Genetic Counseling Assistant Training
This class is designed to prepare those interested in becoming a Genetic Counseling Assistant (GCA) or to assist participants interested in graduate programs in genetic counseling. Students will learn practical skills used by GCAs in various settings including genetic laboratories and clinical settings. Hear from working GCAs about their scope of practice and day to day work. Explore critical aspects of professional development, fundamental business skills, and other best practices that support a successful career as a genetic counseling assistant. Students will be introduced to resume writing, interviewing skills, job searching tips, remote working best practices, principles of customer service, and other critical office skills
Course Objectives:
- Students will learn about career opportunities as a Genetic Counseling Assistant (GCA)
- Gain the fundamental skills needed to utilize best practices within the GCA workplace setting
- Know how to apply communication skills in a culturally responsive and respectful manner
- Understand how to navigate genetic resources when researching diseases; including rare disease, hereditary disease, and other common adult onset diseases
- Learn the fundamentals and the workflow of genetic laboratory testing
- Develop skills to assist genetic counselors with pre and post genetic counseling sessions
- Gain an introduction to the fundamental principles of insurance, billing, and reimbursement as it pertains to genetics and genetic counseling clinical practice
- Learn specific concepts related to working in a reproductive genetics clinic or laboratory
- Students will learn foundational principles of medical terminology, disability awareness, of fundamental genetics terminology, and of working in clinical, hospital, and laboratory settings
Format
This course is offered in an online asynchronous format. There are no set meeting times, however, students follow a weekly schedule and there will be deadlines and deliverables to meet in terms of course requirements. This course cannot be completed at an accelerated rate.
Prerequisites
Participants must first complete Genetic Counseling - BIOL 40359. This course will build and expand on what was covered in this foundational class.
Course Number: BIOL-40375
Credit: 4.00 unit(s)
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1/27/2025 - 4/5/2025
$1095
Online
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CLASS TYPE:
Online Asynchronous.
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Pasion, Romela, Genetic Counselor, Genetic Program Manager, Blue Shield of California
Romela Pasion has been a Genetic counselor for over 22 years, graduating from the University of California at Berkeley in 1998. From there, she has worked in a variety of settings in diverse roles in clinical patient care – including prenatal, pediatric and adult genetics – industry laboratory genetic testing, and the insurance industry. Her clinical work shaped her drive to be a strong patient advocate when implementing and launching new genetic testing at GeneCare, LabCorp, and Mayo Clinic Laboratory.
Her previous diverse experiences in clinical care and genetic laboratories have been crucial in her current role as a Genetic Program manager at Blue Shield of California where she works as a genetics consultant for genetic claims, reviewing genetic medical policies, eval...Read More
Russell, Marissa
Marissa Russell is a certified genetic counselor with over 14 years of experience in clinical, health insurance/payor, and industry roles. Since graduating from Rocky Mountain College in Montana with a Biology major, and minors in Chemistry and Environmental Science, she then went on to earn her Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from Arcadia University, in Pennsylvania. After graduating in 2012, she began her career in clinical genetics at Shodair Hospital in Helena, Montana. To broaden her expertise, she then led the genetics and lab program at Humana, a National Health Plan for 5 years. Most recently, she is a Director of Market Access for Ambry Genetics for medical policy.
Marissa is passionate about how to better align all parties involved in genetics and genetic...Read More
Johnson, Emily
Emily Johnson, MS, LCGC is a California native and Sarah Lawrence College graduate from the Class of 2021. While majoring in Environmental Science, and double minoring in Geographic Information Systems and Biology through the University of Redlands, it was in her senior year of undergrad that she learned about the field of genetic counseling. After gaining a shadowing opportunity that same year, she decided to chart a new path towards pursuing a Master’s degree in genetic counseling. During her gap year she volunteered with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, became Mental Health First Aid certified, and enrolled in courses to meet genetic counseling program prerequisites, which included a UCSD Extension course! Following her graduate training in New York, Emily moved to N...Read More
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POLICIES:
No refunds after: 2/3/2025.
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1/27/2025 - 4/5/2025
extensioncanvas.ucsd.edu
You will have access to your course materials on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Please contact the Science & Technology department at 858-534-3229 or unex-sciencetech@ucsd.edu for information about this course and upcoming sections.