For me, the first indication that something big was happening was an evening in Costco in early March. Usually a coveted break from my young children, a peaceful escape to scan the shelves and plan for the next week, the sense of panic in the air was palpable. We’d heard of the new coronavirus, but now it had become immediate. Carts held stacks of toilet paper and boxes of nitrile gloves. Cleaning supplies were gone from the shelves, and the typically neatly stacked frozen meals seemed picked-over and in disarray. The ambient anxiety got to me, and I soon found myself with random panic-buys crowding my minivan — pillows, paper towels, Lego sets, food, diapers, sunscreen, batteries. Did I even need half of this stuff? What was going on?
We need to be kind to ourselves amongst sudden, often competing expectations.
In the weeks since, life has somewhat settled into a routine, albeit one I never anticipated. Genetic counselors are masters at multi-tasking, but this is extreme. Working remotely while “homeschooling” (and I use that term loosely given the actual academic output coming from my home!), figuring out online grocery shopping, and maintaining a household is not for the faint of heart. Despite the challenges, and in the face of a constant news stream of infection rates and medical equipment shortages, I have had a chance to reflect and find some silver linings.
For example, I am thankful to work for a company with a long-established remote work program. Working from home has not been a transition for me, as it has for so many genetic counselors. Working from home with little “co-workers” intruding on my video meetings, however, has been a new experience! Telegenetics is here, and many are navigating the associated challenges, perhaps for the first time. As remote workers know, there is a learning curve to this gig, so we need to be kind to ourselves amongst sudden, often competing expectations.
In step with the increase of telegenetics, I have seen innovations to help patients access genetic testing. One challenge with not seeing a patient in person is the inability to collect a sample on the spot. Clinical genetic counselors can all empathize with the difficulties involved in tracking down a patient for a sample once they’ve left the building. In these uncertain times, and especially for patients who are immunocompromised or medically fragile, it is ideal to avoid travel to medical centers. Genetic counselors can request kits be shipped directly to their patients, and online instructional videos exist to guide patients through sample collection from home.
Finally, genetic counseling students can participate in remote rotations, helping them gain experience and knowledge as they pursue their graduate degrees. GeneDx already offered online education for genetic counseling students through a remote webinar series, providing an overview of roles and responsibilities of laboratory genetic counselors. Historically, onsite rotations and remote one-on-one rotations were offered to a select number of students. The current situation called for some innovative thinking. We adapted to provide remote rotations for students who would have otherwise been onsite, and we increased the number of accepted remote students from training programs throughout the country. These remote rotations include a focus on variant interpretation as well as learning about various aspects of laboratory testing and handling customer service inquiries. Given that so many genetic counselor positions are remote, this is a realistic snapshot of our remote workforce — right down to IT issues and work-from-home challenges/opportunities.
Genetic counselors are nothing if not adaptable, resourceful, and resilient. During these unprecedented times, my colleagues and I are making a conscious effort to bring comfort to patients who need support. At the same time, it’s important to take care of ourselves. I find myself thinking of my experiences in clinic, how I would speak to patients about a “new normal” and what that would look like for them. Now we are all experiencing a bit of this, with our temporary “new normal” while we practice social distancing, and the longer-term “new normal”, whatever that may look like. I hope to keep finding as many silver linings as possible, to keep my family healthy and happy, and to lean on my genetic counselor colleagues when needed. We’ve got this! Together (though maybe six feet apart), we can help each other, our patients, our colleagues, and our families weather this challenge.
Kirsty McWalter, MS, CGC is the Assistant Director of Clinical Development at GeneDx. She has worked in pediatrics, public health, and industry, with extensive experience in collaborative research and reclassification of candidate genes to disease-causing genes. She loves being a genetic counselor and is looking forward to her newest “co-workers” returning to school.