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About the Program
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The Genetic Counseling Program offered at Baylor College of Medicine provides an integrated medical genetics graduate education. Students benefit from the School of Health Professions and Baylor College of Medicine environment, which places emphasis on the values of respect, integrity, innovation, teamwork, and excellence.
Career Interest Workshop
Thinking about being a genetic counselor? Learn more about the profession at the career interest workshop taking place Aug. 16, 2024.
register today
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Admissions
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Ready to begin your journey to becoming a genetic counselor? Learn about our admissions process and get started today!
Apply Now!
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Genetic Counseling Program Information 2023
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Why Baylor?
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There are many schools that can train you to be a genetic counselor. Why should you select Baylor?
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Graduates encouraged to be ready for forks in the road
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The advice to Baylor College of Medicine’s 2021 graduates? Be ready to take the unexpected forks in the road that will inevitably come along, because they can turn into opportunity.
View Article
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Student Voices: Heather Lucas
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Heather Lucas, a genetic counseling student in the School of Health Professions, shares her Baylor College of Medicine experience.
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Program Highlights
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Proven Success
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Proven Success
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Over the past three years, the American Board of Genetic Counseling Certification exam first-time pass rate for graduates of our program is 88%. 97% of all graduates have secured employment within three months of graduation and there has been a 0% attrition rate since the inception of this program.
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Clinical
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Clinical
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Our location in the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical complex, gives our students access to several of the nation’s leading hospitals, including Texas Children's Hospital, which is ranked #2 overall in the United States. Our exceptionally diverse patient care activities, including the nation’s largest clinical genetics program with prenatal, pediatric, adult and cancer clinical encounters, allows rich exposure to patients and families.
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Research
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Research
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Our students have access to research activities within the Baylor College of MedicineDepartment of Molecular and Human Genetics, which surpasses all other genetics departments nationally in funding from the National Institutes of Health. The partnership between the diagnostic laboratory,Baylor Genetics,andthe Collegeprovides unique educational experiences for students seeking either laboratory or industry related genetic counseling careers.
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Multicultural Experiences
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Multicultural Experiences
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Houston is the most diverse large metropolitan area in the nation. In addition to the diversity of the local population, the institutions of the Texas Medical Center attract patients from around the world. This exposure to health beliefs and practices influenced by cultural origins provides exceptional understanding of how to approach the provision of patient-centered care.Our students also gain valuable insights through community outreach programs and supplemental activities that transform perspectives on disease and redefine personalized medical care. Explore Houston.
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Faculty
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Faculty
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The education, researchand clinical service roles of the more than 50 genetic counselors who form theprincipal facultyof the Genetic Counseling Program ensure student exposure to seasoned instructors, reputable researchers, and clinicians in active practice in the specialties of prenatal, pediatric, adult, cancer, and laboratory genetic counseling.
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Interdisciplinary Education
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Interdisciplinary Education
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Team-based instruction occurs within the didactic and clinical phases of our curriculum with experiences involving a mix of disciplines including medical, genetic counseling, nurse anesthesia, physician assistant, pharmacy, social work, and nursing students ensuring a rich experience in the area of role socialization.
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Educational and Support Resources
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Educational and Support Resources
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The College provides access to standardized patients, rotation evaluation tools, streaming videos of lectures, theTMC librarysystem, and quality after-class environments for study.Academic and support servicesfor students promote academic excellence, health and wellness, and student engagement.
The program has been even more rewarding than I expected. With so many clinical sites in the Texas Medical Center we have the opportunity to take what we learn in the classroom right into the clinic, where we serve a diverse patient population.
Hannah Helber, GCP Student
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Genetic Counseling Insights: Pilar Magoulas
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Pilar Magoulas, chief of genetic counseling at Baylor College of Medicine speaks about her career.
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Genetic Counseling Insight: Jill Mokry
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Baylor College of Medicine genetic counselor, Jill Mokry speaks about her research-focused career.
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Genetic Counseling Awareness Day
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GC Program alumni and current faculty members Hannah Helber and Rachel Thomas describe what genetic counseling means to them.
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Mission and Vision
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The Baylor College of Medicine Genetic Counseling Program provides students a transformative education in genomic medicine and the practice of genetic counseling. The outstanding clinical, laboratory, and research faculty will empower graduates to be empathic professionals with effective critical thinking skills.
As leaders of genomic medicine integration, our graduates will serve as indispensable navigators of genetic service delivery.
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Objectives
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Teaching
- Be equipped with the tools to meet the ever-changing demands of genomic medicine.
- Be familiar with the latest developments in genomic medicine and prepared to critically evaluate and implement these developments in their own practice.
Service
- Be empowered to engage with, and advocate for, the diverse communities they serve.
- Be committed to addressing disparities as they arise in the profession and among our various community partners.
- Contribute to the growth and development of the profession.
Research
- Develop the skills necessary to further research in genetic counseling and genomic medicine.
Community
- Be committed to creating a welcoming atmosphere to all learners, clients, advocates, and community partners.
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Accreditation
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The Genetic Counseling program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC), Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling, Inc, 7918 Jones Branch Drive, Ste 300, McLean, VA 22102. Telephone: (703) 506 - 7667. Visit the College's accreditation page for information about other accrediting agencies that review Baylor College of Medicine's educational programs.
Learn More
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School of Health Professions
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The home of the Genetic Counseling Program is the Baylor College of Medicine School of Health Professions. The program draws upon the clinical and research expertise of the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and the innovative educational models developed in collaboration with the School of Health Professions to meet all the requirements of Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling.
Visit the School of Health Professions
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Internships for Prospective Students
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Baylor College of Medicine Genetic Counseling Program will not offer a summer internship this year. In lieu of an internship, we now offer a "Genetic Counseling Career Interest Workshop" on an annual basis. This will allow us to engage a greater number of individuals. The workshops typically occur in August of each year. Details of the Workshop and registration information will typically be posted in the summer.
Learn about our Summer Internship Program
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Future of Genetic Counseling
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Read the article program director Dan Riconda published in the March 2018 issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics titled, "Genetic counselor training for the next generation: Where do we go from here?"
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Texas Transcript
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Read the interview with program director, Dan Riconda in the July 2017 issue of the Texas Transcript, the official newsletter of the Texas Society for Genetic Counselors.
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Evenings With Genetics
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Baylor GC students attend and participate in Evenings with Genetics, a monthly genetics seminar open to the general public. You can registerfor an upcoming Evenings with Genetics webinar.
Register Now!
