Pre-Health Advisor Carmen Gamlin interviewed Alumni and now Genetic Counselor Melissa Zuteck. During the interview, Melissa reflects on her time as a Biology Major and what led her to pursue Genetic Counseling. Here are some highlights from the interview.
It’s just a very exciting time to be in the field of Genetics, and I think the field is really exploding!
1. You are an alum of the University of Detroit Mercy. Please share a fond memory of your time as an undergraduate Science major.
The sense of community… I would say the professors, the staff there, even the students there were all just very supportive and were always there to help you along.
2. The field of Genetics is exploding, but how did you get interested in Genetic Counseling and what keeps you interested?
Melissa knew she wanted to be apart of healthcare but was unsure of the specific area and path she wanted to take. She heard about Genetic Counseling and became interested in the roles of Genetic Counselors and how they are often in place to help families understand and process medical information from a recent diagnosis or health concern.
I really enjoyed the idea that genetic counselors are healthcare providers that have a very strong focus on sort of the psychosocial aspect of health care.
Often times genetic counselors are helping families during very difficult times, scary times, uncertain times…
During a patient’s diagnostic journey, patients are being presented with a lot of medical information that can be intimidating…So I really like the idea of the Genetic Counselor really helping families navigate through all of that medical information in a way they can understand.
As far as what keeps Melissa interested in Genetic Counseling, she credits the advancement of technology that assists with diagnosis as well as the growth of the field of genetics in general.
More and more technology is advancing and becoming available and so we are able to make diagnosis for patients that wouldn’t have been available five, ten years ago. We’re able to do testing on patients that was available but not necessarily accessible five or ten years ago.
So it’s just a very exciting time to be a part of the field and it’s going to continue to grow.
3. Do you have any advice for a student considering the Masters Program in Genetic Counseling?
Melissa encourages students who are considering pursuing Genetic Counseling to become familiar with the field by speaking to genetic counselors and exploring the day to day roles of a genetic counselor.
I do, the best advice I have is to talk to a local genetic counselor. Reach out to the different genetic counseling programs and see if you can talk to their program directors.