Curiosity to Career: How Ammerica Barraza Saucedo Became a Genetic Counseling Assistant

Choosing the Genetic Counseling Assistant Training Program

After earning her undergraduate degree in genetics from UC Berkeley, Barraza Saucedo returned home, uncertain how to best use the time between college and graduate school. As she researched next steps, she began applying for genetic counseling assistant roles.

"When I was in my post-grad time back home, I didn't have a job yet, and I was doing my research on what I should fill my time with during my post-grad years. And I started applying to genetic counseling assistant positions. A program like this was actually a requirement to be in those roles.”

She said familiarity with UC San Diego and the University of California system made the program a natural choice.

“I’m a little bit more familiar with UC San Diego, since I did a summer program here when I was in high school. I am familiar with the UC system since I [went] to UC Berkeley, so I really enjoyed being able to come back to where I believe my journey started with genetic counseling as well.”

Expanding Her Understanding of Genetic Counseling

Before enrolling, Barraza Saucedo said her understanding of genetic counseling was limited, particularly regarding career options outside of patient-facing roles.

"Prior to the program, I did have a very limited view of genetic counseling. I was able to figure out that genetic counseling is not just patient care,” said, acknowledging there are a variety of roles, specialties and work settings within health care. Guest instructors contributed to her broadened perspective by sharing experiences from laboratories, insurance and clinical settings.

“I thought it was interesting to view the genetic counseling world from the view of a genetic counselor in the insurance world…or also working with laboratories and being able to explain why certain testing was medically necessary for a patient.”

The program also provided professional connections and a sense of community that Barraza Saucedo had previously lacked in such a specialized field. Interaction with instructors, practicing genetic counselors and fellow students helped her prepare for job interviews and better understand expectations within the profession.

The program's abundance of role-playing activities proved valuable for building communication skills. Through these exercises, she gained a deeper understanding of the counseling component of the profession.

“It really did highlight the counseling part about genetic counseling… really showing empathy in our voice, in our body language. I thought that was something that I didn’t really think about before that.”

From Training to Employment

Barraza Saucedo was impressed to see how the program directly contributed to her job prospects. Upon completion, armed with her certificate of achievement, she received two job offers and was able to move into the profession.

She now works as a genetic counseling assistant in a cancer genetics department in a Los Angeles medical center, where she supports two genetic counselors and works closely with patients.

“My day-to-day is mostly just answering a lot of insurance questions, obtaining authorizations for patients, and a lot of phone calls with patients.”

Helping patients access genetic testing is another key aspect of her role, which occasionally involves expediting their treatment options based on the results.

“We’re able to help them get testing… and sometimes some results may alter their course of treatment, so this way they’re able to obtain that treatment in a faster manner.”

Community and Mentorship

In addition to providing critical professional skills, the program helped her find a sense of community within a specialized field.

“It was very rewarding, finally, being able to be around people who understood why I want to be a genetic counselor,” said Barraza Saucedo 

Connecting with current genetic counseling assistants, who helped her prepare for interviews, and networking with practicing genetic counselors proved especially valuable.

And Barraza Saucedo remains in contact with instructors as she applies to graduate programs, receiving continuing support from them.

Advice for Prospective Students

Barraza Saucedo encourages students interested in genetic counseling to seek targeted training opportunities.

“I would always recommend my friends or anybody who’s listening to look into different certificate programs or even just courses that you can take online that would help you expand a little bit more on your knowledge.”

Reflecting on the experience, she emphasized the program’s role in her professional and academic development.

“I feel it was very helpful in being able to learn about the field and also grow as a professional,” she said, adding, “and be a better candidate for graduate programs.”

For aspiring genetic counselors—and counseling assistants—programs like the UC San Diego Extended Studies Genetic Counseling Assistant (GCA) Program can provide the skills, practical knowledge, and connections to pursue both a rewarding career and further studies in genetics.