The Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program presented “Dismantling the -Isms of Genetic Counseling” during its annual conference on May 31. 

MGH Institute genetic counseling alumni, students, and faculty members, along with external genetic counselors, participated in the interactive workshops designed to further professional development. 

Gayun Chan-Smutko, MS, CGC, the program’s associate director, led a skill building session on commonalities and differences between safe spaces and brave spaces for learning. She showed participants how the Brave Dialogue framework sets us up to authentically engage with one another around challenge and conflict and is further supported by the genetic counseling values of empathy and genuineness as viewed through the lens of restorative justice.

Sharl Azar, MD, the medical director of the MGH Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Center, and his team discussed the nature of sickle cell disease, its symptoms and complications, the limited treatment options available, and how the history of sickle cell disease reflects the lived experience of Black and brown patients seeking care through the American healthcare system. Attendees were able to understand the valuable perspectives of patients living with the disease and learned about tools to advocate for change in our current system. 

Janelle Villiers, MS, CGC, assistant program director of the graduate program in Human Genetics at Sarah Lawrence College, presented “Breaking the Chains of Perfectionism: A Hands-On Workshop for Authentic Living” on how perfectionism can lead to toxic ways of thinking of ourselves and others, and broken relationships with family, colleagues, and clients/patients. Through this interactive workshop, Villiers guided participants on how to recognize their perfectionism and begin to dismantle it from the inside out. She helped participants move from over-criticizing self and others, feeling like an imposter, and people pleasing to embracing the freedom to be their authentic selves and encourage others to be authentic with them. The day ended with “Deconstructing Concepts of ‘Professionalism’ to Foster an Inclusive Graduate School Experience,” presented by Lillian Sosa, MS, CGC and Kim Zayhowski, MS, CGC from the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. They explored the hidden curriculum embedded in genetic counseling training and discussed how established concepts of professionalism can be detrimental to the student learning experience. Through case scenarios, participants developed strategies for an inclusive educational environment and redefined how genetic counseling graduate programs can foster professional identity development.