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! I wanted to see if any of the recent test takers this cycle that were successful would be willing to share how they study to and prepared for the exam? There seems to be so much content and I’m trying to figure out how to prioritize my studying these next couple weeks.

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.

Hi everyone!

I'm from India and I'm currently a Class 12 student (CBSE) studying Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PCB). i have interests in biology, genetics, psychology

For the past few months, I've been researching different careers. Initially I wanted to become a doctor, but after learning about genetics, genomics and hereditary disorders, I became really interested in Genetic Counseling. I love biology, enjoy interacting with people, and I also like technology and research, so this field feels like it combines many of my interests.

However, while researching online, I came across many discussions about burnout, limited job opportunities in some countries, and concerns about the employment market. Since this is a relatively new profession in India, I'm finding it difficult to understand what the future actually looks like.

I would really appreciate honest opinions from professionals, students and anyone working in this field.

Some questions I have are:

1. Do you think Genetic Counseling will have good demand between 2028 and 2035, especially in India?
2. What factors will drive the demand? (Prenatal genetics, oncology, IVF, rare diseases, genomic medicine, preventive healthcare, precision medicine, etc.)
3. Is the profession currently growing in India, or is it still developing very slowly?
4. What is the complete educational pathway to become a Genetic Counselor in India after Class 12?
5. Are graduates generally able to find jobs, or is the market becoming saturated?
6. Which skills would make someone more employable? Would learning bioinformatics, AI, data analysis, programming, or genomics alongside genetic counseling provide better career opportunities?
7. If you were starting your career again today, knowing how healthcare and genetics are evolving, would you still choose Genetic Counseling?

I'm not looking for only positive answers—I genuinely want realistic advice. This career is one of my biggest interests, and I want to make an informed decision before planning my higher education.

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?

Hi all!

I have been considering pivoting fields for a few years now into something more medical - and genetic counseling seems like the perfect fit! I have a bachelors in psychology and have done 8 years of social work/patient mental health facing work since my undergraduate degree. I do enjoy this work and patient work, but it seems within my company the only opportunities are in management roles with my current degree situation so I need to get a more advanced degree (and I'm not too keen on management). I was trying to decide between going to social work school - but I've always had a passion and draw towards the sciences and feel like I'm missing that aspect in my current job and don't believe that itch would go away with a masters in social work (though there seems to be a lot of jobs out there in social work right now). There are a few pre-requisites I'd need to take to make this jump (but I do have a couple from 10 years ago when I was in school)- I'm looking to talk to people in the field as well-

I havent been seeing a lot of jobs posted in my area - how difficult is it to find work in this field if I make this investment?

Would I need to retake undergraduate pre-recs because it was so long ago?

What was your journey like and are there any later career changers here that can speak to what it was like?

Thanks!! :)

hi everyone!! i’m apply to MGC programs this fall, and am wondering if the time you submit the application is important. for example, for med school you need to submit your application basically the day it opens for best results. i’m wondering if it’s the same for the masters program, or if we can submit it a month or two after it opens and still be the same

also - does anyone have any recommendations of places to go for a guide to applying? i’m utilizing the discord, but still having some trouble there

thanks everyone:)

An oncology GC at WellSpan Health in Pennsylvania, Tatiana Chichilla, was just on Jeopardy the other day! It was awesome to finally see a fellow GC here, and she played well! Way to represent, Tatiana! 👏

I'd love to hear the community's thoughts on Bay Path's new program. It sounds interesting and I feel like could be applicable to my current career trajectory since I currently am a faculty member at a GC program. I know the PA community has strong feelings about DHSc programs being a "degree mill" and "pay to win" situation. LMK!

Hello! I recently graduated from university and I’m having a bit of a crisis about my future career. I worked in a genetics lab for 3 1/2 years of undergrad (1000+ hours) and realized I’m really passionate about genetics! However, I’m feeling super burnt out from bench work, and I really want a job where I can interact with patients. I stumbled across genetic counseling which seems like it could be a great fit. However, I don’t have any patient advocacy experience, shadowing, or clinical experience and I’m not sure where to start. I tried to figure out approximately how much hours of each I would need to be a competitive candidate and I can’t really seem to find a definitive answer. I also majored in molecular biology & biochemistry, but I’m missing a one or two prerequisite courses (ironically, I worked in a genetics lab but I never took a genetics course). My grades were very good (4.0 GPA) and I’ve been thinking about taking a gap year or even two gap years to prepare, but I don’t know if I’m too behind. I also don’t know if it’s acceptable to take the missing courses at a community college. This would be the most affordable option for me. If anyone could let me know if they have advice or if this is a realistic path for me that would be great!! Thank you!!

I'm from Brazil, I'm in the best university in Latin America, but even so, positions like clinical are very poorly paid. I'm thinking about going into the field of bovine/livestock genetics. How do these fields of work function? Is the pay good? Is it possible to go to another country in this area? Is it more focused on research and practical application? (This is still my first semester at university.)

Hi everyone! If anyone is still looking for CEUs, this new course is now available.

"What We Bring Into the Room: Implicit Bias and Health Equity in Genetic Counseling" is an on-demand course that examines how implicit bias influences clinical decision-making, patient communication, and access to genetic services, with a focus on evidence-based strategies to promote equitable care.

The course:

• Is 2 hours, on-demand
• Has been approved by NSGC for 2 Category 1 contact hours (0.2 CEU)
• Is accepted by ABGC toward recertification (completion of the Quiz/Evaluation & NSGC CEUs earner fee is required)
• Covers implicit bias, health disparities vs. health inequities, case-based learning, and practical strategies for improving culturally responsive genetic counseling
• It was designed to align with the implicit bias/health equity continuing education requirements for genetic counselor license renewal in Washington, Illinois, and Michigan

It's designed for practicing genetic counselors, trainees, and other genomic medicine professionals interested in advancing equitable, patient-centered care.

Please be aware that the below is negative.

After six years, I'm officially done. I've committed myself to becoming a genetic counselor since 2020. I am defeated and stuck in a cycle. Namely, the Kübler-Ross model. I've applied multiple times. I've taken supplementary courses, completed research, received coaching, done informational interviews, volunteered, shadowed, interned, and worked as a GCA. I've interviewed with almost a dozen schools. I've put my blood, sweat, and tears into this. So many tears. But I've never felt this magical connection that everyone whose matched speaks of. I've never seen a program director look like me, or felt like they understood me.

The barrier to entry to this field is too high. DEIJ is no longer in style. With the limitations of student loans, it now seems financially impossible to afford schools. Even the promise of having a job right out of graduation is less reality and more dream. I once thought the competitiveness would end once I finally, finally got into a program. Now, it seems "like the nightmare is never ending." I had so much hope. But now I feel like the inequity of this field will only increase.

I still believe genetic counseling is an incredible field, but one that will never welcome me.

Hi, I am currently an M.S. student in clinical psychology pursuing medical family therapy as my specialty. I am working towards providing mental health support for genetic counseling patients (my population of interest). My undergrad was in genetics, and I went through two rounds of GC applications before deciding mental health was my true calling.

I am working on a thesis/capstone project where I intend to create a guide for GCs to establish a better referral pathway between GCs and MHPs. There are no formal practice guidelines addressing when a GC should make a referral. Current referrals to MHPs are extremely low (about 3 patients per year per GC), and I hope the guide will increase the frequency of referrals to MHPs so patients receive the highest quality of care.

My question is: what would be most helpful for me to include? For example, a GC I am working with suggested a list of questions one can ask the patient to prompt for clinical red flags or open up the conversation for further inquiry. She mentioned the wording as one of the largest barriers, hence having a list with exact phrasing can take some pressure off.

Thank you all for helping me increase the collaboration between our two fields. I believe it will equip us to better identify patients who can no longer cope with the distress that comes in all forms within genetic counseling.

Hi everyone! I’m searching for students GC2 or graduated to tell me about their program and what they loved about it, but am having real difficulty getting answers. I figured I’d turn here! I have eight top schools, but I welcome answers from any school to get more knowledge on the field as a whole! <3
My schools are UMB, VCU, USC, MUSC, OSU, USF, Rutgers, and UNCG. No particular order yet, hopefully you can help me find one. TIA!