Job questions and answers Flashcards
- Tell me about yourself.
I found a passion for genetic counseling at just 17 during a job as a summer camp counselor where I worked with a camper with CF. I geared my undergraduate career towards genetic counseling programs and was grateful to be accepted to LIU in my first round of applications. I recently received my master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from Long Island University this past May where I was top of my class. Since graduating I’ve been preparing for my board exam and hoping to attain a clinical genetic counseling position
- Tell me about a time that you failed. How did you deal with that situation?
a. As a genetic counselor, I feel I have failed if I don’t feel 100% comfortable that a patient has fully understood everything we’ve talked about in a session. One example of this was very early on during my counseling experience, I had a patient that didn’t seem to understand that carrier screening was not a test for themselves necessarily, but for a future child. I noticed this after a bit and re-explained the purpose of the testing in a way that I thought was more straight-forward and the patient seemed to be re-engaged in the session after I had done so. In debriefing with my supervisor after the session, she had the same impression about the patient having more clarity the second time around. It taught me that it is ok to take a pause and clarify parts of a session, even if it will take longer than you anticipated.
- Describe a time that you went through a major change at work. How did you adapt?
a. There were several times throughout the course of my thesis project that I had to make changes. My initial idea for a research project was not going to pan out which I very quickly realized. Instead, I took to the literature and developed a new perspective to investigate the same topic that I had originally wanted to pursue, which was a genetic condition called Klinefelter syndrome.
- What are your weaknesses?
a. I think the nature of me having just graduated and having about a year of clinical experience is probably my biggest weakness at the moment. I think that being a new grad can also serve as an advantage for me compared to those that are more experienced. Not only do I try to keep up with the current changes happening across the field, but I think that I am very flexible having to adjust who I work with and how I work depending on the case load and supervisors I worked with at each rotation.
- What interests you about this position?
a. My time at Weill Cornell was truly an invaluable experience. I always wanted to work for a hospital that was committed to exceptional education with compassionate, individualized patient care. And after interning here for four months I know that these values are extremely important to Weill Cornell. Since I understand how the cancer prevention program and prenatal genetic counseling program, I would hope to utilize my skills I have gained from my rotations to seamlessly transition into the genetics team.
- Are you applying for other jobs?
a. I have applied for a couple of other genetic counseling jobs in the New York area, but working at Weill Cornell is really the one I’m most excited about right now because of the supportive community and commitment to exceptional patient education. Having rotated with Weill Cornell, I really enjoyed working on the prenatal and cancer teams, collaborating with some of the most renowned physicians, and getting the opportunity to serve a diverse patient population.
- Tell me about a time that you set a goal for yourself. How did you ensure you achieved it?
a. In my very first rotational experience, I was extremely nervous to begin counseling patients. Therefore, I made it a goal to immerse myself in as many patient facing experiences as possible so I could not only get over my anxieties but also learn as much as I could. This set me up for success and I was able to start running full counseling sessions by the beginning of my second week.
- What are your strengths?
a. I think my greatest strength is my communication skills. I try to establish rapport by understanding and anticipating patient and colleague needs so that I can fulfill expectations and hopefully build a trusting relationship. Additionally, I do well under high pressure or high stress situations. During my fall semester of my second year, I was seeing six patients a day for three days a week while handling a thesis project and four other classes on top of having to prep for my cases. I think staying organized and prioritizing what needed to be addressed first has helped me to handle a high workload.
- Tell me a time you had to handle multiple projects at once. How did it go?
a. I think just finishing graduate school and now preparing to take my board exam shortly I have gotten fairly used to juggling many different projects at once. I try to keep myself organized by tracking what needs to get done each day, what my short-term goals need to be as well as my long-term goals. I think it has helped me to prioritize and efficiently complete the tasks I need to ahead of time.
- What’s an example of a time that you disagreed with a colleague or boss? How did it go?
a. I disagreed with a colleague at one point over a patient I was prepping for. At this clinic we were offering the most expansive testing possible for every single person that we were seeing. But the patient I was seeing with my supervisor was referred due to a very specific genetic change in one gene. I didn’t feel that it was necessarily appropriate to only offer the expanded panel when I knew a targeted one existed so that the patient wasn’t getting additional information that they didn’t want or need. When I brought this up to my supervisor, she said we would just offer the expanded panel to the patient. However, when I was discussing the testing during the session the patient did mention her desire to keep other genetic findings off the table. My supervisor jumped in and mentioned that I had brought up the targeted option as an alternative and the patient ultimately pursued that option instead of the comprehensive panel. I was glad that I spoke up prior to the session and anticipated the patient’s needs. I think it is important to bring concerns or questions up as they arise to avoid any misunderstandings down the line.
- Salary expectation
a. I’m looking for around $90,000 for this role.
- Anything we didn’t get to discuss?
a. Can you tell me a little more about the role just in terms of what specialty is looking to hire more genetic counselors and what their current team is like now?
- Any questions for me?
a. Can you tell me a little more about the role just in terms of what specialty is looking to hire more genetic counselors and what their current team is like now?
b. What do you anticipate Weill Cornell’s timeline is in terms of an expected start for this position?
i. What is the anticipated timeline for placing someone in this position and how many rounds of interviews typically take place for a role like this?
- How do you stay up-to-date with advancements and developments in genetics?
a. I am apart of a few organizations affiliated with genetic counseling and the field of genetics those being the National Organization of Genetic Counselors and the NYS genetic task force. Every year NSGC has a conference which I attended last year and hope to attend again this year that really helps to introduce where we’re going next in genetics. Other than that I’ll read some articles from the Journal of Genetic Counseling and other scientific literature and I also recently started listening to podcasts as well.
- How do you approach collaborating with other healthcare professionals, such as doctors or geneticists, in the genetic counseling process?
a. I believe that my recent experiences shifting between five different clinical sites in a year helped me to be adaptive and to appreciate the other health care workers that enriched the counseling process not just for me but hopefully for my patients as well. I think collaboration is a natural part of genetic counseling and I have sought to consult genetic counseling colleagues but also nurse practitioners, physicians, and laboratory technologists. Having feedback and input from different perspectives helps to give the patient more comprehensive input and thoughtful answers about the topic we are discussing in the session.
- What drew you to a career in genetic counseling?
a. I was a camp counselor for many years in high school and part of undergraduate. A big part of that role was developing trusting relationships with the campers but also establishing a good rapport and communication line with their families. One of my first campers had cystic fibrosis and he was just 6 years old with so much knowledge of his condition and his limitations. I developed a good relationship with their family, and it was through their willingness to educate and discuss their experience with a genetic counselor that I knew this was the career path for me.
- What are your long-term career goals as a genetic counselor?
a. Right now, and for the near future I know that I want to be in the clinic. I think being patient-facing, working with a team of providers is where I am going to get the greatest experience and joy from. After completing my thesis, I would also be interested in writing or contributing to research opportunities. I also know that I do want to eventually teach at some point in my career. Having started this a bit by educating college and high school students about genetic counseling and how it can be used, I know that I really enjoy it and want to pursue that sometime in my career.
Maybe not be so descriptive in next steps. This may give the impression that this job is just a stepping stone for bigger and better things. Maybe just leave it as during my professional experience I expect I may get exposure to other areas and want to delve more deeply into other areas of specialization
- Tell me about your background and what you’re looking for
a. I graduated from Hofstra University in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in biology with a biochemistry minor. I spent the spring of 2022 applying and interviewing for genetic counseling programs and I was accepted into LIU where I started attending classes later that fall. I just recently graduated top of my class this past May. I am looking to obtain a clinical genetic counseling position serving the New York Community. I am passionate about scientific and genetic literacy to empower patients to be proactive and make informed decisions about their health.
- What interests and areas of practice do you enjoy the most
a. I think every area of genetics has its’ own interesting aspects of it. One area I am interested in is disorders of sexual development, specifically Klinefelter syndrome. My thesis project was based around that topic and my understanding is that Weill Cornell has a clinic for individuals who have been diagnosed as well. There is a major psychological aspect that is often overlooked in differences of sexual development which I find saddening and concerning but I also think can be fixed over time. I also thoroughly enjoyed the cancer setting. I really think that scientific and genetic literacy can empower patients to be proactive and make informed decisions about their cancer prevention practices. I enjoyed being a part of that and guiding patients through the testing and post-test process.
- Clinical cases that were challenging
a. In patient setting with girl who had the uncle as a dad
b. Cancer pt with the MAP finding
c. Triploidy case in prenatal setting
- How do you practice self-care
a. Recognize when I am feeling burnt out and addressing it when is appropriate
b. Taking time away from genetics
c. Reconnecting going on a walk, meeting friends for dinner, cooking and baking
d. Writing down what has me feeling burnt out
- What were some of the main conclusions of your thesis project?
- How do you handle difficult conversations with patients?
- How do you handle stressful situations?
- How do you handle scenarios in which you had to give patients bad news?
- Describe how you manage a team environment when working remotely
