Penn Medicine, a $9.5 million grant to increase the number of genetic counselors and diversity in a field that, despite impressive leaps forward in genetic knowledge, lacks a diverse workforce. The Alliance to Increase Diversity in Genetic Counseling grant will support 40 underrepresented students in five genetic counseling programs in the Northeastern U.S. over five years to expand all dimensions of diversity. The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Science in Genetic Counseling Program will lead this effort, joined by participating Genetic Counseling master’s programs at Boston University School of Medicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Ten students will be selected yearly to receive full tuition support and cost-of-living stipend.
A key rationale for increasing diversity int he genetic counseling workforce is to improve support for patients from underrepresented backgrounds who can advance critical dialogue between genetic counselors and patients, whose health outcomes are often improved through interaction with medical profressionals they can relate to more personally. Unless genetic counseling becomes more accessible, existing disparities will be exacerbated. Addressing this issue will require integrated strategies, including expanding genetic research, improving genetic literacy, and enhancing access to genetic technologies and genetic counseling among underrepresented populations in a way that avoids stigmatization and other harms.