Our program is competitive, as one of only two in South Carolina. Each year, we receive
approximately 200 applications for only nine spots. We have a strong faculty, all
still practicing in the field, who are open-door mentors to our students.
“It’s been a challenging two years. I’ve grown so much in my knowledge and my understanding
of what a genetic counselor does. I have learned how to develop my counseling voice.
I feel that I’ve grown a lot in maturity, and I’m walking away so excited to be a
genetic counselor.”
Mary Elise Nolen, MS, Class of 2024
How You Can Help
Genetics is a rapidly evolving field, requiring that we update our curriculum each
year. To continue our tradition of producing first-class graduates in the field of
genetic counseling, we need endowed professorships for our excellent faculty, endowed
scholarships for students, and funding for honorariums to bring in visiting experts
to teach the latest information.
Our top-notch faculty in genetic counseling would like to be able to devote more time
to their patients, academics and research, as well as teaching and mentoring our students.
Professorships underwritten by an endowment could help expand time for these pursuits,
giving a boost to retaining and recruiting great faculty members.
Scholarships, supported by an endowment, can underwrite costs for students from a
wide range of backgrounds. Most of our students come either directly after completing
an undergraduate degree or within two years afterward.
Offering additional scholarships help these students complete their training as genetic
counselors without substantial financial worries. The scholarships could also help
attract students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who might not be able to pursue graduate
studies otherwise.
Establishing an endowment-supported fund to bring in genetic counselors from the field
to teach new information would help keep our cutting-edge education up to the minute.
