The University of South Carolina Genetic Counseling Program has a special interest in the international education of genetic counselors. Program director, Janice Edwards, has interacted with international genetic counseling education programs for several years and was awarded the 2004-2005 Jane Engelberg Memorial Fellowship through the National Society of Genetic Counselors to promote international collaboration. The first ever international conference for genetic counseling education was hosted in Manchester, United Kingdom in 2006 where genetic counseling professionals from 15 countries gathered. Their creative collaboration ultimately resulted in the inception of the Transnational Alliance for Genetic Counseling (TAGC).
From these international ties, our international clinical rotation exchanges have evolved as a special dimension in our student's genetic counseling education. We have hosted students from universities in Australia and New Zealand while our students have traveled abroad from Cape Town, South Africa to Glasgow, Scotland. We encourage all genetic counseling students to consider an international rotation!
The opportunity to rotate in Ireland has given me a unique perspective on genetic counseling and healthcare as a whole. I was pushed to challenge my preexisting understanding of the field and serve a wider patient population. This experience shaped me into a more critical thinker and more adaptable individual, which is important in the evolving field of genetics. Most importantly, I have formed wonderful and supportive connections with my colleagues in Dublin that will continue throughout my career.
- University of Cape Town - Cape Town, South Africa
- Queen Elizabeth University Hospital - Glasgow, Scotland
- Genetic Health Services - Christchurch, New Zealand
- Groote Schuur Hospital - Cape Town, South Africa
- St. Mary's Hospital - Manchester, England
- St. George's University Hospital - London, England
- University of Melbourne - Melbourne, Australia