Exploring racial and ethnic minority individuals’ journey to becoming genetic counselors: Mapping paths to diversifying the genetic counseling profession

Abstract

Reasons for limited ethnic and racial diversity among genetic counselors in the United States may be elucidated through better understanding the experiences of individuals from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds who are enrolled in genetic counseling graduate programs as well as recent graduates. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with racial/ethnic minority participants using Journey Mapping to elicit touchpoints that positively or negatively impact success at varying points along the path to becoming genetic counselors. Negative impacts observed at various touchpoints included the following: late awareness of the profession; observing lack of diversity in the field; financial burden of the application process; and microaggressions from peers, program leadership, and clinical supervisors. Positive impacts observed at various touchpoints included the following: group or personal mentors; opportunities to interact with practicing genetic counselors; opportunities to perform 'mock' admissions interviews; program interviews with a conversational interview style; and attending programs in cities with racially/ethnically diverse patient populations. Findings from this research suggest the lack of adequate infrastructure necessary to recruit and support racial/ethnic minority students is a critical systemic issue impeding progress toward diversifying the genetic counseling field. As such, this study reinforces the need for development, adaptation, and implementation of evidence-based strategies to optimize experiences of racial and ethnic minority individuals throughout the entire process of becoming a genetic counselor.