Melanie Hardy
CAPSTONE
Capstone Project Committee: Nancy Callanan, M.S., CGC, Robert E. Cannon, Ph.D., Sat Gupta, Ph.D. (Statistical Consultant), Myra Roche, M.S., CGC
Background: Undergraduates pursuing health careers and their health career advisors (HCA) have limited exposure to the genetic counseling profession. Recruitment methods that demonstrate tasks and provide demographics of the profession can increase awareness and interest in genetic counseling as a career choice.
Hypothesis: Students and HCAs who view an interactive, case-based learning module about genetic counseling will report an increase in knowledge and awareness of the profession.
Methods: An interactive, case-based web module was developed that described a counseling session with a woman diagnosed with breast cancer. At several points, viewers were asked to choose the most appropriate approach to proceed through the case. Embedded links allowed viewers to obtain additional information about the case and the profession. Undergraduate biology students were recruited from five universities in NC. HCAs were recruited via a national listserve. Pre- and post-viewing surveys measured participants’ self-assessed awareness and knowledge of genetic counseling and interest in pursuing or recommending it as a career.
Results: The majority of students (n = 100) were biology majors (83%) considering a health care career (76%). They showed significant increases in self-reported ability to describe the tasks of a genetic counselor (p < 0.001) and the likelihood of pursuing a career in genetic counseling (p = 0.022). They rated the effectiveness of the module as a learning tool about the genetic counseling profession at 4.38 on a 5-point scale. HCAs (n = 50) reported significant increases in familiarity with genetic counseling and their ability to describe genetic counseling tasks (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: The case-based web module was an effective tool for increasing awareness, knowledge, and interest in genetic counseling among both undergraduate students and HCAs.
Since Graduation
After graduation in 2011, Melanie moved to Virginia and started her genetic counseling career in an MFM clinic serving the greater Richmond area. She remained for 3.5 years, and then transitioned to a telehealth genetic counseling job at a non-profit within Emory University called JScreen. JScreen provides patient-initiated clinical testing for expanded carrier screening and cancer screening to people across the US. At JScreen, Melanie manages a team of 3 other GCs, as well as doing consults by phone/video for both reproductive carrier screening and cancer screening patients. She was promoted to Director of Genetic Counseling for JScreen this year. She has also served as a clinical supervisor to students in the Virginia Commonwealth University and Emory University genetic counseling programs.
She has remained active as a volunteer with NSGC (currently the Co-Chair of the Annual Conference Program Planning Committee, Telehealth Practice Guideline Author Group member, RQO Committee member, Chair of the Multi-State Licensure Resources Workgroup, others) and ABGC (Disciplinary Review Committee), and a member of Genetic Counselors 4 Change (GC4C). She looks forward to any opportunity to see her UNCG classmates again (even if it’s by Zoom)! She will be the 2022 Annual Conference Program Chair for the Nashville, TN Annual NSGC Conference.
Melanie works from her home in Rockville, VA, where she lives with her husband, a photographer, and their two dogs, Lili and Sunny. Sadly, her dog, Hein, passed away this fall from an aggressive cancer. Melanie keeps active through running and biking, and walking the dogs many times each day.