For the past few years, Myriad has partnered with NSGC to host three genetic counseling student interns during the summer. The positive feedback resulting from that program inspired us to expand the program this year to include a student from each of the training programs in the United States.  We were thrilled this summer to host 28 students from across the country for a 2 day workshop designed to introduce them to Myriad, allow them to experience a day in the life of a molecular diagnostic lab, and to expose them to the many roles genetic counselors play within the field of hereditary cancer genetic testing.  We’d like to introduce you to two of these outstanding students, who will shortly join the ranks of our profession!

Heidi Swanson-Fellows, University of California, Irvine

·         undergrad: bachelor’s degree in journalism from Gonzaga University

·         current program: master’s of science degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of California – Irvine (UCI)  (graduation: June 2013)

Prior to entering the UCI’s genetic counseling program in fall 2011, Heidi worked for five years as a program assistant in the Cancer Genetics Program at the Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA.  For her summer 2012 external clinical rotation, she completed a student internship in the Division of Clinical Cancer Genetics at the City of Hope in Duarte, CA. Her interests in genetic counseling include working in a diagnostic industry setting or cancer genetics, focusing on colon cancer syndromes.

Highlight of Myriad Summer 2012 Internship experience (2 things):

1) The lab tour by John Ryan. Learning the lab is open 24 hrs/day, 6.5 days a week, it was exciting to see in-person, the equipment, the techniques, the quality control, and the communication and coordination of personnel and the various shifts. It was very impressive.

2) The fact there are more than 60 genetic counselors employed in various roles throughout the country for Myriad. It’s amazing and exciting to know Myriad values the importance of genetic counseling and it’s role in providing education, support, identification and interpretation in the cancer risk assessment/testing process. 

—Michelle Landon, MS, CGC
Associate Product Manager