TSGC Mentorship
By Mary Grace Roden
As a genetic counselor, I am no stranger to the concept of mentorship. I feel that a mentor has guided me through every step of my genetic counseling career. Before even being accepted into graduate school, I had mentors who taught me about the field and assisted with my graduate school applications. I had a second-year genetic counseling student mentor and an alumni mentor in graduate school. I also had a colleague who mentored me when starting my first job as a genetic counselor. I think it’s safe to say I would not be where I am in my career without mentors willing to guide me, and I would not be surprised if many of you reading this have similar experiences.
TSGC is fortunate enough to have its very own formal mentorship program through the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. The program, launched in the fall of 2022, is geared toward prospective students (mentees) who identify as an underrepresented minority and are either from Texas or plan to apply to a Texas GC program. The role of the mentor is to serve as a point of contact and support for their mentee as they prepare to apply to genetic counseling programs. It is approximately a nine-month commitment with the next mentorship cohort running from September 2024 through May 2025 to coincide with the NMS genetic counseling admissions match/program admissions cycle. The mentor application is sent to TSGC members via email in mid-July of each year, and you do not have to identify as an underrepresented minority to be a mentor. Prospective students can request a mentor by completing a brief survey that will be linked on the ‘Prospective Students’ page of the TSGC website.
We reached out to DEI Committee Co-Chairs Cheyla Clark and Damini Morah to shine a light on TSGC’s mentorship program. See what they had to say!
Damini Morah
What goes into making the mentor/mentee pairs?
We use a survey to collect demographics, information about interests and personality traits, what qualities they’re looking for in a mentor/mentee, and their preferred level of involvement. We also take into consideration the location of the prospective student, their needs as it relates to their self-disclosed identity (as this is a program for underrepresented groups), and whether they’re a first-time applicant or a re-applicant. This is all so that we can make the best match possible considering factors mentors and mentees indicate are important to them.
What is your favorite thing about TSGC’s mentorship program?
Cheyla: My favorite thing about the mentorship program is meeting prospective students where they are and providing them with support and resources that they might not have otherwise gotten if it were not for this mentorship program. I believe mentorship is largely beneficial to an individual's ability to develop into a confident, competitive applicant and being a part of a program that helps build a prospective student’s confidence in applying and interviewing has been extremely rewarding.
Damini: It’s hard for me to separate the mentor and the mentee here, as it is a mutually beneficial relationship. I really enjoy knowing that I played a part in helping a future mentor give back to the future genetic counseling community, especially one that may not have had this opportunity had it not been for this mentoring program. Being able to see that a student is benefiting from the relationship they develop with their mentor and how it results in them being a more well-rounded and confident applicant is the most fulfilling part of the process.
Cheyla Clark
What would you say to someone on the fence about getting involved with mentorship?
Cheyla: I would say to think about what you needed or in hindsight what you would have wanted when you were applying to graduate school. Do you think that you could be that person to someone else? If the answer is yes, go for it, and get involved with mentorship! You and your mentee match can determine how little or how much involvement you’d both like and let that guide the relationship.
Damini: I agree with everything Cheyla said and would add that this mentorship program is a unique opportunity to provide guidance and support to a future genetic counselor. Volunteering overall can give you a renewed sense of purpose and motivation in your professional and even personal life!
How can those interested in mentorship get involved with TSGC’s program?
If you are interested in being a mentor for the program, please reach out to us and we will make sure to get you a link to the mentor/mentee matching survey once it opens in mid-late July!
Additionally, if you would like to be more closely involved with the mentorship program, we currently have an open role available for a mentorship coordinator! This member would serve as a DEI sub-committee member specifically for the mentorship program. Roles and responsibilities include coordinating mentor and mentee workshops once a year and coordinating mentor/mentee check-ins during application and interview season. This role will also assist the co-chairs in gathering and disseminating resources for the mentees. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to get involved with TSGC, especially a new graduate! Please contact us (tsgcdei@gmail.com) if you are interested in this role.
Quotes from participants in the program:
One mentee said: “The opportunity to learn and speak to a mentor throughout the application process has given me so much peace and confidence over the past few months. Having now heard back from programs, I will walk into interviews with assurance that I am qualified and excited for the possibilities to come! Thank you both for extending your time and efforts to me and others who hope to now match and join the genetic counseling field. Your impact on my journey thus far has been tremendous, and I do not believe my words to be sufficient.”
One mentor shared: “I did find the experience enriching because I felt like I was helping someone, in a place in their life I truly understood, to gain confidence in themselves at a difficult time. I helped someone to know that regardless of what happens they are enough, and that they deserve to accomplish their goal. It also was great to help someone with the same identity [as me] who is so young, because I remember myself at that age and what I was worried about, and knowing they can achieve great things and helping them to believe that is a rewarding feeling.”
If you have any questions about the mentorship program, please contact Cheyla Clark (cheyla.clark@utsouthwestern.edu) and Damini Morah (dmorah@myriad.com).