Mallory Schultz

CAPSTONE

Capstone Project Committee: Nancy Callanan, M.S., CGC, Sat Gupta, Ph.D. (Statistical Consultant), Kirsty McWalter, M.S., CGC, Karen Potter Powell, M.S., CGC

Background: Recent data show that genetic counselors are working in public health roles. However, these data only indicate the genetic counselors whose primary role is public health. Genetic counselors may participate in public health activities but not consider themselves a public health genetic counselor, or realize that the activity relates to public health. The goals of this study were to determine the number of genetic counselors engaging in public health activities, the skills being used in those activities, and where skills were learned.

Methods: A novel survey was developed to assess respondents’ participation across five categories of public health: population-based screening programs, education of the public and/or health care professionals, research, lobbying/public policy and state chronic disease programs.

Results: Participants reported working in all five categories of public health. A majority reported activities in education and screening. Eighty four percent of participants (n=131) reported spending 0- 40% of their working hours in public health activities. Participants most commonly reported learning skills “on the job” and in genetic counseling training programs.

Conclusion: Genetic counselors have a skill set that allows them to participate in many areas of healthcare, including public health. This skill set is developed in genetic counseling training programs and broadened “on the job.”

Since Graduation

After graduation from UNCG in 2011, Mallory moved to Salt Lake City, UT where she worked as a laboratory genetic counselor for Lineagen. During this time, Mallory was heavily involved with the genetic counseling community. She was among a small group of six GCs who founded the Association of Utah Genetic Counselors (AUG) and subsequently served as the first AUG President. She worked closely with the University of Utah Genetic Counseling Graduate Program serving as a rotation supervisor and guest lecturer. Through her work with Lineagen she became actively involved in the 4p- Support Group. In 2016 Mallory transitioned to a full-time remote position with the Genetic Guidance Program at Humana, Inc focusing on utilization management, payment integrity, and policy development around both germline and somatic genetic testing. Mallory joined Intermountain Healthcare as a remote laboratory genetic counselor in early 2020 to lead the system-wide genetic laboratory stewardship efforts and to support the in-house genetic testing lab. In addition, she helped develop a pilot program to provide genetic counseling to the previously underserved adult neurology clinic.

Mallory and her husband moved to Wisconsin in 2018. They live on a hobby farm with a spunky almost 3 year old, a dog, a horse, and six chickens. They enjoy camping in the Wisconsin State Parks, gardening, stand up paddle boarding, and snowshoeing.