The news of our city shutting down broke during spring break in March 2020. I was in clinic when, suddenly, phones started ringing. Parents began checking their messages about school closures. Patients watched the governor confirm the rumors in waiting rooms, hoping this would soon blow over. Days later, the country went into quarantine, and students were notified our courses and clinics were going virtual.
As a first-year genetic counseling student, the idea of finishing my semester and beginning rotations online was difficult to accept. How do I provide emotional, empathic support? How do I read non-verbal cues via telehealth? I was pushed into the deep end of telehealth training. Yet, I was not alone. Healthcare practitioners throughout the country learned to care for patients remotely. Simultaneously, patients adapted to new ways of receiving treatment. As we all struggled, a common empathy emerged for each other, and we grasped a new format of communication.
Over the past year, I have discovered a fresh appreciation for telehealth and the skills required to become proficient in this interaction. As students, we are a unique generation of pupils for whom virtual conversations are formally part of our training. We have learned how to meet our patients’ needs in multiple formats during an unprecedented time.
There has been grief among my peers. Our shared office was a place of comfort and collaboration that suddenly disappeared.
Despite the unique learning opportunities, there are challenges. As returning to campus is ill-advised, there has been grief among my peers. Our shared office was a place of comfort and collaboration that suddenly disappeared. I had taken for granted the ability to walk into a faculty member’s office to ask a question or get advice. The pandemic has shown me the beautiful value in connection, not just with patients but with colleagues as well.
Entering my second year, there is a profound realization of how much our clinical training has been impacted by COVID-19. Rather than being in the office with colleagues, I am waiting by my phone to get conferenced into an appointment. If I have a question, I am emailing someone. However, my counseling skills over the phone have strengthened. With patients, I am listening more intensely for crucial verbal cues, such as those long sighs or a change of tone. As someone who rarely spoke on the phone pre-pandemic, it has become my professional lifeline to supervisors and patients.
While there is fear, sadness, and loss during this pandemic, we live in a nuanced world where we can also appreciate what we have. The events of the past year have given many of us perspective to assess what we truly value and be grateful for those around us — be it in person or through our screens. I hope the curve will flatten and we can get back to seeing our patients and colleagues in person. This pandemic has reminded me why I aspire to become a genetic counselor: to interact with and help others.
Jessica Ponce Hidalgo, PhD is a second-year genetic counseling student at the University of Utah who enjoys spending her spare time with family. She is excited to enter the field of genetic counseling and is passionate about improving accessibility of genetic research opportunities and services to underserved communities.