On Wednesday, September 13, 2023, Wagner High School alumnus Victoria Munoz presented in front of TSTEM students about professions in the medical field, including genetic counseling. She is currently attending Bay Path University, obtaining a Masters of Science in Genetic Counseling.
“I had a community that backed me up and so I feel like it's only good to give back to the community that kind of helped me get there,” Munoz said.
Genetic counseling is an ever-growing field of medicine. It involves helping those who are seeking to understand and potentially have testing for genetic diseases that may affect them or their (future) children.
Genetic counselors collect and review a patient’s medical and family history, consider what genetic conditions, if any, may be present in the family, and counsel the patient regarding genetic testing that may be available. The counselor explains the risks, benefits, and limitations of genetic testing, facilitates the testing if desired, and reviews the results when they are available. Some genetic counselors have roles outside of clinical care, working in public health, public policy, industry, research, and many other settings.
“I knew I wanted to do a medical. I wanted to help people in the medical field just like how my grandmother was helped,” Munoz said. “Genetic counseling may be a new field that people hear about, but it's not a new field of itself. People don't usually find out about [the degree] until later in college or into their careers. We're trying to get more people involved and have a more diverse background.”
Located on the campus of Wagner High School, TSTEM is doing just that - getting more and more students from diverse backgrounds to participate in the science, technology, engineering, and medical fields. Their goal is “to produce college-ready graduates that are interested in studying and entering STEM careers.” They take pride in “offering students tailored courses that fit their STEM interests and future careers.”
Click here for more information TSTEM or contact Ms. Theresa Gregg, TSTEM coordinator, at tgregg@judsonisd.org.
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