Abstract
The importance of diversity and inclusion within the genetic counseling profession has been widely recognized by the National Society of Genetic Counselors through new initiatives and task force development. However, the profession has remained predominantly comprised of white females. While a small number of studies have examined factors related to this phenomenon, the purpose of this study was to assess student awareness, interest level and attractors/deterrents within a more diverse undergraduate cohort using an anonymous online survey with an embedded informational video/transcript. Both psychology and biology undergraduate students were recruited from institutions of higher education where there is a dedication to supporting first-generation students and a low level of research activity. In total, 398 students from 21 institutions participated in the survey. Overall, a higher proportion of participants were African American (13%) or Hispanic (17.5%), first-generation (34%) and at or below lower middle-class socioeconomic status (41.6%) in comparison to previous studies. Less than 10% of respondents felt they had a good understanding of genetic counseling at the start of the survey. The percentage of students stating they had any interest in applying to GC programs increased from 21% to over 55% after receiving information about the profession. Importantly, of the 90 students who were initially unsure because they needed to know more about the career, 71% became interested. The increase in interest was significant between first-generation students compared to those students with college educated parents (p<0.01) but not between different racial, socio-economic or gender categories. However, the data did show that learning more about genetic counseling had a positive effect on interest level for all groups and supports the need for continued outreach. In addition, the study suggests factors that appeal to different subgroups that could be targeted to better attract diverse genetic counselors. For example, male students were deterred by their perceptions of the prestige and level of authority afforded to genetic counselors, while these same factors were among the factors that increased the interest of African American individuals. These results could be used to modify current outreach efforts in ways that highlight attractive features of the profession to students at institutions with a higher level of diversity. In addition, ensuring the inclusion of first-generation students who have yet to choose a career path may help to entice a wider demographic to enter genetic counseling.