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Shadowing a genetic counselor helps individuals gain a more comprehensive understanding of the profession. While shadowing, you receive first-hand exposure to the clinical aspects of the field. This includes things like patient interaction and working on a healthcare team. When not seeing patients with the genetic counselor, you will get to witness the nonclinical roles such as placing orders for genetic testing, note documentation, and case preparation. Exposure to these various facets gives individuals a chance to learn about this field's expectations and day-to-day responsibilities. In addition, shadowing is a great opportunity to ask questions and discuss observations. Overall, this better prepares individuals in their genetic counseling career journey. 

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How can I get the most out of my shadowing opportunity?

  • Before shadowing, think about what you want to learn from this experience.
  • Consider questions you may want to ask the genetic counselor to learn more about their role.
  • If the genetic counselor gives you information on what types of cases you’ll be seeing, look into those ahead of time.
  • Ask questions at an appropriate time. You don’t want to interrupt a session with a patient or other interactions. 
  • Focus on the interactions, roles, and responsibilities of the genetic counselor. Don’t spend this time asking questions about graduate school.
  • Reflect on what you learned and observed throughout your shadowing experience. Why do you want to be a genetic counselor instead of another type of healthcare provider?

See FAQ's for more information!

Start the shadowing process

Iowa Health Care offers several learning opportunities, including shadowing for individuals interested in the field of genetic counseling. 

All shadowing opportunities at Iowa Health Care are coordinated. Anyone interested in the field of genetic counseling is encouraged to attend at least one of our education events (they are free of charge), either Careers in Human Genetics Day or Applying to Graduate Programs in Genetic Counseling. To learn more about the field on your own, we encourage you to go to www.nsgc.org. 

To arrange a time to shadow a genetic counselor at UIHC please complete this questionnaire. Once completed you will be provided with the contact information for the genetic counselors that match your availability. 

  • To find a genetic counselor near you or for virtual shadowing opportunities, visit this website:
  • If you want to shadow genetic counselors in your area, reach out to them or the institution they work for. In your email, you will want to introduce yourself, explain your professional goals, and ask for an opportunity to shadow a genetic counselor.

What alternatives are there if I don't have access to in-person shadowing?

Attend

**Note this is not an exhaustive list, the Iowa Institute of Human Genetics did not intentionally exclude any program, these are just a few examples. 

Watch

The NSGC offers a Master Genetic Counselor Series that is free 

Call

If you can't shadow in person, that's okay! There are genetic counselors all over the United States and Canada that are happy to talk with you over the telephone. Find one today by visiting www.nsgc.org. 

Frequently Asked Questions

To prepare for your shadowing experience, email the genetic counselor you plan to shadow and ask about any information they want you to review beforehand, as well as a location and time to meet. Prepare questions to ask during your shadowing and plan your route to the clinic to ensure you arrive on time. Additionally, familiarize yourself with common genetic terms such as dominant, recessive, gene, mutation, etc. It would also be helpful to research genetic conditions related to the counselor's specialty to enhance your understanding and engagement during the experience.

  • Business casual
  • Closed toed shoes
  • No scented products (e.g. perfume, cologne, lotion)

During your shadowing visit, you can expect to see a combination of the genetic counselor’s daily responsibilities, including patient sessions where they take detailed family histories, explain genetic risks, and support decision-making. You may observe the genetic counselor prepare for appointments by reviewing medical charts and researching test results. Depending on the genetic counselor, you may see multidisciplinary teamwork, patient education and documentation, along with administrative tasks like scheduling and insurance. 

It is best to ask your questions before and after sessions. Don’t interrupt sessions for questions, save them for after. 

  • What skills or qualities are important to be a successful genetic counselor?
  • What is your favorite or most rewarding part of your job?
  • What is most challenging about your job?
  • How do you see the career evolving over time?
  • How do you continue to grow and learn throughout your career?

  • The genetic counselor will typically want to make sure it is okay with the patient for a student to observe. You should be respectful if a patient declines. 
  • You may want to ask the genetic counselor before going into the room where you should sit or stand.
  • Be engaged and limit distracting behaviors, such as swaying or bouncing your legs. 
  • You can introduce yourself to the patient and may engage in some small talk. Appropriate conversations may include weather or sports. Topics that you should NOT discuss with patients include politics and parking.
  • If the genetic counselor leaves the room for any reason, you should go with them.

  • Reach out to the genetic counselor to introduce yourself, make arrangements on where and when to meet, and ask if there are any conditions or topics you can review ahead of time to best prepare. 
  • Consider what you hope to learn from your shadowing experience. What questions do you want to ask?

  • Write down your thoughts and observations from your shadowing experience so that you can look back on it later. 
  • Some questions to consider writing about:
    • What did you learn or what surprised you? 
    • What did you like or dislike about the profession? 
    • What aspects of the career would you still want to know more about?
    • How does this shadowing experience fit within your career goals?

  • Symptoms of the condition
  • Age of onset
  • Possible treatment or management options
  • Genetic basis for the condition (i.e. single gene disorder, chromosome disorder)
  • Inheritance pattern (i.e., autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked)
  • Types of testing that may be ordered
  • Potential benefits and limitations of testing
  • Here are some useful resources:

  • No! During graduate school you rotate through different specialties, so it is not necessary to decide before then. It is helpful to keep an open mind in order to get the most out of each in rotation. If you are interested in a specific specialty, it can be useful to see if the graduate schools you apply to offer rotations in those areas. 

When deciding which genetic counseling specialties to shadow, it's important to keep an open mind towards all specialties. Rather than being overly selective, take advantage of any opportunity you can get to shadow different specialties. Genetic counseling is a diverse field with various subspecialties, and each offers unique insights and experiences that can help you understand the extent of the profession.

The number of genetic counselors you should shadow before applying to graduate programs in genetic counseling isn't fixed; it's more important to focus on the quality and depth of the experience. For any shadowing experience, aim to gain comprehensive insights into their daily responsibilities, patient interactions, and the overall counseling process. For a detailed understanding of what you can expect to learn from shadowing a genetic counselor, please refer to the section on what to expect during a shadowing experience.