IMPORTANT: APPLICATION DEADLINE IS NOWDECEMBER 15THGENETIC COUNSELING TRAINING PROGRAMIntroduction and Program Goals

The Genetic Counseling Training Program, leading to a Master of Science degree in Genetic Counseling, is a two-year academic program comprised of didactic course work, laboratory exposure, research experience and extensive clinical training. The program, directed by Anne L. Matthews, R.N, Ph.D., is an integral component of the teaching and research programs in the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences (G&GS) at CWRU under the leadership of Dr. Anthony Wynshaw-Boris, MD. Ph.D., chairman of G&GS. Program leadership also includes Rebecca Darrah, MA, MS, PhD, Associate Director and the program's medical director, Shawn McCandless M.D., Associate Professor of G&GS and Pediatrics and Director of the Center for Human Genetics, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. The Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) and graduates of the program are eligible to apply for Active Candidate Status and sit for the American Board of Genetic Counseling certification examination.

The overall objective of the Genetic Counseling Program is to prepare students with the appropriate knowledge and experiences to function as genetic counselors in a wide range of settings and roles. With unprecedented advances in our understanding of the genetic and molecular control of gene expression and development, and in our ability to apply this knowledge clinically, the Program strives to train students who can interface between patients, clinicians and molecular and human geneticists. Students gain insightful and multifaceted skills that will enable them to be effective genetic counselors, aware of the many new technical advances and often-difficult ethical, legal and social issues that have surfaced in the light of the Human Genome Project. Graduates of the Program will be prepared to work in a variety of settings including both adult and pediatric genetics clinics, specialty clinics such as cancer genetics, cardiovascular genetics and metabolic clinics, and prenatal diagnosis clinics, as well as in areas of research or commercial genetics laboratories relevant to genetic counseling and human genetics.

A unique aspect of the Genetic Counseling Training Program that it is housed within Case Western Reserve's Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences that is internationally known for both its clinical expertise and cutting edge research in molecular genetics, model organisms and human genetics. Thus, the Department of G&GS at CWRU provides an interface between human and medical genetics with basic genetics and provides an exciting atmosphere in which to learn and develop professionally. The direct access to both clinical resources and advanced technologies in human and model organisms affords students with an unparalleled environment for achievement. The Graduate Program in Genetics in the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences provides an interactive and collaborative environment for both pre (genetic counseling and PhD students) - and post-doctoral trainees to come together in a collegial atmosphere. By fostering interactions between pre- and post-doctoral trainees in genetic counseling, medical genetics, and basic research at an early stage of their careers, it is anticipated that graduates will be well-rounded professionals with an understanding of the importance of both clinical and basic research endeavors. Moreover, such resources as the Department of Biomedical Ethics, the Center for Genetic Research, Ethics and Law, the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, and the Law-Medicine Center provide for an enriched learning experience for students.

The curriculum consists of 40 semester hours: 22 semester hours of didactic course work and 7 semester hours of research. Additionally, there are four 8-week clinical rotations, one 3-week laboratory rotation and one 6-week summer clinical rotation required of all students, which provide an additional 11 credit hours. Courses include material covering basic genetics concepts, embryology, medical genetics, biochemical genetics, molecular genetics, cytogenetics, genomics, cancer genetics, population genetics, genetic counseling principles, human development, psychosocial issues, interviewing techniques, and ethical and professional issues in genetic counseling.

Clinical rotations include one intensive three-week laboratory rotation in diagnostic cytogenetics and clinical molecular genetics as well as the Maternal Serum Screening program. There are four 8-week clinical rotations during year 2 during which students obtain clinical experience in General Genetics (children and adults) including Specialty Clinics such as Marfan Clinic, Prader-Willi Clinic and Craniofacial Clinic; Prenatal Diagnosis Clinic, and Cancer Genetics Clinic. These rotations take place at The Center for Human Genetics at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, the Genomic Medicine Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth Medical Center. Students also will have the opportunity to pursue an elective rotation with specialty clinics or intern with genetic counselors in such areas as commercial testing companies. Additionally, there is one off-site rotation - a 6-week clinical rotation which is held at Akron Children's Hospital in Akron Ohio during the summer. Moreover, students rotate through the Cleveland-based institutions for weekly observational experiences starting early in year 1 of the program.

Students are also required to attend and participate in a number of other activities such as weekly Clinical Patient Conferences, Genetics Grand Rounds, Departmental Seminars and Journal Club. Students also participate with the doctoral graduate students in the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences' annual retreat and present their research projects during the poster sessions. In addition, counseling students present their research during the programs Research Showcase. Students also have an opportunity to give educational talks to local schools, participate in DNA Day at local high schools and other groups when available.

Tuition for the 2017-2018 academic year is $1,827.00 per semester hour. Currently, other fees include student health insurance ($986 per semester) and a student activity fee of $14.00 per semester.

The Department of Genetics is unable to provide financial aid or research/teaching assistantships to students; however, it does award some scholarship funding in the form of a monthly stipend to genetic counseling students. The amount of the stipend is determined yearly and will be shared with applicants at the time of their interviews. In addition, the costs of the on-line embryology course as well as the CWRU Technology fee of $852.00 per year are covered by the Department. Moreover, students receive funds to cover the costs associated with their research projects and second year students receive funds to travel to the National Society of Genetic Counselors' annual education conference held in the fall.

Financial aid is available to graduate students. The university has extensive information regarding financial aid and scholarship opportunities to assist students in funding their education. For additional information or assistance, please contact the Office of University Financial Aid at http://case.edu/stage/admissions/financialaid.html or (216) 368-4530.

Clarice Young at (216) 368-3431 or email: clarice.young@case.edu

OR

The Program Director:

Please Note: The Direct Application link will take you to the School for Graduate Studies webpage. Go to Prospective Students - Admissions Information - Graduate Program Applications. You will see a link on the right hand side of the page entitled Application Log In to begin your application.

The application includes:

Fulfillment of the requirements for admission to the School of Graduate Studies at Case Western Reserve University must be met as well as those required by the Genetic Counseling Training Program. An applicant having graduated with excellent academic credentials (minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale) from a fully accredited university or college. Complete credentials must be on file with the School of Graduate Studies.

The Genetic Counseling Training Program at Case Western Reserve University is participating in the Genetic Counseling Admissions Match through National Matching Services (NMS) beginning with admissions for Fall 2018. The GC Admissions Match has been established to enhance the process of placing applicants into positions in masters-level genetic counseling programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). The Match uses a process that takes into account both applicants' and programs' preferences. All applicants must first register for the Match with NMS before applying to participating genetic counseling graduate programs. At the conclusion of all program interviews, both applicants and programs will submit ranked lists of preferred placements to NMS according to deadlines posted on the NMS website. The binding results of the Match will be released to both applicants and programs simultaneously in late April.

Please visit the NMS website at (https://natmatch.com/gcadmissions) to register for the match, review detailed information about the matching process, and to view a demonstration of how the matching algorithm works.

Important: After you have registered with NMS, you will need to put your NMS ID number at the top of your CV/Resume and/or at the top of your personal statement.

The average GPA for matriculating students is 3.5 and GRE mean scores are approximately, 60-70th percentiles and above. However, we take a holistic view of the applicant's complete file in determining admission, which means we look at everything the applicant has submitted. A high GPA or GRE score will not automatically lead to admission; neither will low scores automatically lead to a denial.*While the CWRU application form asks for your GRE scores, please include the percentile score as well.

The Personal Statement is extremely important and applicants need to pay specific attention to how they present themselves in their Personal Statement. Aspects to remember include: Is the applicant's Personal Statement grammatically sound, and does it give us a clear picture as to who the applicant is? Applicants' should emphasize those experiences which have directly assisted them in becoming aware of and knowledgeable about the genetic counseling profession. Genetic counselors are highly motivated and hardworking individuals. Thus, the Admissions Committee looks for applicants who demonstrate initiative, self-direction, excellent communication skills and who have "gone the extra mile" to show their passion for becoming a genetic counselor.

Letters of recommendation should be written by individuals who can provide an accurate picture of your academic capabilities, your communication skills (both written and spoken) and your potential to successfully complete graduate education. At least two referees should be faculty from your past institutions. Other excellent referee sources include genetic counselors you have shadowed or supervisors of internships or advocacy experiences which you have had. Recommendation letters from friends or family members are discouraged. Please note, while CWRU provides an on-line recommendation form for referees to complete, your referee should also provide a personal letter to accompany the form.

While the number of applications received by the Program varies from year to year, in general we receive approximately 60 - 70+ applications each year. At this time, the Program is able to accept 8 students per year.

December 15th of each year is the application deadline. It is important that all required materials such as GRE scores (including their percentiles), transcripts from all institutions in which you have completed coursework and letters of reference be submitted by the application deadline if you wish to have your application reviewed by the Admissions Committee. If you will be taking a prerequisite course or courses in the upcoming semester that will not be reflected on your current transcripts, please let us know in your personal statement (or Resume) which course or courses you will be taking to meet the pre-requisites. Also, please submit a current CV or resume along with your personal statement. The Program only admits one class per year -- in fall semester. Because of the intensive nature of the Program, all students must be full time, we are unable to accommodate part-time students.

Go here to see the original:
Genetic Counseling Program Overview - School of Medicine

More than three-quarters of Americans would accept release of genetically modified mosquitoes to decrease risk of the Zika virus, but fewer than half accept genetic modification (GM) of animals, grain crops and produce, according to a Purdue University study.

Nicole Olynk Widmar, associate professor of agricultural economics, and Wally Tyner, the James and Lois Ackerman Professor of Agricultural Economics, led the study to understand attitudes toward genetic engineering in the wake of last year's heightened coverage of the Zika virus. The results suggest people are far more accepting of genetic modifications that benefit human health but are still somewhat wary of modifications to food.

"Whenever you have a newly perceived health risk, there are calls for technology to solve the problem. If you think about the Ebola virus, everybody said, 'Where's an Ebola vaccine?' They wanted technology to mitigate the risk," Widmar said. "Food is an everyday choice. In some ways, I can understand why people may be more cautious about what they're ingesting on an ongoing basis."

Data also show that acceptance of genetic modification may be related to sex, education, income and awareness of GM technology.

Zika, a virus spread primarily through mosquito bites, can cause severe birth defects including microcephaly and fetal brain defects. The virus was especially prevalent in Brazil during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and mosquito carriers have been reported in parts of Florida and Texas.

Mechanisms developed to control virus include the release of genetically modified mosquitoes that will breed with females to produce eggs that won't hatch or offspring that die before reaching sexual maturity. Widmar and Tyner wanted to assess public opinion of the technologies and understand what drives acceptance of some genetic modifications but not others.

Findings are based on 964 Americans surveyed with a goal of selecting respondents that matched 2014 census estimates for age, gender, income, education and region of residence. The margin of error was about 3 percent, and results were published in the journal PLoS One.

The survey revealed that 78 percent would support release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the United States. Acceptance of genetic modification is 44 percent for livestock production; 49 percent for grain production; 48 percent for fruit and vegetable production; 62 percent for human medicine; and 68 percent for human health.

Males were more likely to accept genetic modification across all categories. Younger respondents also accepted at higher rates in everything except for human health reasons, in which there was no significant difference amongst age groups.

Higher income groups were more likely to agree with genetic modification for grain, fruit and vegetables, and livestock production than lower income groups. Those with college degrees were more accepting of genetic modification.

Finally, the findings show that those aware of genetically modified mosquito technology were more likely to be accepting of genetic modification in all areas assessed.

Widmar said she expected respondents to be more accepting of genetic modification for health and medicine, and she suspects it may have to do with how those technologies have been released. In the case of mosquitoes, Zika was all over the news, as was coverage of companies seeking regulatory permission to release their modified insects for trials. Americans were likely less informed about the release of genetically modified crops and found out about them after they were already a significant part of the food chain.

"The perception of choice matters," Widmar said. "If you need it to stay healthy, you would probably use it. But if you feel like you were given GMOs and told about it later, that might upset you."

Tyner said there may be a lesson in the data for those who want to develop future GMO technologies. While GMO crops have often been lauded for reducing inputs and lowering costs for growers, people may be more receptive to information about how those same crops allow use of less toxic pesticides.

"If we can highlight health and environmental benefits, rather than just focusing on the bottom line that might have a positive effect on the public attitude toward GMOs," Tyner said. "If you look back, things might have gone differently if we had the first releases in the medical field rather than the food field."

Widmar and Tyner plan to continue work related to the impacts of GMOs on society. Widmar continues to assess consumer acceptance, and demand for, various technologies impacting the human condition through food production and health care.

Explore further: Survey: Public supports use of GMO mosquitoes to fight Zika virus

More information: Nicole J. Olynk Widmar et al. When is genetic modification socially acceptable? When used to advance human health through avenues other than food, PLOS ONE (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178227

Journal reference: PLoS ONE

Provided by: Purdue University

Originally posted here:
Americans OK with GMs for health care, but still wary about food - Medical Xpress

But despite rounds of surgery and radiation and chemotherapy, the cancer kept coming back. Eventually, her prognosis shifted from very hopeful to very dim, Christine says. (Here are 8 things every woman needs to know about ovarian cancer.)

I had two young children and I was being told, basically, to get my affairs in order, she says. I was not given much hope. In fact, Christine was told she had around a month of "good-quality life" left to live.

It was around this time, early 2014, that her doctor at Cancer Treatment Centers of America proposed genomic testing. I had never heard of this form of testing before, she says. It was completely new to me. Considering the bleakness of her prognosis, she was excited to hear she had a hopeful new option.

Considering where I was, to be able to live a normal life and look forward to watching my kids grow up is amazing.

Her doctors sent her tumor cells to the labs of Foundation Medicine. Their tests identified mutations within the DNA of Christines tumor cells that indicated she might respond well to a targeted drug therapy called everolimus (trade name Antifor), which is normally used to treat renal (or kidney) cancer. She started on everolimus in 2014.

(Reverse chronic inflammation and start healing your body from the inside out with The Whole Body Cure.)

It was a drug interventionI take a pill every day with a glass of water, she says. After three years on the drug, her cancer has retreated: Ive had completely clear scans and my cancer is in remission."

I never would have thought this was possible, she adds of the seemingly miraculous outcome. Considering where I was, to be able to live a normal life and look forward to watching my kids grow up is amazing.

What Is Genomic Testing?Every cell in your body contains 20,000 to 30,000 genes. By examining those genes for abnormalities or mutations, genetic testing can determine if the makeup of your DNA puts you at greater risk for certain types of cancer. (This is what it's like to be tested for the breast cancer gene.)

The test offered by Foundation Medicine and other genomic testing companies is slightly different in that it also examines the genetic makeup of tumor cells.

By sequencing the genes within a persons tumor cells, the test can in some cases identify mutations that may respond to new and more-targeted treatment options, says Kojo Elenitoba-Johnson, MD, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and director of the Center for Personalized Diagnostics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

MORE: 7 Warning Signs Of A Brain Tumor You Should Know

Genomic testing can also eliminate treatment optionsan outcome Elenitoba-Johnson says is also useful. This can prevent wasteful and counterproductive treatment courses, and it saves critical time that may be wasted in applying the wrong therapy, he explains.

Watch this moving video of strangers talking about their metastatic breast cancer:

It's important to note that, while drug companies are developing new treatments all the time, drugs do not exist for every genetic mutation, he adds. There are many more mutations than there are therapies at this point. Whether or not insurance will pay for the test or treatments also depends on the specifics of your situation and coverage.

PREVENTION PREMIUM: The One Thing That Got Me Through Cancer And A Divorce

Another Success StoryLike Christine Schmidt, Colleen Farrell was youngjust 33when she was first diagnosed with cancer.

In the summer of 2014, Id started feeling run down, she recalls. I started napping every day, which was totally unlike me, and I had discomfort in my lower back.

Doctors initially pegged her discomfort as a pulled muscle. But by that fall, they had identified a tumor. Colleen had advanced colorectal cancer. (Every woman should know these 5 signs of colorectal cancer.)

I was Stage 4, so it was bad, she recalls. It wasnt quite, Go home and plan your funeral, but it was, Be aware that you might have to soon.

MORE:7 Things That Surprised Me About Going Through Chemotherapy

Despite radiation and chemo, the cancer soon spread to her liver and both her lungs. I was blown awayjust devastated, she says. Things were very grim.

The images came back showing that not only had the tumors not grown, but theyd started to recede.

Her doctors told her about genomic testing, and that it could open doors to new treatment options. They told me some people were having success, but there were a lot of unknowns, she recalls. I asked what my odds were without it, and they told me a couple of months, so I obviously wanted to try it.

The results her doctors got back from Foundation Medicine indicated her cancer might respond to immunotherapy (here's how it works). I started it in March of 2016, she says. Eight weeks later, I had my first scan, and the images came back showing that not only had the tumors not grown, but theyd started to recede.

She says her doctor was floored. Back when her rectal tumor had first been discovered, it had measured 12 centimeters. After just one course of the new treatment, it had shrunk to 7 cm. My doctor couldnt believe how well it was working, she says.

MORE: 11 Women Share The Surprising Ways They Discovered They Had Cancer

In fact, the new medication almost worked too well. I ended up having three massive hemorrhages and almost died because my tumor shrank so quickly that all the blood vessels and organs that were smushed up suddenly started pumping blood again, she says. So that tells you how quickly it worked.

Colleen says shes not completely out of the woods. But I never thought Id be where I am today, she adds. I think all the time how lucky I was to have benefited from thisthat I could try itbecause not everybody can.

Whos A Candidate For Genomic Testing?As recently as a few years ago, the type of gene sequencing performed during this test would have cost millions of dollars and taken years, not days, to complete, Elenitoba-Johnson says.

Because the genomic testing platform is so newand many of the associated treatment options are still in clinical trialsgenomic testing may only be appropriate when conventional approaches like chemotherapy have failed, he says. (Here are 5 misconceptions you probably still have about chemo.) It really depends on the type of cancer a person has.

For some forms of leukemia, the knowledge of the disease response is pretty mature, and so the first-line management is receiving this test and one of these new targeted therapies, he explains. In other cases, drugs [targeting the mutations] have only recently become available, and knowledge of their effectiveness and side effects is not as well-understood.

He mentions lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and melanoma as other forms of cancer for which genomic testing may be appropriate. But again, it depends on the individual patient and the specifics of their cancer.

MORE: 7 Skin Cancer Symptoms You Can't See

Needless to say, the science of cancer diagnostics and treatment has entered a new and exciting phase. Genomic testing, coupled with newer, more-targeted therapies, is already saving lives.

The future is here, and it is bright. But theres a lot more work to be done.

See the original post here:
This Last-Resort Test Saved 2 Women From CancerAnd It Could Save You, Too - Prevention.com