PART TWO, stream episode #245 before this episode!    Some of our most popular episodes over the years of DNA Today are those that provide insight into the genetic counseling graduate program application process. So much has changed since we recorded those episodes back in 2018-2022 (many programs have removed the GRE requirement, interviews are virtual, etc.) these episodes include #87 #97 #101 #193 and #194.    That’s why we are revisiting these topics. We are joined by two newly matched genetic counseling students who are starting their graduate programs this fall, Maya Patel and Corinne Merlino! Last week we shared Part 1 of this episode where we discussed mentorship, obtaining letters of recommendation, taking gap years, and more! Definitely check it out before you listen to this episode!    Maya Patel will be a student in Thomas Jefferson University’s program. She earned her degree in diagnostic genetics at The University of Connecticut (which is how we connected, I graduated from the same program 6 years ago). Maya is a first-time applicant and is going right from undergrad into her GC program, so she has lots of insight to offer about navigating the application process during a busy senior year.   Corinne Merlino’s name is probably familiar to you as she is our Communications Lead! Corinne writes the blog posts for each episode and leads our social media team. Corinne is also a Clinical Research Coordinator at The Palliative and Advanced Illness Research (PAIR) Center at The University of Pennsylvania where she has worked for 3 years. She is continuing her career at Penn by joining their genetic counseling class this fall! Corinne was a second-time applicant this cycle and after not matching and taking multiple gap years, she can speak to how to spend that time in an intentional and meaningful way.   Congratulations to both of our guests on matching, this is especially exciting for our host, Kira Dineen, who had the privilege of mentoring both Maya and Corinne through their application process! Become a mentee of Kira’s here.   Special shoutout to our listeners who submitted questions for our guests to answer, Mahfuz, Grace, Anna, Elizabeth, Crystal, Sophie, Kelci, Riley, Christina, and Aciana. In the second part of our conversation we discussed…. Crafting a great personal statement Networking  Applying multiple times Tips for taking care of yourself  Helpful advice our guests were given and advice they’d like to share with future applicants  During the show, Corinne and Maya talked a lot about how mentorship was a vital tool during their application cycle. One of their mentors was (and continues to be) our host Kira Dineen. If you would like to have this mentorship, join our Patreon here!    Keep up with our guests during their grad school journeys by following Corinne on Twitter and LinkedIn and Maya on LinkedIn. Both Corinne and Maya would be happy to answer additional questions about their application processes, just send them a DM!   You can also check out this αrticle where Maya talks about her experience as a student in the Diagnostic Genetics Program at UConn, and stay tuned this Fall when we’ll be sharing Corinne’s interview on the It Happened To Me Podcast!   Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on July 28th, 2023 where we’ll be joined by Dr. Susan Apkon & Melissa Gibbons for a conversation about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy! New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 245 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.     DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.    See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com. 

Some of our most popular episodes over the years of DNA Today are those that provide insight into the genetic counseling graduate program application process. So much has changed since we recorded those episodes back in 2018-2022 (many programs have removed the GRE requirement, interviews are virtual, etc.) these episodes include #87 #97 #101 #193 and #194.    That’s why we are revisiting these topics. We are joined by two newly matched genetic counseling students who are starting their graduate programs this fall, Maya Patel and Corinne Merlino!   Maya Patel will be a student in Thomas Jefferson University’s program. She earned her degree in diagnostic genetics at The University of Connecticut (which is how we connected, I graduated from the same program 6 years ago). Maya is a first-time applicant and is going right from undergrad into her GC program, so she has lots of insight to offer about navigating the application process during a busy senior year.   Corinne Merlino’s name is probably familiar to you as she is our Communications Lead! Corinne writes the blog posts for each episode and leads our social media team. Corinne is also a Clinical Research Coordinator at The Palliative and Advanced Illness Research (PAIR) Center at The University of Pennsylvania where she has worked for 3 years. She is continuing her career at Penn by joining their genetic counseling class this fall! Corinne was a second-time applicant this cycle and after not matching and taking multiple gap years, she can speak to how to spend that time in an intentional and meaningful way.   Congratulations to both of our guests on matching, this is especially exciting for our host, Kira Dineen, who had the privilege of mentoring both Maya and Corinne through their application process! Become a mentee of Kira’s here. Special shoutout to our listeners who submitted questions for our guests to answer, Mahfuz, Grace, Anna, Elizabeth, Crystal, Sophie, Kelci, Riley, Christina, and Aciana. In the first part of our conversation we discussed… What inspired our guests to become genetic counselors What types of people/characteristics programs look for in their applicants Criteria to use when narrowing down programs to apply to The importance of mentorship during this process Applying while in undergrad versus taking gap years Approaching recommenders to write letters on your behalf Academic components of an application Obtaining GC experience (shadowing, informational interviews)   The second part of our conversation will focus on crafting your personal statement(s). This part 2 will be dropped on the podcast feed next Friday on July 21st. Can’t wait to listen? Head over to our YouTube channel where both parts were released together in one video (so fast forward to about 34 minutes to pick up where you left off).    During the show, Corinne and Maya talked a lot about how mentorship was a vital tool during their application cycle. One of their mentors was (and continues to be) our host Kira Dineen. If you would like to have this mentorship, join our Patreon here!    Keep up with our guests during their grad school journeys by following Corinne on Twitter and LinkedIn and Maya on LinkedIn. Both Corinne and Maya would be happy to answer additional questions about their application processes, just send them a DM!   You can also check out this αrticle where Maya talks about her experience as a student in the Diagnostic Genetics Program at UConn, and stay tuned this Fall when we’ll be sharing Corinne’s interview on the It Happened To Me Podcast!   Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on July 21st, 2023 where we’ll be sharing the second installment of this series on genetic counseling program applications! New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 245 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.     DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.  See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com.

Step into our time machine as we transport you back to the early heydays of genetic counseling (aka the 70s) with our esteemed guest, Virginia Corson. Virginia is a veteran genetic counselor who has weathered the changing tides of this field over the last 50 years, and she's here to share her incredible journey with us. Virginia has spent the vast majority of her career as a prenatal genetic counselor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She has written countless publications with original research, case reports, book chapters, and professional society statements. She earned her Master’s of Science through the OG genetic counseling program, Sarah Lawrence College (which I also graduated from a few years ago). Get ready to gain an insightful perspective into the pioneering days of the profession, the challenges of a nascent field, and how Virginia carved her niche in a time devoid of the technological conveniences we take for granted today.   We'll be journeying through Virginia's academic odyssey at Sarah Lawrence College's one-year program, packed with clinical rotations and field work. Experience the nascent use of ultrasound in prenatal care and how the advent of molecular testing revolutionized prenatal testing, despite the rather limited scope of genetic counseling during the late 1970s. Virginia’s wealth of knowledge is sure to enlighten us all about the critical importance of the field's continued evolution and development.   In the last leg of our conversation, Virginia uncovers the intriguing aspects of her various clinical rotations and field work, discussing the glaring absence of molecular genetics and cancer genetics courses at the time. She stresses the significance of lifelong learning for genetic counselors and provides a sneak peek into a typical day in her early career. We'll also delve into the evolution of genetic counseling sessions, the ethical and legal considerations during the 1970s, and even a surprising moment when Virginia found herself on the front cover of the Wall Street Journal. So, buckle up for this enlightening chat with Virginia Corson, and get ready to unravel the captivating world of genetic counseling!   Episode Chapters    (0:00:02) - Exploring Genetic Counseling in the 1970s (12 Minutes)   Virginia Corson, a seasoned genetic counselor with decades of experience in the field, shares her journey of learning about genetic counseling in the 1970s, a time when the field was still in its infancy. We discuss the landscape of the field at the time, with very few places hiring genetic counselors and no computers or emails to make job search easier. Virginia recounts how she sent out 40 individual cover letters to potential employers and eventually got a job offer from Johns Hopkins. We explore the challenges of entering a new field and the changes the profession has gone through over the last 50 years.   (0:11:37) - Prenatal Testing and Genetic Counseling Evolution (6 Minutes)   Virginia Corson shares her experience of attending Sarah Lawrence College's one-year program, which was packed with clinical rotations, field work, and electives. We also explore the early uses of ultrasound in prenatal care and how molecular testing has allowed for more accurate prenatal testing. In the late 1970s, genetic counseling was limited in terms of testing and topics available.   (0:17:39) - Genetic Counseling in the Past (8 Minutes)   Virginia Corson talks about the various clinical rotations and field work she completed as part of the one-year program at Sarah Lawrence College. She had the opportunity to visit Mount Sinai Hospital, Albert Einstein Hospital, and Creedmoor Institute, where she interviewed people at-risk for Huntington's Disease. Virginia also discusses the lack of molecular genetics and cancer genetics courses at the time and the importance of continuing education for genetic counselors. She shares what a typical day was like for her, which included taking family histories, discussing testing options, and navigating the four-week waiting period for amniocentesis results.   (0:25:50) - Evolution of Genetic Counseling (8 Minutes)   We discuss the changes in genetic counseling sessions over the years, from the early 1970s when carrier screening was much simpler to the present day, where there are hundreds of tests offered. Virginia Corson shares the story of her 15 minutes of fame when she was featured on the front cover of the Wall Street Journal in the late 1980s. The journalist wanted to make the article more personal and interviewed her, and how it ended up being a front page article. We also explore the ethical and legal considerations in the 1970s, such as the debate around whether genetic counselors could counsel independently without a doctor present, as well as the establishment of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. Finally, we talk about the exams Virginia and the other geneticists took, which was the same core exam and then a separate genetic counseling exam.   This episode is part of our Genetic Counseling History series backed by the National Society of Genetic Counselors’ Late Career Special Interest Group. Be sure to check out Episode 234 and Episode 235 which explore the first few NSGC conferences and the formation of the American Board of Genetic Counselors.    Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on July 14th! New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 240 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.     DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.   See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com.   

We are closing out Pride Month with a recent installment of the PhenoTips Speaker Series. DNA Today’s host Kira Dineen is also one of the hosts of the PhenoTips Speaker Series. This live webinar focuses on relevant genetics topics by featuring discussions with thought leaders and experts in genomic medicine. This episode is the 24th installment of the PhenoTips’ Speaker Series, “Navigating Barriers in LGBTQIA+ Genetic Care”.    A 2018 Harvard study found that nearly 1/6th of LGBTQIA+ adults have experienced discrimination in a healthcare setting, while 1/5th have avoided seeking medical care out of fear of discrimination. Efforts have been made in recent years to improve the cultural competency of genetic professionals, however, barriers to compassionate care for LGBTQIA+ individuals persist. In an environment of changing healthcare legislation and increased hostility towards the LBGTQIA+ community, creating a safe space for patients is more challenging than ever.   Panelists: Dr. Jehannine Austin (they/them) Executive Director of BC Mental Health, Professor in Psychiatry & Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia  Andy Cantor, CGC (she/they/he) Senior Genetic Counselor & Certified Trainer on Trans and Non-Binary Competency at Labcorp  Josephine Giblin, CGC (she/her) Genetic Counsellor at NHS Bristol Katie Gallagher, CGC (she/her) Assistant Program Director at Sarah Lawrence College   In this episode’s panel discussion moderated by Kira Dineen, our panel of international experts and advocates discusses:   Protecting patients during times of unprecedented legislation Creating psychologically safe and inclusive environments Supporting access to equitable care Representation in family history collection Resources and best practices to support LBGTQIA+ colleagues and patients   Last year we also celebrated pride month with PhenoTips. In Episode #189 we interviewed two experts from PhenoTips, Orion Buske and Erica Peacock about building inclusive pedigrees. We also released last year’s PhenoTips Speaker Series Pride installment on Episode #190, which focuses on providing gender affirming care, specifically in the genetic counseling space. As a queer member of the LGBTQIA+ community, our host Kira Dineen is excited to share all these episodes, including this week’s!    These webinars are sponsored by PhenoTips. During these live events we interview leaders in the field of genetics and moderate questions live from the audience. Check out upcoming installments by heading over to PhenoTips.com where you can also stream all the webinars from the last three years.    Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on July 7th where we continue our History of Genetic Counseling Series, this time joined by seasoned genetic counselor Ginny Corson! New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 240 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.     DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com.

In 2020, a direct-to-consumer DNA test revealed that our guest Richard Wenzel's father was not his genetic father. Moreover, evidence indicates that his conception resulted from a sexual assault of his mother and that his pediatrician (who was also his mother's obstetrician) helped conceal this crime; unfortunately, all involved individuals are deceased. Since that troubling discovery, Richard has dedicated his efforts towards increasing education and awareness among medical professionals about the harms of false genetic narratives, identifying opportunities to improve the care provided to children/adults incurring a false narrative, and urging for research.  Richard Wenzel, Pharm.D., CPPS, is an accomplished clinician, researcher, educator, lecturer, and mentor in the profession of pharmacy, whose expertise includes hospital practices, headache disorders, and patient safety, as well as the evolving realm of direct-to-consumer genetic testing. He has authored or co-author approximately 50 peer-reviewed publications in medical and pharmacy journals including Phase III and post hoc medication research, systematic literature reviews, clinical narratives, and opinion piece articles.He has also given more than 100 presentations at national, state, and local-level medical professionals’ (pharmacist, physician, physician assistant, nursing) meetings as well as lectures at U.S. and international Colleges of Pharmacy. Richard is a recipient of the American Pharmacists Association’s "One-to-One Patient Counseling Award" and is a two-time nominee for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy "Master Preceptor" award and a university’s "Preceptor of the Year" recipient, having successfully provided clinical rotation site education to more than 600 pharmacy students!   On This Episode We Discuss: Richard’s personal journey of discovering his misattributed paternity How this discovery has affected his perception of his relationship with his mother and childhood experiences Wrestling with the discovery of misattributed paternity when the parents are deceased Guidelines that healthcare providers follow regarding the disclosure of misattributed parentage Benefits and harms that need to be considered when deciding whether to disclose misattributed parentage How the discovery of misattributed parentage can impact individuals, particularly children, and their sense of identity Available support and resources for individuals who have discovered misattributed parentage, and what more needs to be done to assist them Advice for others who are in the midst of a not-parent-expected discovery and for healthcare providers on the other side of this   Richard Wenzel’s Resources   American Medical Association Code on Ethics of Collecting Family History American Academy of Pediatrics’ Article on the Pediatrician’s Role on Patient and Family Centered Care  American Academy of Pediatrics “Value of Family Medical History and adoption as a barrier to accurate history” Jodi Girard’s Narrative & Kara Rubenstein Narrative  American Society of Human Genetics Position Statement and Article American Society for Reproductive Medicine Position Statement American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Position Statement  Organizations include donordeceived.org and womenagainstpaternityfraud.org Shepard, A., Diamond, D., Willard, L., Staples, J., Martin, K., & Witherspoon, N. (2022). Discovering Misattributed Paternity After DNA Testing and its Impact on Psychological Well-Being and Identity Formation. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 6(3), 189-211. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/12611 Avni C, Sinai D, Blasbalg U, Toren P. Discovering your presumed father is not your biological father: Psychiatric ramifications of independently uncovered non-paternity events resulting from direct-to-consumer DNA testing. Psychiatry Res 2023;323:115142.  Lawton B L, Pyott L C, Deyerin K R,  Foeman A K. Experiences of Misattributed Parentage Communities: Impacts of Discovering New Familial Kinships. Journal of Family History 2023: epub ahead of print; doi.org/10.1177/03631990231156176.   Grethel, M., Lewis, J., Freeman, R., & Stone, C. (2022). Discovery of unexpected paternity after direct-to-consumer DNA testing and its impact on identity. Family Relations, 1– 17. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12752 Klugman-Rabb, Jodi, "A Qualitative Study on the Effect of Misattributed Parentage Experiences" (2023). Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship. 354. https://scholar.dominican.edu/all-faculty/354  Family Secrets: Exploring unexpected paternity through direct-to-consumer DNA ancestry tests.  Gina Daniel, Masters Thesis, https://millersville.tind.io/record/6411/files/Gina%20Daniel.pdf Semikhodskii A, Makarova T, Sutyagina D. Paternity pseudo-exclusion caused by tetragametic chimerism in a gestational surrogacy case. Eur J Med Genet. 2023 Jun 3;66(8):104799. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2023.104799 Sheets KM, Baird ML, Heinig J, Davis D, Sabatini M, Starr DB. A case of chimerism-induced paternity confusion: what ART practitioners can do to prevent future calamity for families. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2018 Feb;35(2):345-352. doi: 10.1007/s10815-017-1064-6. Li D, Liao C. Incidental discovery of nonpaternity during prenatal testing of genetic disease. Fetal Diagn Ther 2008;24:39-41.  “that pleases those who do not wish to disclose [MP] yet accurately states the laboratory’s results for legal purposes”   We close out Pride month on June 30th with our next new episode “Navigating Barriers in LGBTQIA+ Genetic Care”, this is an episode drop from the PhenoTips Speaker Series, also hosted by Kira Dineen. New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 240 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.     DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian. See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our

Maury Povich, an iconic talk show host known for paternity testing, shares the origin of his famous catchphrase. He discusses the emotional impact of revealing paternity test results and why people choose public testing. The podcast also explores the challenges faced when performing tests and the psychological factors that drive people to seek paternity testing.

Joining us for this episode is Sneha Dave, Founder and Executive Director of Generation Patient, an organization that facilitates events, online programs, and advocacy initiatives for young adults living with chronic and rare conditions to ensure that they have the opportunities and resources to thrive.   Sneha Dave (she/her) graduated from Indiana University in May 2020 where she majored in chronic illness advocacy as well as journalism. She created the Generation Patient and its program the Crohn’s and Colitis Young Adults Network (CCYAN) to create support systems for adolescents and young adults with chronic conditions across the U.S. and internationally. She is proud to work with a team composed entirely of young adults with chronic medical disabilities and to keep Generation Patient transparent and independent from the pharmaceutical and insurance industry.   Sneha has completed an undergraduate research fellowship in health policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She has also interned at numerous places such as Pfizer Global Headquarters in health economics and outcomes research for Inflammation and Immunology. Sneha has spoken on Capitol Hill, featured nationally on C-SPAN, and is a past contributor for U.S. News and World Report. She has served on the Democratic National Committee Disability Policy Subcommittee and she is part of the Midwest Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council, an independent appraisal committee of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review. Sneha also serves on the patient engagement collaborative for the FDA. She was previously a national policy fellow at RespectAbility and now serves as the youngest director on the board for the national nonprofit. Sneha has won multiple awards for her advocacy work, so we are pleased to have her featured here on DNA Today!    Shoutout to our Communications Lead, Corinne Merlino, for recommending Sneha Dave to be our guest.  On This Episode We Discuss: Sneha’s personal experience with ulcerative colitis and how it led to becoming a patient advocate The mission and goals of Generation Patient and the Crohn's and Colitis Young Adults Network Some of the biggest challenges facing young adults living with chronic and rare conditions today The importance of increased representation of young adults in clinical trials and the impact it can have on the development of treatments Potential harms of DTC pharma advertising on Instagram and TikTok to young viewers and what can be done to mitigate that harm How the Generation Patient team ensures that the organization remains independent from the pharmaceutical and insurance industry How Sneha and her team at Generation Patient engages with the FDA Advice for young adults living with chronic or rare conditions who may feel isolated or unsupported in their experiences Advice for other young professionals that are seeking ways to be more involved and gain experiences in healthcare   You can learn more about Generation Patient and their different initiatives at the links below: Generation Patient's website Community and resources for college students with chronic conditions Registration for Generation Patient's 2023 Virtual Health Advocacy Summit The Crohn’s and Colitis Young Adults Network   Be sure to follow Generation Patient on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and our guest, Sneha Dave, on Twitter!   Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on Friday, June 16th, 2023 where our host Kira Dineen sits down with a household name and an icon in the world of talk shows. New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 240 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.     DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.   See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com.    TrakGene has designed a genetics electronic health record. Here’s what it features: pedigrees, demographic data, genetics information, risk tools, and sophisticated reporting, all within a clinician designed workflow. It integrates within other clinical genetic software, databases, and hospital information systems to maintain accurate patient records. You can learn more in episodes 208, 210, and 237 of DNA Today! Use Promo code “DNATODAY” to get $800 off your subscription, that’s a discount of 80% exclusively to DNAToday listeners. Go check it out at trakgene.com. (Sponsored)  

We are joined again by Janice Berliner joining us again on DNA Today. She was a guest on Episode 152 where we talked about her debut novel, Brooke’s Promise. In this episode we are chatting about her second novel, In Good Conscience, which features genetic counseling!   Aside from being a novelist, Janice Berliner is a board certified genetic counselor with more than 32 years of experience. In her roles as both a clinician and as the Director of the Master of Science in Genetic Counseling Program at Bay Path University. Her novels derive from her expertise working with families facing the risk of disease, and the intensely personal and life-altering nature genetic illness can have on family relationships.  On This Episode We Discuss: How Janice’s genetic counseling experience influenced and inspired her while writing In Good Conscience The concept of “Duty To Warn” and how this applies in the genetics space Protections that celebrities have against people sharing their private information in public media spaces Support and resources available to genetic counselors when facing complex situations involving the duty to warn How advancements in genetic testing technologies and the availability of direct-to-consumer genetic testing impact the duty to warn Tease of Janice’s next novel Advice for applicants on matching from a program director   During the interview Janice mentioned a few cases of breached health data from healthcare workers. In 2007, Palisades Medical Center in New Jersey suspended 27 employees for a month for looking at George Clooney’s medical records after he had been treated for injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident (NY Times). In 2008, UCLA Medical Center fired or suspended more than 25 employees, including 6 physicians, for snooping in Britney Spears’ medical records during her stay in their psychiatric unit (LA Times). Again in 2010, UCLA Medical Center was fined $95,000 for failing to stop employees from accessing Michael Jackson's records. Two hospital workers and two contract employees were terminated (LA Times).    Janice also mentioned the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) Code of Ethics. We both recommended GC Prep (one of our sponsors) for mentorship and resources on genetic counseling graduate school application process. GC Prep’s Mikayla Stoecker and Janelle Villiers were guests on Episodes #193 and #194 sharing application advice. DNA Today’s Patreon also includes one-on-one mentorship with our host Kira Dineen, you can sign up here.    Kira also mentioned a few other DNA Today episodes including #234 Genetic Counseling History: 1st NSGC Conference and #235 Genetic Counseling History: ABGC Formation,    To learn more about Janice and In Good Conscience, visit her ​​website, or check her out on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.    We will also give away 5 copies of her book on our social media channels. Search @DNATodayPodcast to enter on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter! There’s a pic of our host, Kira, with the book on the beach, yes it’s a great beach read! Can’t wait to see if you won, buy the book here on Amazon (don’t forget to leave a review there and on Goodreads).    Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on June 9th, 2023. New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 235 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.     DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.   See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com.    TrakGene has designed a genetics electronic health record. Here’s what it features: pedigrees, demographic data, genetics information, risk tools, and sophisticated reporting, all within a clinician designed workflow. It integrates within other clinical genetic software, databases, and hospital information systems to maintain accurate patient records. You can learn more in episodes 208, 210, and 237 of DNA Today! Use Promo code “DNATODAY” to get $800 off your subscription, that’s a discount of 80% exclusively to DNAToday listeners. Go check it out at trakgene.com. (Sponsored)   Did you know that among patients with documented mild cognitive decline, about one-third progress to a diagnosis of Alzhiemer’s Disease? As the Alzheimer’s and dementia field evolves, new diagnostics are being developed working to provide answers in more and more accessible ways. Quest Diagnostics is leading the way in making Alzheimer's testing accessible through assessing biomarkers like ApoE isoforms and Beta-Amyloid plaques with blood instead of spinal fluid. Learn more about Alzheimer's Disease including Quest Diagnostics’s newest risk assessments in DNA Today’s Episode 236. Learn more about Quest’s tests here. (Sponsored)   As a listener of DNA Today, you probably heard me talk about NIPT, non-invasive prenatal screening, that looks for extra or missing chromosome conditions during pregnancy. But did you know there is one that can also screen for recessive disorders (like cystic fibrosis) and fetal antigens? BillionToOne offers UNITY Screen, which does all this from one blood draw from a pregnant person. Visit unityscreen.com for more info. Listen to DNA Today Episode #224 Single Gene NIPT and #225 Fetal Antigen NIPT. (Sponsored) 

We want to take a moment to express our appreciation to all our incredible listeners. We have been enjoying getting to know some of you through our Patreon. As a patron you can gain benefits that take your DNA Today experience to the next level including our exclusive monthly club, behind the scenes podcast views, input on future episodes including interview questions, one on one mentorship with me, physical merch, and more!    Speaking of our patrons, we want to give a special shoutout to some awesome listeners who have already joined us: Matthew, Hannah, Lynn, Sanya, Molly, Emily, Amanda, Ash, Cristina, and Wesley. Your support means the world to us, and we couldn't be more grateful for your contribution. It helps support the show and builds our engaging community. So join us here!    In this episode we are discussing secondary findings and a study exploring what they mean for the patients who receive them.   Joining us for this discussion is Caralynn Wilczewski who is a genetic counselor for the Reverse Phenotyping Core and the Genomic Services Research Program in the National Human Genome Research Institute in the National Institutes of Health. In her current role, she provides genetic counseling and coordinates clinical research that uses a genotype-first approach to advance the goal of predictive genomic medicine. She obtained her bachelor’s in Molecular Biology with Honors from Loyola University Chicago and her PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She then obtained a Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from the joint program at Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health.    Also joining us is Andrea Alvarez, a participant in the Genomic Services Research Program. Andrea joined a genetic sequencing study at Morehouse College and received an unexpected genetic test result which Alvarez will discuss in this episode!   In this episode we are discussing secondary findings, and a study exploring what they mean for the patients who receive them. Stay tuned as we will have another secondary findings installment coming soon to DNA Today!   On This Episode We Discuss: Population health studies and how they help us understand the role of genetics in disease risk and prevention Secondary findings and how someone might receive one Opting in/out regarding the reveal of secondary findings in population health studies What happens after someone finds out they have one of these unexpected genetic risk factors Andrea’s experience with receiving a surprising secondary finding and how it has impacted her life Support and next steps for people after the receive a secondary finding The Genomic Services Research Program’s study for patients with secondary findings and what it can offer to folks who participate How we can ensure that population health studies related to genetics are conducted in a way that is inclusive and representative of diverse populations   If you’d like to learn more about secondary findings, check out the ACMG Recommendations for Reporting of Incidental Findings in Clinical Exome and Genome Sequencing and this news article!    Join or refer a patient to the Genomic Services Research Program (GSRP) study on secondary findings by filling out this survey. More resources below!    Secondary findings resources for listeners: Clinicians     List of ACMG secondary findings genes    ClinGen Actionability Knowledge Repository: Search by gene or condition for brief summaries of most secondary findings conditions and risks with recommendations for surveillance, management, and treatment.    ACMG ACT sheets: Short summaries of a few secondary findings genes and conditions with instructions on next steps for clinicians whose patients receive one of these results.    Secondary findings resources for listeners: Patients     MedlinePlus Genetics: What are secondary findings from genetic testing?   MedlinePlus Genetics: Patient-friendly information about genetic conditions and how genes can play a role in our health.    If you’re interested in learning more about the Genomic Services Research Program and their study about secondary findings, please email them (gsrp@NIH.gov), call or text 240-408-0447, or visit genome.gov/GSRP.   Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on June 2nd, 2023 where we’ll be joined by Janice Berliner to discuss her latest novel, In Good Conscience, a genetics novel! New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 235 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.     DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.   See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com.    TrakGene has designed a genetics electronic health record. Here’s what it features: pedigrees, demographic data, genetics information, risk tools, and sophisticated reporting, all within a clinician designed workflow. It integrates within other clinical genetic software, databases, and hospital information systems to maintain accurate patient records. You can learn more in episodes 208, 210, and 237 of DNA Today! Use Promo code “DNATODAY” to get $800 off your subscription, that’s a discount of 80% exclusively to DNAToday listeners. Go check it out at trakgene.com. (Sponsored)   Did you know that among patients with documented mild cognitive decline, about one-third progress to a diagnosis of Alzhiemer’s Disease? As the Alzheimer’s and dementia field evolves, new diagnostics are being developed working to provide answers in more and more accessible ways. Quest Diagnostics is leading the way in making Alzheimer's testing accessible through assessing biomarkers like ApoE isoforms and Beta-Amyloid plaques with blood instead of spinal fluid. Learn more about Alzheimer's Disease including Quest Diagnostics’s newest risk assessments in DNA Today’s Episode 236. Learn more about Quest’s tests here. (Sponsored)   As a listener of DNA Today, you probably heard me talk about NIPT, non-invasive prenatal screening, that looks for extra or missing chromosome conditions during pregnancy. But did you know there is one that can also screen for recessive disorders (like cystic fibrosis) and fetal antigens? BillionToOne offers UNITY Screen, which does all this from one blood draw from a pregnant person. Visit unityscreen.com for more info. Listen to DNA Today Episode #224 Single Gene NIPT and #225 Fetal Antigen NIPT. (Sponsored) 

The podcast discusses the use of digital tools in cancer genetic counseling and explores topics such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in healthcare and genetics. It also covers the complexity of accessing healthcare, advancements in prenatal testing, diagnostics for Alzheimer's and dementia, and the use of technology in cancer outreach.