International Genetic Counseling Students’ Perspective on Their Training Experience in the United States

Abstract

International students face social, psychological and academic challenges upon moving to a foreign country to pursue higher education. Clinical disciplines such as genetic counseling present additional challenges adapting to an unfamiliar health care system and different interactions and expectations with patients and colleagues. This study used semi-structured interviews to identify challenges that international genetic counseling students face during training in the United States. Eight international genetic counseling alumni who graduated from U.S.-accredited programs were interviewed. Participants stated that the U.S. academic system was unfamiliar-class participation and paper-writing required the greatest adjustment. There was a need for help in understanding social norms in academic settings. Clinically, they were unfamiliar with the dynamics and communication style of U.S. families. Non-native English speakers experienced greater difficulty in all areas. Most participants reported that they were uncomfortable asking for help in transitioning to life, study and work. Participants identified mentorship programs for international students as potentially useful in clarifying expectations in academic and clinical settings. These results may assist international students preparing to study genetic counseling in the U.S. and may help genetic counseling training programs identify the academic and clinical challenges faced by international students.

International medical students’ adaptation to university life in Turkey

“…These efforts include integration to academic and social life at a university, dealing with newfound freedoms, becoming more individualized, and establishing social relations with male and female peers, Higher education is also a time period where cultural adaptation is experienced. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] There are various theories and views used in defining adaptation to a new cultural environment, a few theories commonly explain cultural adaptation to this new environment. One of them is Social Isolation Theory which not only describes an individual's physical deportation from the homeland but also from a series of rights, rules, and social interaction patterns that the individual is accustomed to.…”

“…These differences make cultural adaptation harder especially for international students. [1][2][3][4]7 For this reason, the adaptation of international medical students to university life in Turkey should be taken into consideration, and an appropriate student counseling system should be established for these students. The aim of this study is to determine international medical school students' adaptation to university life in Turkey.…”

Professional Issues of International Genetic Counseling Students Educated in the United States

“…More recently, Sabbadini et al (2013) conducted a qualitative study to identify the challenges international genetic counseling students face during their training in the United States. They interviewed eight students, who were the only foreign student in their class, and none of them had a genetic counseling program in their home country.…”

“…A positive aspect of their identity is greater comfort dealing with minority patients and supplementing the cultural competency of their classmates. English as a Second Language (ESL) students explained that they faced additional difficulties articulating their thoughts and understanding classroom material leading to limited classroom participation (Sabbadini et al, 2013). ESL students are international students whose native language is not English, and who have learned English as a second language.…”

“…While Sabbadini et al (2013) sampled some of the challenges ESL genetic counseling students are facing, there are currently no studies specifically focusing on the issue amongst genetic counseling students. However, there is extensive research on the experiences of international students in nursing, a field similar to genetic counseling in terms of interaction with patients.…”