Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We recognize the critical need to increase diversity in and access to genetic counseling, and we are committed to expanding who gets to enter the profession.

A more holistic admissions review

We believe admissions is one of the most powerful places to begin when it comes to increasing diversity and access to the profession. We've designed our admissions process to see the intersecting identities, unique experiences, and strengths each applicant brings. Our review uses holistic rubrics modeled on Educational Testing Service (ETS) guidance for fair, consistent evaluation, and every member of our admissions committee completes implicit-bias training.

Intentional curricular design and training

For us, diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice aren't about a single lecture or a standalone module. They are essential concepts woven through every course in the program. Each year, our Curriculum Review Committee and faculty examine all coursework through an equity lens, making sure students encounter a genuine range of perspectives, see underserved communities represented, and work with readings and assignments that ask them to weigh different healthcare models and health beliefs.

This work is led by people who have spent their careers doing it. Our program leadership brings years of experience in national leadership, research, and advocacy focused on underrepresented and historically marginalized communities - from founding mentorship programs for aspiring genetic counselors from underrepresented backgrounds, to published research and national invited talks.

That commitment is also built into the curriculum itself. Our second-year students can take a dedicated course, Cultural Awareness: Working with Diverse Populations in Health Care, that connects cultural difference to the real work of counseling and health-care conversations. Our instructional faculty and clinical supervisors also complete training in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice every year.

Because so much learning happens in clinic, we take responsibility for those spaces too. We provide clinical supervisors training, webinars, literature, and resources on inclusive clinical education, so the integration of a DEIJ lens that students experience in the classroom and within the program can carry into each rotation.

We also want our students to understand why this matters for the future of the field. Genetics and genomic technology are advancing quickly, and history shows that the first people to benefit from a new advance are too often those who are already privileged or in the majority. We teach our students that equitable access to genetic services and technology is not an afterthought, it's an essential first step to moving our profession forward.

Inclusion is more than representation

Diversity and inclusion are connected, but they aren't the same thing. Diversity is about who is represented; inclusion is about how fully each person's perspective is valued and woven into our learning community and the wider profession. Experiencing diversity shapes how we learn, how we relate to one another, and how we care for patients, and diverse perspectives drive creativity, better problem-solving, and stronger care. As instructors and mentors, we model good listening and make space for students to challenge one another with respect. We recognize the necessity of respecting the unique needs, perspectives and potential of all our students.

Pay it forward: the Genome Ambassadors Program

Our students don't just benefit from this commitment; they help carry it forward. Through UConn’s Genome Ambassadors Program, students, alumni, and faculty work to advance genetic and genomic literacy in the community and broaden access to genetics education and careers, bringing early exposure and information to people who might not otherwise encounter the field. Our curriculum is built to foster independent, critical thinking paired with a genuine commitment to advocacy for patients, for communities, and for the profession.

Names and belonging

Belonging often starts with something simple: being seen and heard as an individual. We encourage everyone in our community to learn and honor one another's names and to share their pronouns and a phonetic spelling of their name in email signatures. Small practices like these signal that every person's identity is recognized and respected.

Voices from our community

Everyone I've worked with in the program was very receptive to my perspective as 1. An African American woman, and 2. A mother of two. I can only hope that my input gave a positive and insightful contribution to the discussion topics. When I answered discussions from my perspective, I found that none of my classmates shied away from discussing cultural, financial, or racial disparities in medicine and research. Though the program participants appeared demographically predominately Caucasian, that didn’t limit or hinder open, ethical conversations about other minority or cultural groups.

As an older student in the Clinical Genetics and Genomics Certificate program, I felt the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion were promoted by the professors, teaching assistants, and students. The courses included a diverse group of learners representing people from various walks of life who differed by race, culture, religion, gender, and age. We had many opportunities to succeed through individual, paired, or group assignments. These opportunities gave us a chance to meet one another online and learn about what each of us were doing outside the program.

In addition to the social opportunities, students were able to thrive through various learning formats. This allowed different types of learners to succeed. For example, I am a tactile/visual learner, so having books and writing notes (to highlight and spill coffee on) allowed me to shine. I think the visual and audio learners were able to succeed through the many video and audio assignments offered. In summary, the curriculum allowed equity and inclusion for all types of learners!

I believe the online format also helped to create equity and inclusion because working remotely tends to “level the playing ground” socially. For paired and group assignments, we had to arrange and coordinate meetings, and this created an atmosphere of “we are all in this together” – which also promoted inclusion. The program also allowed for different personal schedules (and life events) – so I felt a real effort was made by the faculty to accommodate people at different stages of life.

I must admit that I was initially a bit skeptical about the online format, however I learned more clinical genetics and genomics in my 9 months as a UCONN student than I have anywhere else. I felt I achieved my personal learning objectives and am very satisfied with my experiences in the program. I plan to apply to the Genetic Counseling program for next year and hope that as a future student, I can represent multigenerational diversity at UCONN.

Thank you again for a great learning experience!

One of my greatest takeaways from the Health Care Genetics program was the value of embracing the perspectives, strengths, experiences, and diversity of those around us, including our peers, co-workers, and teachers. The diversity of the HCG program was not only acknowledged, but celebrated. An integral part of our education came from learning from each other’s unique perspectives. In this way, my learning in this program extends beyond just the theories and science of clinical genetics. I feel uniquely prepared to provide holistic, culturally competent patient care in my future career in pediatric genetics. This is largely due, in part, to the DEI focus in the HCG program that encouraged me to learn from the experiences of those in the program. These perspectives ranged from various cultural beliefs, sexualities, ethnicities, personal and professional experiences, and more.

Additionally, I’ve become much better equipped to reflect on, utilize, share, and embrace my diversity and experiences with disability, education, and values to improve awareness, advocacy, and my cultural competency. The Health Care Genetics program provided me with the diversity, equity, and inclusion lens by which to approach the increasingly complex field of clinical genetics so that I may one day successfully and positively impact the lives of a culturally and genetically diverse patient population.