Why We Gather

Photo Credit: relevantgenetics on instagram

One of our Board members shared this very on-the-nose Instagram post with me, and I had to laugh because a) it is very true and b) I would have to change it to “every three years”!

And this, folks, is why we gather.

Over the past nine months, I’ve written about how we professionalize genetic counseling: how we build this profession we love into a sustainable, essential, and growing opportunity for those of us in it now and for the many who will come after us.

Someday, all of us will become the subject of a meme. And I hope I’ve convinced you of the importance of coalition building, advocacy, research, and reimbursement in building our profession. But we strengthen it through connection. And the Annual Conference is one of the ways we connect.

Professional communities don’t become strong simply because they exist. They become strong because people show up.

Showing up matters

We’ve talked this year about the infrastructure that supports our profession: advocacy, research, association management, volunteers, industry partners, and members. But infrastructure only gets us so far. A profession is also a community of people who know one another, learn from one another, challenge one another, and show up for one another.

The 45th Annual Conference is coming up in November, and I can’t wait. The conference provides community, connection, learning, research, collaboration, professional identity, and education.

Of course, getting CEUs to maintain our expertise in this rapidly changing field, as well as our board certification and licensure, is at the top of the list for many of us. And this year’s program looks amazing, thanks to the hundreds of people who submitted proposals and abstracts and the dozens of volunteers who reviewed, supported, and helped turn those ideas into high-quality education.

Years ago (cue the granny meme again) the conference was called the AEC, or Annual Education Conference. At some point, a past Board wisely recognized that what happens when we gather is about much more than didactic education. And the name became the Annual Conference. I think that was an important evolution.

Beyond education

At the Annual Conference, we share our research and see what others are working on. In that exchange, we learn not only new facts, but new ways of thinking, different approaches to solving problems, and better ways to show up for our clinical colleagues, our patients, our customers, and ourselves.

For many of us, the conference is also one of the best ways to efficiently meet people outside our own specialty, workplace, or career stage.

One of my favorite events is the First-Time Attendee meeting before the general conference begins. It helps students and others who are new to the AC navigate the conference and, more importantly, get the most out of it. With hundreds of attendees, we can remind people that they are not the only new person in the room, demystify how things work, and highlight the opportunities that are available.

For people at every career stage, there are opportunities to find mentors, create new collaborations, and discover career possibilities.

And just like my granny meme, I learn from this connection with others who are entering a profession that has evolved since I entered it. That exchange goes both ways. Experience matters, but so does seeing our profession through the eyes of someone who is just beginning to shape it.

Here’s the thing: those connections and relationships are how advocacy, research, collaboration, and professional growth happen. As I’ve said before, professionalization is not something that happens to us. It is something we create through action and investment.

The Annual Conference gives us a chance to have the conversations that don’t happen in a Zoom meeting, often with people we never would have encountered otherwise. It is an opportunity to grow, to help others grow, to share, to receive, to engage, and to influence.

That connective tissue forms through gathering. And it strengthens our profession for the future.

Gathering takes many forms

Attending the in-person Annual Conference is a fantastic and immediate way to gather, but it is not the only way. The Digital Access Pass has some limitations when it comes to immediate connection, but it still provides opportunities for learning, collaboration, and professional development.

And throughout the year, gathering happens through NSGC in many other ways:

NSGCommunities — New and improved message boards for general members, SIG members, and topic-specific discussions, including billing questions and support. Tap into the expertise of thousands of genetic counselors at your fingertips.

Special Interest Groups — Twenty-six SIGs ranging from practice specialties, such as Renal and Cancer, to career development groups, including Student/New Member and Late Career. Find your people, share expertise, and learn from colleagues who understand the particular challenges and opportunities in your area.

NSGConnect — A specialized mentorship program where you can find a mentor based on where you practice, specialty areas of interest, and personal experience. And, of course, you can sign up to be a mentor too.

Awards — Think ahead to 2027 and consider who you want recognized and celebrated for their contributions to our profession.

Volunteerism — The Call for Volunteers is now open! Volunteering is another way to connect, grow, and contribute to both our profession and your own personal, leadership, and career development.

These are all different forms of gathering. Some happen in a conference center in Baltimore. Some happen online. Some happen one-on-one. Some happen through a SIG, a committee, a mentorship relationship, or a conversation that turns into a collaboration.

The format matters less than the connection.

Come gather with us

So, for those of you who have been on the fence about attending the Annual Conference, I hope you’ll come gather with me and thousands of other genetic counselors in Baltimore. And if you can’t travel, take advantage of the Digital Access Pass. There is more than one way to show up.

While I may not quite be elderly yet, this GenX GC welcomes the opportunity to connect with you, to learn from you, and to engage with you.

Please introduce yourself when we gather.

See you in Baltimore!

Let’s go!!

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