discussions. Some of these opportunities (such as shadowing) will take place during working hours. Applicants will be expected to make time to attend and dress and behave professionally, as they would during any other shadowing opportunity. If a formal mentorship opportunity is recommended, it may be held in the evenings, or as the Mentor's schedule allows.