Q: What's a typical workday like for you?
A: I meet with patients and families and review their personal and family medical histories. This is what allows me to do the risk assessment for a given genetic disorder such as a hereditary cancer condition. I help patients understand the benefits and limitations of genetic testing and I facilitate the testing, review the results with the patients and help them apply that to their situation. Another important part of my job is providing emotional support to families and helping to connect them to support resources.

Q: How does your role fit into the bigger health care picture?
A: It's my job to help patients understand the medical implications of their disorder and how it's inherited from one generation to the next. Providing them information in a way that they can understand and is meaningful to them is the key.

Q: Who do you interact with during the course of the day?
I interact with physicians, nurses, geneticists, laboratory scientists, pathologists, researchers, and other genetic counselors, patients and families.

Q: Why did you become a genetic counselor?
A: I've always been interested in genetics, particularly because it's always changing. Genetic counseling allows me to connect with individuals and families while staying involved in genetics. I liked the idea of being in a role where I could make genetic information less mysterious and intimidating to people.

Q: What do you like about your work?
A: I like that every day is different. That's very exciting. There is no such thing as a routine patient. My work allows me to help people through difficult situations and offer them support as they cope. I like being able to help them in a meaningful way when sometimes there's no one else there for them.