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Emily Claire

@ectogc

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My journey to becoming a genetic counselor in tiny squares!
UAMS ‘26 🧬👩‍🔬

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✨ Summertime Rotations ✨

What a fun time the past couple of months have been! I started out my summer back on my stomping grounds from my gap year (UMMC), learning from my Pediatric Genetics friends and getting to spend some much needed time at home with my loved ones.

I’ve also been collecting data for my thesis (phew) and working part time remotely (…with what extra time? I have no idea…). Needless to say, I have not been bored!

Now the latter half of my summer is being well spent in Memphis at St. Jude! Pediatric Oncology has been challenging but so rewarding so far; what an honor to serve these families.

The Lord has been so kind. What in the world did I do to deserve this? (Answer: nothing!) I can’t believe summer is about to wind down and my second year is about to begin! 🧬🩷😭🙏🏼 by @ectogc

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a year ago

Hi everyone! I am excited to share that my master’s thesis project has been approved and I am now looking for participants for my study.

This project combines two passions of mine: faith and genetic counseling. If you can, please share this with your genetic counseling colleagues and encourage them to reach out to me if they meet the requirements (or are curious if they meet them)! Participants may enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card at the end of their interview.

Thank you for reading and spreading the word! by @ectogc

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a year ago

Happy Genetic Counseling Awareness Day! Here are pictures of some of my favorite people from the past couple of years that inspire and encourage me. So excited to be a part of this community, and so grateful to be in training for the best job ever! 🫶🏻🧬 by @ectogc

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2 years ago

Just a little update! YAYAYAY 🧬

The Lord has been SO faithful. Week one is done and I’m excited to start getting in the grad school groove! taken in UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences by @ectogc

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2 years ago

I MATCHED!!

I honestly don’t have many words right now. Overwhelmed, grateful, and excited! More thoughts to come, but for now a BIG sigh of relief and a nap. 🛌

Thank you Lord for UAMS and for seeing me fit to go there for training! All praise to God. He has GOOD plans! by @ectogc

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3 years ago

Campus visits ✅

The past two weeks have been absolutely WILD! Between the Easter holiday and traveling, I definitely have not been bored. Last night I returned home after three consecutive days of visiting programs, and I left feeling very encouraged and fulfilled (and tired at the same time lol). 😴

I wish I could have been able to visit all of the places I interviewed, because they all have such wonderful people, and they’re all in really beautiful, unique cities! But, I did get to visit a few, and that was a big blessing. Putting my feet on the ground made it feel so real and surreal all at once, and it gave me more clarity about where I think the Lord might be leading me.

But GOODNESS, I have big decisions to make. I genuinely enjoyed every visit and now I’m just excited for Match Day. Of course there is a bit of fear there after what I experienced last year, but I’m choosing to shut out that fear because fear is not from God!

Appreciate any and all prayers over the next two weeks! April 17 is coming soon! 🫨🥰🤩 by @ectogc

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3 years ago

Today is Rare Disease Day! 🦓🧬

Did you know that a disease is considered rare if it affects fewer than 1 in 2,000 people? 70% of these begin in childhood, and 72% of these conditions are genetic.

There are ~ 300 MILLION people with rare diseases, but over 6,000 rare diseases have been identified. Often, the diagnostic odyssey takes a long time, and there are few existing cures to some of these conditions. Why? Because there is still SO MUCH information that is to be researched and discovered.

What can we do?
🦓 Hear their stories: Visit rarediseaseday.org/heroes/ to read and listen to stories of real people and families affected by rare disease.
🦓 Share: If you’re able, follow @rarediseasedayofficial and share their posts to your social media pages. It starts with awareness!
🦓 Donate: If you feel led, give! Even a small amount will support access to research, diagnosis, and care for rare diseases. Visit rarediseaseday.org and click the purple “DONATE” box in the upper right corner.

*information from rarediseaseday.org* by @ectogc

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3 years ago

It’s interview season!

A lot of applicants are starting to receive (or have already received) invitation emails or the dreaded “We regretfully inform you…” message. I’ve been on the receiving end of both types of letters from the current and last year’s cycles. It’s hopeful and frustrating and exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time—an emotional dumpster fire to say the least.

While it was a massive relief to have completed all my applications and start hearing back from programs, I’m met with fear of the future. Will I be rejected again? What happens if I don’t Match? What happens if I accidentally mistyped my email address on the application? What if I don’t represent myself well in an interview? What if I still don’t know where I’m supposed to be after interviews? What if I’m not enough?

In my prayer time this morning, a particular passage from Isaiah crossed my path, and I decided to cling to it. In it is a promise that God does respond to our prayers. He will direct our paths, and He waits eagerly for us to come to Him so we can see his loving plan. We are blessed when we wait for Him!

I wrote this down at my desk so I can be reminded in the next couple of months that He is gracious and faithful to reveal his GOOD plan in His timing. I trust that as I interact with these current students and programs, and get to know their values, I’ll be given discernment to know where it is I’m meant to be. And as a reapplicant, it’s scary to think about the possibility of not matching again… if I’m not meant to be in grad school next year, the Lord will make it clear. He always does.

If you’re in a similar place in your life, I’d love to talk with you more about it and encourage you regardless of your career aspiration. 💞 by @ectogc

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3 years ago

This is the face of a girl who just submitted two applications to graduate programs! 🎉

This week was absolutely slam-packed with finishing touches, rethinking everything I had written on personal statements, and honestly, a lot of self doubt. As a reapplicant, the past few months have been challenging. I’ve felt every emotion from hope and excitement to failure and fear of not being good enough. It’s exhausting!

Thankfully though, I’ve been reminded over and over how I’m exactly where I am meant to be. If I matched to a program last year, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to get to know the amazing genetics team in MS and serve with them. If I was somewhere else, I wouldn’t have this extra time with my family that I do now. I wouldn’t have the opportunity to broaden my perspective, dedicate more time to causes special to me, or even read a book to relax.

I’m choosing gratitude this round. I’m choosing to lean into my faith and my family as my support systems. I’m choosing daily to recognize the privilege that I have of a year of growth! Moreover, I’m choosing to be gracious with myself as I navigate the rest of application season.

(Swipe to see the sweet little happy my mom surprised me with, just in time for the holiday season!)🫂💖 by @ectogc

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3 years ago

Happy Genetic Counseling Awareness Day! ✨🧬🎉

I like to say that genetic counseling is Mississippi’s best-kept secret (unintentionally). At the end of the day, genetics permeates every aspect of medicine; there’s no specialty that isn’t affected by it. This is why genetic counseling is so important!

Genetic counseling is a wonderful career to consider if you are like me and never felt compelled to pursue medical school, PA, or nursing. It’s even more wonderful to know that GCs are a valuable resource for your own health!

I encourage you to read through the post to gain more insight about this profession, and share it with a friend if you feel led to.

- EC by @ectogc

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3 years ago

Well hey y’all! Just wanted to introduce myself to give a little bit more info about who I am:

🧬 I recently graduated from @msstate, earning my B. S. in Biological Sciences, also studying psychology and medical humanities. When I started college, I had a newfound interest in genetic counseling, but didn’t exactly know where to start. I’m grateful for the organizations, mentors, and friends there that have supported my endeavor!

🧬 Currently, I work as a GCA (genetic counseling assistant) for the only institution in MS that provides genetic services. It’s an immense privilege to support them as they provide for families who have waited a long, long time trying to find an underlying cause for what they’re experiencing medically.

🧬I absolutely LOVE music, from Taylor Swift to the Band Camino. I have a playlist for just about any mood I’m in (and I’m very proud of them)!

🧬I’m reapplying to programs to earn my Master’s and eventually practice as a GC. As a reapplicant, I’m hoping to encourage others applying and destigmatize the feelings that surround the Match (because let’s be real… it’s an exhausting, time-consuming, anxious process)!

Excited to share more of my story in the days to come, and even more excited to connect with you 🫂 by @ectogc

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3 years ago

Hi everyone, I’m Emily Claire, and I’m so excited to welcome you to my page!

For a while, I’ve been thinking of starting my own blog to reflect on my current post-grad life, and honestly, there’s no time like the present! The heart behind this account is threefold:

1) To raise awareness about genetics/genetic counseling as both a resource AND a career path for people. Genetic counseling was not something I pursued until college, and people in general don’t recognize the value of genetics care because they’ve simply never encountered it!

2) To hold myself accountable during the current application cycle and give myself a space to share and encourage others. Through this, I want to practice being gracious with myself and normalizing feelings as I pursue my calling.

3) To have fun! Right after college, life is about diving deeper into your identity, broadening your perspective, and making the most of your twenties by investing in yourself! I hope to bring little sprinkles of genetics education to your feed and also remind you (and myself) to find the “happies” in the big and little moments. ✨

I’m absolutely THRILLED to invite y’all to follow along with my experiences. More so, I’m excited to share with you my passion for genetics and how it might benefit you or a loved one someday.

With all the love,
EC (a future GC) 🩵 by @ectogc

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3 years ago