The Sally Upchurch Mini Rotation in Genetic Counseling brings genetic counseling students from across the country to HudsonAlpha and the Smith Family Clinic

The Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine, located on the campus of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, is one of the few clinics in the nation dedicated entirely to genetic and genomic medicine. 

Patients from coast to coast have been referred to the Smith Family Clinic to receive answers that only their genomes can yield, but the clinic’s impact goes beyond patient care. Because the clinic’s genetic counselors also serve as members of HudsonAlpha’s Educational Outreach team, the genetic counselors are a valuable resource for clinical education, advocating for a wider use of genomic medicine nationwide through conferences and learning opportunities for physicians and inspiring future healthcare professionals. 

One of HudsonAlpha’s most targeted forms of outreach in genetic counseling is a two-week mini clinical rotation offered to graduate-level genetic counseling students. This competitive summer program acts as a powerful way to invest in the next generation of genetic counselors by offering students hands-on experience with HudsonAlpha’s clinical education programs, as well as with the Smith Family Clinic. 

Designed as an extension of required clinical rotations, the mini rotation offers rising second-year graduate genetic counseling students an opportunity to shadow genetic counselors and participate in patient visits and evaluations, as well as complete assignments related to skills and experiences needed for success after graduation.

The mini rotation was made possible thanks to a generous gift from Sally Upchurch, a longtime HudsonAlpha supporter who is deeply passionate about genetic counseling education. Ms. Upchurch’s funding has allowed HudsonAlpha to receive students from universities across the country, from Stanford University to Keck Graduate Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Baylor University, and Johns Hopkins University.

This year, HudsonAlpha welcomed Rebecca Reef, a genetic counseling student at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pen. Rebecca applied for the mini rotation because she was interested in learning more about how genetic counseling can work hand in hand with scientific research, public education, and entrepreneurship, HudsonAlpha’s three mission areas. 

“Through my experience at HudsonAlpha, I’ve learned that genetic counselors possess an incredibly diverse skill set, perfectly suited for utilization in both traditional and nontraditional settings,” said Rebecca. “I am honored to have received the mini rotation position, and am so grateful for Ms. Upchurch’s mission of supporting education for genetic counselors.”

During her two weeks at the clinic and HudsonAlpha, Rebecca assisted with patient visits and several STEM educational events hosted on HudsonAlpha’s campus for middle and high school students. Rebecca was also introduced to several research projects the clinic’s genetic counselors are collaborators on, including BabySeq, a national clinical trial to introduce genomic sequencing into newborn care in hospitals. 

Though Rebecca had already had some experience in clinical rotations prior to joining the HudsonAlpha and Smith Family Clinic team, she feels that her time in the mini rotation gave her the opportunity to see the wide diversity of roles genetic counselors can play. 

“My time here really taught me to think outside the box of a genetic counselor’s usual scope of practice, and when I graduate, I will be seeking a more nontraditional role as a genetic counselor,” said Rebecca. “I’m inspired to teach others what I’ve learned here at HudsonAlpha and the Smith Family Clinic and present my experience to my program in Philadelphia.”