University of Minnesota Genetic Counseling Program

08/26/2024

It is bittersweet for us here at the UMNGC Program to share that our Program Coordinator, Abrahm Neuser will be departing their role on September 13th as they move to a position with the State of Minnesota working on youth policy. Thank you Abrahm for your tireless work in supporting students by helping coordinate the many moving parts related to the GC program! We wish you well!

We are also encouraging our network to share the posting for the coordinator position which can be found by following the link below and searching for Job Opening #364180.

We are hiring!

08/16/2024

To those hoping to apply to the UMNGC Program later this Fall; we invite you to join us in our monthly information meetings via Zoom leading up to the December 1 application deadline. These meetings are led by a member of our senior leadership team and provide an opportunity to learn about our program, the admissions process, and the genetic counseling field. Sessions typically take the form of a presentation followed by time for questions. We often have a current student join us to answer questions from their perspective and have space for individual consultations with a faculty member. Visit our Admissions Page to register for one or more of the upcoming sessions!

Admissions Please note the instructions for the personal statement havechanged slightly as of 11/2/2023. See the “How to Apply”Section below for details.University of Minnesota admissions philosophyWe encourage applicants from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to consider our program. We ...

07/17/2024

Attention prospective Students! The UMNGC Program invites you to join us in our monthly information meetings via Zoom leading up to the December 1 application deadline. These meetings are led by a member of our senior leadership team and provide an opportunity to learn about our program, the admissions process, and the genetic counseling field. Sessions typically take the form of a presentation followed by time for questions. We often have a current student join us to answer questions from their perspective and have space for individual consultations with a faculty member. Visit our Admissions Page to register for one or more of the upcoming sessions!

Admissions Please note the instructions for the personal statement have changed slightly as of 11/2/2023. See the “How to Apply” Section below for details. University of Minnesota admissions philosophy We encourage applicants from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to consider our program....

06/26/2024

This year, the UMNGC Program will once again be offering monthly information meetings via Zoom leading up to the December 1 application deadline. These meetings are led by a member of our senior leadership team and provide an opportunity to learn about our program, the admissions process, and the genetic counseling field. They typically take the form of a presentation followed by time for questions. We often have a current student join us to answer questions from their perspective and have space for individual consultations with a faculty member. Visit our Admissions Page to register for one or more of the upcoming sessions!

Admissions Please note the instructions for the personal statement have changed slightly as of 11/2/2023. See the “How to Apply” Section below for details. University of Minnesota admissions philosophy We encourage applicants from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to consider our program....

06/07/2024

If you are a Genetic Counselor that is looking to bring your career to a new level while setting yourself up to contribute to critical research in the field, we encourage you to apply to the UMN GC-FIRST Fellowship by July 15th!
This two-year fellowship opportunity is designed to provide advanced training far beyond the four areas of basic research competency outlined by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) for masters (MS) degrees and is also intended to prime fellows to gain the skills to become crucial mentors for future genetic counseling researchers. The next cohort of two fellows will begin in January 2025. The percent time is negotiable between 40-60% time (approximately 16-24 hours/week). Follow the link to learn more and to apply!

GC-FIRST Fellowship The Genetic Counseling Fellowship in ReSearch Training (GC-FIRST) Program The University of Minnesota Genetic Counseling Program was recently awarded funding to initiate the Genetic Counseling Fellowship in ReSearch Training (GC-FIRST) Program. This two-year fellowship opportunit...

05/31/2024

Are you a Genetic Counselor looking to advance your research skillset and contribute to the field in new and exciting ways? Apply to the UMN GC-FIRST Fellowship by July 15th!
This two-year fellowship opportunity is designed to provide advanced training far beyond the four areas of basic research competency outlined by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) for masters (MS) degrees and is also intended to prime fellows to gain the skills to become crucial mentors for future genetic counseling researchers. The next cohort of two fellows will begin in January 2025. The percent time is negotiable between 40-60% time (approximately 16-24 hours/week). Follow the link to learn more and to apply!

GC-FIRST Fellowship The Genetic Counseling Fellowship in ReSearch Training (GC-FIRST) Program The University of Minnesota Genetic Counseling Program was recently awarded funding to initiate the Genetic Counseling Fellowship in ReSearch Training (GC-FIRST) Program. This two-year fellowship opportunit...

05/29/2024

Our final featured Grad from the Class of 2024 is Kara Lane! Before coming to the University of Minnesota genetic counseling program, Kara graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor’s in Biology, Bachelors in Creative Writing, and a Masters of Engineering in Bioengineering. She has been thankful to utilize her diverse skills during rotations such as the University of Minnesota Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Genome Medical, and clinical sites. During her time at the University of Minnesota, Kara was also involved with MN LEND as a predoctoral fellow where she learned much about advocacy for people with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Kara is excited for opportunities after graduation and would like to thank her teachers at the University of Minnesota as well as the prenatal genetic counselors she worked with at Massachusetts General Hospital who instilled a passion for reproductive rights and genetic counseling.

05/29/2024

Our next featured grad is Jacque Lyman! Jacque received her bachelor's degrees in Biology and Spanish from Northern Arizona University. During her undergraduate career, Jacque worked as a wildlife researcher in molecular ecology where she discovered her passion for genetics. Jacque decided to pursue graduate school at the University of Minnesota in the dual degree PhD and Genetic Counseling MS program. Jacque's favorite memories in the Genetic Counseling program have been attending the National Society for Genetic Counselors annual conference in Chicago and completing rotations with the molecular laboratory at the U. After graduation, Jacque will continue her PhD research in prostate cancer genetics.

05/24/2024

Our next featured graduate from the Class of 2024 is Vera Swanson! Vera received her Bachelor's in Environmental Science and Russian from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and has spent the last two years begrudgingly accepting her Gopher status. Her first year in the Twin Cities taught her any weather is bikeable as long as fashion norms are disregarded. Vera's graduate research examined a framework for GC supervision, the REM-S, by surveying supervisors in the field. In her clinical rotations with Mayo Clinic, Vera gained a deep appreciation for the humanities and human experiences within medicine, as well as the cutting edge science that couples them (e.g., touring an IVF lab and seeing life begin!). After graduation, Vera will shift her efforts to passing boards and searching for a home to begin her new career.

05/23/2024

Our next featured graduate from the Class of 2024 is Jenna Larson!
Jenna received her Bachelor of Science in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. As an undergraduate, she pursued a number of experiences in research, teaching, and advocacy that guided her to strive for a Master’s degree in genetic counseling. Jenna's passion for research continued into graduate school through a scholarly project exploring the relationship of genetic counseling student anxiety and mindfulness levels to predictors of overall wellbeing and counseling effectiveness. Completing her clinical rotations at Mayo further demonstrated a love for direct patient care. Jenna is excited to see where her path leads after graduation!

05/20/2024

It is once again time to highlight a few of our amazing graduates from the UMN Genetic Counseling Class of 2024! We express our deepest congratulations for all of our graduates from this year!

Our very first featured graduate from the Class of 2024 is Kayla Nelson (she/her)! Kayla received a B.S. in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development and minors in Spanish Studies and Psychology from the University of Minnesota Twin CIties in 2022. While in college, she was an undergraduate research assistant working alongside Dr. Ian MacFarlane and past UMN genetic counseling graduate students on their theses projects. Kayla is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, and this motivated her to focus her graduate research on the experiences of LGBTQ+ genetic counselors; her research topic was a qualitative study exploring the disclosure of genetic counselors' LGBTQ+ identity within the genetic counseling profession. In her rotations at the Twin Cities, Kayla also fell in love with laboratory genetic counseling and hopes to obtain a position as a laboratory genetic counselor in her future.

05/20/2024

🚨DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 5/31/24!🚨
Are you interested in a paid Research Opportunity to bolster your GC skills? Are you seeking funding for travel to present GC research? Do you need funds to advance your research in the GC Field?
UMNGCP will be conducting the next application review cycle for submissions to the Richard King Fund for Genetic Counseling in the coming weeks! To be considered for this next cycle, please make sure to submit your application by Friday, May 31st!
The University of Minnesota Genetic Counseling Program is once again seeking applicants for the Richard King Fund to support both new and ongoing endeavors in the field of Genetic Counseling. This opportunity is designed to promote existing scholarship amongst genetic counseling graduate students as well as provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to explore the field. Applicants can apply for three different categories of funding.
- Graduate scholarly project research expenses (up to $500)
- A one-semester paid undergraduate research assistantship ($1500)
- Travel expenses for presentations of scholarly work or research (up to $500)
More information and a downloadable application can be found on the University of Minnesota Genetic Counseling Program Website.
Applicants from historically marginalized and/or underrepresented communities are especially encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to applicants with an existing affiliation with the University of Minnesota, but other students are welcome to apply.