U of T case competition introduces students to genetic counselling

Dozens of Ontario undergraduate students competed in the first genetic-counselling case competition at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine in October, giving them a close look at what genetic counsellors do day-to-day.

The students were part of the Community of Support, a collaboration among faculties of medicine across Canada that supports prospective students facing systemic barriers on their journeys to medical education, basic sciences and rehabilitation sciences programs.

“I thought students in the Community of Support might be interested in genetic counselling but that maybe they didn’t know what the profession is really about,” says Riyana Babul-Hirji an associate professor of molecular genetics and assistant program director of the masters of science in genetic counselling at Temerty Medicine. “We thought if we gave them practical cases, maybe that would generate a real connection to the profession.”

Genetic counsellors are health-care professionals with expertise in medical genetics and counselling. They work on health care teams to help people or families better understand, plan for and adapt to the impact of disease. The genetic counselling program at U of T is a two-year master’s offered through the department of molecular genetics. It is the only one in Ontario and one of just five in Canada.

“It is incredibly exciting to work in a field like genetics that is rapidly evolving and advancing,” says Emily Povše, a graduate of U of T’s genetic counselling program. “As a genetic counsellor, it's exceptionally rewarding to witness firsthand how the latest advancements in our field can positively impact the lives of patients and their families.”

Babul-Hirji and Povše, both genetic counsellors at The Hospital for Sick Children, worked with Ike Okafor, strategic lead in Temerty Medicine’s Office of Access and Outreach, to coordinate the competition.

Competitors were organized into fourteen teams and had three weeks to develop solutions to one of three prompts on several topics: “Family History Collection for Diverse Populations,” “Addressing Variants of Uncertain Significance (VUS),” and “Educational Outreach for Carrier Screening.” Their mentors — second-year students and recent graduates of the masters in genetic counselling program — provided feedback on their ideas and presentations. The event took place over two days.

“The prompts reflected some of the real-world challenges faced by genetic counsellors in our health care system, including the need to deliver complex information clearly, understand the implications of family health and psychosocial history, raise awareness and promote the use of precision genetic health care, and provide culturally safe and informed services,” says Povše. “Addressing these challenges demands critical and innovative thinking to develop solutions that are both effective and efficient.”

The jury included Babul-Hirji and Povše, as well as Mesai James, a fourth-year U of T student in neuroscience and immunology, and Arianne Valenzuela, a first-year nursing student at Toronto Metropolitan University. They selected three winning presentations: “Gene-ius: Empowering Immigrants with Genetics Knowledge,” “VUS Results: A Framework to Enhance Patient Communication and Recontact,” and “Geneius: A Phone App and Workshop Series to Improve Educational Outreach.”

The winning teams will present their cases to the leadership team of U of T’s masters of genetic counselling program.

“I think every single one of them is a winner,” says Babul-Hirji. “Every participant was a winner because of their dedication, passion, time commitment and their ideas.”