It’s nearing the end of summer, which means that the NSGC Call for Volunteers is around the corner. This season, I want to extend an invitation for you to volunteer with Perspectives.
Perspectives, as many of our readers may remember, used to arrive on doorsteps as a printed version at the start of every season. In the last two decades, the periodical has undergone a number of updates and passed through the hands of strong editorial leadership, including Deepti Babu, Janice Berliner, Shelly Cummings, Camille Fisher, Kristen Hanson and Kirsty McWalter, just to name a few.
Perspectives now exist in the fully digitized form that you are accessing now — its quarterly cadence shifted to weekly or biweekly installments. This has allowed Perspectives to evolve beyond prescribed columns to a more organic dialogue. Continuous publishing allows for frequent engagement with the genetic counseling community and timely reflections on current events related to genetic counseling and healthcare. As of July 2024, Perspectives articles have had over 68,000 pageviews and this year’s most popular article has been viewed over 3,800 times. In comparison, ABGC has estimated the number of certified genetic counselors in the U.S. at approximately 7,000 as of April 2024. Perspectives clearly has a central and growing role in genetic counseling dialogue.
Perspectives volunteers have been an essential part of driving these changes forward and making Perspectives into the incredible publication it is today. Perspectives committee members are responsible for writing, editing and soliciting articles for the publication. They are the ambassadors of Perspectives to the genetic counseling community.
As of 2023, Perspectives Editorial Committee members apply to their positions via the NSGC Call for Volunteers. Each committee member serves a three-year term and members meet with the editorial team a few times a year to brainstorm ideas, discuss articles and strategize outreach. As the editor of Perspectives, I am excited to lead this committee toward a shared vision.
If you have questions about being a committee member, you are welcome to reach out to a member of our committee, which includes myself, Janice Berliner, Sara Spencer, Shenin Sanoba, Julie Solimine, Chloe Barnett, Shannon Wieloch and Christine Tallo.
Our team is looking for more genetic counselors or genetic counseling trainees who have a passion for writing and journalism as well as a willingness to and a desire to help other genetic counselors find their voice. If this resonates with you, please consider applying to the Perspectives Editorial Committee via the NSGC Call For Volunteers.
Hannah Llorin, MS, CGC (she/her) is the current Executive Editor of Perspectives. She is a genetic counselor with LMND Medical Group, which provides genomics-informed primary care services on the 23andMe platform. In her role with LMND Medical Group, Hannah's work focuses on clinical genetics support and clinician education. Outside of her primary role, Hannah regularly contributes to genetic counselor training through clinical supervision, research mentorship and lectures. Hannah is an equity holder of 23andMe.