What Is It Like To Be in the Minority? Ethnic and Gender Diversity in the Genetic Counseling Profession

Abstract

Increasingly, the genetic counseling profession is recognizing the need for greater ethnic and gender diversity. Recruitment and retention efforts may be enhanced by better understanding of the experience of individuals considered to be underrepresented in the profession. In this qualitative study, 8 genetic counseling students and 7 practicing genetic counselors who were ethnic minority and/or male participated in semi-structured telephone interviews regarding how they were introduced to the field, perceived career supports and barriers, their experiences within training programs and the field, and suggestions for increasing diversity. Introduction to the field tended to be late and accidental. There were several career supports (e.g., field combines science and helping others) and barriers (e.g., lack of information about the field). Participant experiences, although primarily positive, included instances of passive, unintentional discrimination; and there were internal and external pressures to be diversity experts and positive representatives of their group. Participants reported positively impacting colleagues' cultural competency and offering a different presence within clinical settings. Suggestions for increasing diversity and research recommendations are given.

Efforts of diversity and inclusion, cultural competency, and equity in the genetic counseling profession: A snapshot and reflection

“…Despite this, vast underrepresentation of ethnic and racial minorities in the genetic counseling workforce has persisted over the last four decades, and little‐to‐no workforce data are available regarding minorities other than those of racial or ethnic background who also experience societal marginalization. Over the years, the genetic counseling workforce has steadily acknowledged its lack of diversity (Kass & Veres, 2016; Klotz, 2009; Mittman & Downs, 2008; Schoonveld, Veach, & LeRoy, 2007; Smith, Steinberg Warren, & Misra, 1993; Warren & Ormond, 2009). Indeed, a workforce with representatively few minority perspectives has a weakened collective skill set in comparison with the skill set it could achieve with a diverse workforce.…”

A Cross Sectional Study Exploring Factors Impacting Recruitment of African American College Students into the Genetic Counseling Profession

“…The literature cites other factors that differ between African American and Caucasian students when they consider other health careers including finances, standardized tests and application criteria, impact of role models and mentors, outreach efforts, awareness of opportunities, early exposure to the health professions, and social networks (Brazziel 1997;Dowell 1996;Lease 2004;Wiggs 2000;Zhou et al 2004). Many studies have investigated African American recruitment into other health professions (Baldwin 2003;Butters 2002;Dowell 1996;Suarez and Shanklin 2002;Thurmond 1999;Wiggs 2000), science (Brazziel 1997), and other related fields (Morssink et al 1996;Zhou et al 2004), but there is limited literature focusing on the unique recruitment barriers in genetic counseling (Mittman and Downs 2008;Oh and Lewis 2005;Schoonveld et al 2005;Smith et al 1993;Warren 2004aWarren , b, 2005.…”

Summary report of the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Task Force of the National Society of Genetic Counselors

“…The TF identified the following concepts that are essential in developing a well‐rounded organizational inclusion and diversity statement. First, it was necessary to acknowledge the historic inequities that exist broadly within the genetics community and how these may contribute to the disparities within the genetic counseling profession (Ferreira, Regier, Hadley, Hart, & Muenke, 2017; Schoonveld et al, 2007). Second, there was a need for a definition of underrepresented that realistically reflected the continuous rather than binary categories that exist when classifying people into groups.…”

“…There's this small group of us, and I'm always the one to be singled out or excluded’. Another respondent described, ‘I feel like I might perceive things differently but … don't really want to be different or stick out, so I don't usually voice these differences’ (Schoonveld, Veach, & LeRoy, 2007).…”