The first graduates from the University of Connecticut’s Professional Science Master’s (PSM) in genetic counseling were hooded last Tuesday. The program was ten years in the making and is the first such accredited program at a public university in New England.
“Watching our first cohort graduate today was nothing short of incredible,” says program director and UConn Health pediatric genetics counselor Maria Gyure. “These graduates didn’t just complete a program – they helped build it. I couldn’t be prouder to send them out into the world as the next generation of genetic counselors. We have no doubt they will serve as exemplary ambassadors for our program and make meaningful contributions to the communities they serve.”
The two-year program is uniquely positioned to give students broad experience in both research and clinical genetics. The Genetic Counseling PSM is housed under the auspices of the Institute for Systems Genomics (ISG). The ISG includes researchers and clinicians at UConn Health, Connecticut Children’s, and The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. Those relationships, along with others, allow students to participate in a series of 10-week fieldwork rotations throughout their training. Students are placed in clinical rotations in diverse areas, including prenatal, pediatric, cancer, cardiovascular, and metabolic genetic counseling, as well as a laboratory rotation. An enrichment rotation gives students the opportunity to tailor a fieldwork experience aligned with their individual interests, in specialty clinics, industry, and advocacy.