Resources For Students From Minority & Underrepresented Backgrounds

Internships

Mentorship Opportunities

  • Minority Professional Genetics Network (MGPN) -  If you are from a minority or underrepresented community and would like to connect with others from similar backgrounds please consider joining MGPN. They also offer mentoring for prospective and current students. 

  • Genetics Opportunities, Learning, Development, and Empowerment Network (GOLDEN) is a resource to increase awareness of genetic counseling among Black students. GOLDEN provides mentorship to prospective genetic counseling students throughout the graduate school application process. 

  • If you are from a minority or underrepresented community and would like to connect with one of the local MDCGC counselors to ask general questions or to try and get a better understanding of the field of genetic counseling, please email info@mdcgc.org.  Some of the members of the DEIJ subcommittee are available for short term mentoring.

Educational Opportunities

  • Color Genomics Genetic Counseling Immersive Program- Fully remote, educational program designed to advance the knowledge and experience of aspiring genetic counselors. The program benefits historically under-represented members of the counseling community by enabling fully remote access to Color’s leading team, enabling participation in the program from anywhere in the world. Whether you are researching a genetic counseling career or applying for a graduate program, you’ll gain the real-world experience you need to become a qualified and competitive applicant. Please note, this program may not be for you if you already have shadowing or other experience in the genetic counseling field, and/or if you do not identify as under-represented.

    https://www.color.com/genetic-counseling-programs-at-color

Scholarships, Awards, and Financial Aid

  • "The Pooja Way" Scholarship Fund was created to honor the life of genetic counselor Pooja Ramchandran. She was an international student, a JHSPH/NHGRI Genetic Counseling Training Program Graduate, and like many of us, passionate about genetic counseling. Learn more about her story here. Currently, this scholarship fund is intended to provide financial support to one or two International genetic counseling students, either incoming or currently enrolled in a program in the US or Canada. While the 2024 application deadline has passed, please keep this in mind as a resource for future years. More information about the application is here.  

  • The Warren Alpert Foundation Scholarship - The Warren Alpert Foundation generously awarded the University of Pennsylvania a $9.5 million grant to increase diversity in the Genetic Counseling field. The Alliance to Increase Diversity in Genetic Counseling, funded by this grant, is a consortium of five graduate genetic counseling programs working together to achieve this goal. This innovative program will offer an opportunity for a total of forty students, full two-year scholarships, educational fellowships, mentorship, and a curriculum focused on diversity and inclusion in their Master of Science in Genetic Counseling degree at one of the participating programs over the next five years. Also be sure to check them out on Instagram at aid_gc

    https://aid-gc.org/

  • MDCGC Student Application Reimbursement Fund - The MDCGC Scholarship and Awards Subcommittee has created a fund to lessen this financial burden on applicants who are of minoritized backgrounds with the goals of helping to increase diversity and inclusion in genetic counseling training programs in Maryland and to foster a more equitable and just genetic counseling profession overall. These funds are dedicated to students of minoritized backgrounds (e.g., race, sexuality, gender, ability, etc.) for reimbursement of application fees for the genetic counseling training program in Maryland and reimbursement for the National Match Service (NMS) fee. Applicants may request reimbursement for both fees or for only program application fees. Reimbursement for the NMS fee only is not available to students not applying for a Maryland program. Applicants will be required to send a PDF of their application/fee receipts to ensure proper distribution of funds. Applications will not be considered complete until both this online application form and receipts are submitted. There is a limited amount of funding available to applicants; applications will be reviewed and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. If you have any questions, please email info@mdcgc.org. Click here to apply.

  • American Board of Genetic Counseling Needs Based Certification Scholarship - ABGC is excited to introduce the ABGC Needs Based Certification Scholarship, a new initiative dedicated to promoting diversity and equity in our profession. This scholarship provides financial support for the certification exam to graduates or students in their final semester of an approved Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) program. The scholarship aims to support individuals who bring diverse perspectives to the field and have the potential to make a positive impact on genetic counseling. https://www.abgc.net/Certify/Needs-Based-Certification-Scholarship