DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast - #235 Genetic Counseling History: ABGC Formation

#235 Genetic Counseling History: ABGC Formation

05/05/23 • 37 min

If you are one of the listeners that tune into DNA Today every week, then you definitely know by now we have launched our Patreon. This is where you can not only get bonus content from DNA Today, you can get early access to episodes before the public. You also get to influence the content of the show, this includes episode topics and guests plus pitching questions I ask during interviews, and of course I will give you a shoutout when I ask your question. Oh and if you sign up by May 25th you get a bonus physical gift! For these benefits and more you can visit our Patreon, link is in the show notes and on our website DNAToday.com.

We are continuing our peek into the past! Last episode we explored the history of the genetic counseling field with Michelle Fox and Debra Collins who shared about the first annual National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) conferences. In this episode we are learning about the formation of the American Board of Genetic Counseling (aka ABGC) with Ann Walker and Ed Kloza.

Ann Platt Walker, MA, LCGC has held many leadership positions including the Founding President and Director of the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC), President of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) in 1982, and has been on the Board of Directors for the American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG), American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), and the American Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). During Ann’s career she held roles at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center including as the program director for the Master’s of Science in Genetic Counseling Program for over two decades. She has authored over 20 peer reviewed publications, 10 book chapters, and countless abstracts and presentations. Ann has been awarded many times through her impressive career including the Natalie Weissberger Paul National Achievement and Leadership Awards from NSGC.

Ed Kloza, MS, LCGC was the first genetic counselor in Maine. He helped establish clinical genetics in Southern Maine and pioneered prenatal serum screening at the Foundation for Blood Research in Scarborough, and was a member of the team from Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island which published the first international clinical validation study of cell-free DNA screening. He was key in the development of the genetic counseling profession including as a past president of NSGC (the first, and one of only two males elected to that position), and in helping create the American Board of Genetic Counseling (which we are focusing on today). In 2000, Ed was honored with the Natalie Weissberger Paul National Achievement Award. Currently Ed is the genetics education consultant for the New England Regional Genetics Network (NERGN) and is an adjunct Professor at Bay Path University with their graduate Genetic Counseling program.

On This Episode We Discuss:

The ABGC versus the NSGC and which came first!

The early days of board exams

What prompted the creation of the ABGC in 1992

Challenges in forming ABGC

The original goals of ABGC as an organization

The first ABGC president and other key players

When ABGC began to accredit genetic counseling programs

Establishing practice-based competencies

If you want to learn more about the history of the GC field, check out Episode 136 with Linda Robinson . Episode 31 with Robin Schwartz also gives a great overview of the field.

You can learn more about ABGC by heading to their website, or by following them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on May 12th, 2023, where we’ll be discussing risk assessment advances for Alzheimer’s disease! New episodes are released every Fridays. In the meantime, you can binge over 235 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on

On This Episode We Discuss:

The ABGC versus the NSGC and which came first!

The early days of board exams

What prompted the creation of the ABGC in 1992

Challenges in forming ABGC

The original goals of ABGC as an organization

The first ABGC president and other key players

When ABGC began to accredit genetic counseling programs

Establishing practice-based competencies

If you want to learn more about the history of the GC field, check out Episode 136 with Linda Robinson . Episode 31 with Robin Schwartz also gives a great overview of the field.

You can learn more about ABGC by heading to their website, or by following them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Previous Episode

#234 Genetic Counseling History: 1st NSGC Conference

Congratulations to everyone who matched with a genetic counseling program last week! Special shoutout to our Communications Lead, Corinne Merlino, for matching with the University of Pennsylvania!

Check out DNA Today Episode #101, Genetic Counseling Match Day, to prepare you to start grad school. We also provide advice for applicants that didn’t match in this cycle and offer inspiration to apply next round.

In the spirit of recent matches, upcoming graduation, and DNA Day we thought it was time for another giveaway! This time we are giving away GC Genius' top two study materials: their study guide and flashcards featuring the top 100 genetic conditions to know. Enter on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn before May 2nd! You can even enter on all three to increase your chances of winning.

Fun Fact: The flashcards were co-created by Ashlyn Enokian, MS, CGC, who designed our DNA Today logo! She is also a genetic counselor featured on DNA Today Episodes 101, 111, 135, and 212.

Can’t wait to see if you won? Use the code “DNATODAY” for a discount in the GC Genius Etsy store through May 31st, 2023.

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We are going back in time in this episode of DNA Today to explore the history of the genetic counseling field. In part 1 of this 2-part series, we are focusing on the first annual conference for the National Society of Genetic Counselors which was in 1981, 54 years ago! Joining me are two rockstars in the field of GC, Michelle Fox and Debra Collins!

Michelle Fox, MS, CGC, is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA. For over 30 years, Michelle coordinated the UCLA Genetics Clinic, providing genetic counseling services to both pediatric and adult populations, including the UCLA Predictive Huntington Disease Testing Program, early onset Alzheimer and genetic neurodegenerative disorders. She is also a faculty member of the UCLA Genetic Counseling Program. Michelle served on the Secretary’s Advisory Committee for Heritable Disorders of Newborns and Children Follow-up and Treatment sub-committee and on the National Society of Genetic Counselors Public Policy Newborn Screening Task Force in 2014. She was a member of the Western States Regional Genetics Network from 2010-2013. Michelle served on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Hearing Loss Guidelines Committee (2013), the American Board of Genetic Counseling Engagement Task Force (2016) and the National Society of Genetic Counselors Conflict of Interest Task Force (2017-2018). She currently serves on the Mt. Sinai Medical Center Genetic Counseling Program Advisory Board, UCLA Genetic Counseling Program Advisory Board and was a member at large of the National Society of Genetic Counselors board of directors (2019-2020). Michelle was awarded the Natalie Weissberger Paul Lifetime Achievement Award 2022 recognizing her contributions to the field of genetic counseling!

Debra Collins, M.S., CGC, has been a genetic counselor at University of Kansas Medical Center...

Next Episode

#236 Assessing for Alzheimer’s Disease with Quest Diagnostics

If you are listening to a genetics podcast, then I know you are a nerd that also likes reading genetic books and watching genetics movies and shows. There aren’t many genetics clubs out there for nerds like us, so we launched a Patreon where we could do just that! This is the benefit that was asked for the most when we were designing our Patreon was an exclusive monthly club where we chat about a genetics book or movie or we focus on mentorship in becoming a genetic counselor (like application/interview insight and boards prep). So if you want to be in these live Zooms with me and our team, sign up now!

Shoutout to our new Patrons Molly, Emily, Cristina, Wesley , Hannah, Amanda, Lynn, Ashlyn, and Sanya ! Join our Patreon community here. If you sign up by May 25th I will throw in an extra gift in the mail for you!

Join our Patreon community here. If you sign up by May 25th I will throw in an extra gift in the mail for you!

Alzheimer’s is the most feared health condition of later life among retirees, ranking higher than COVID-19, cancer, heart attack and stroke (Reference). Answers from risk assessments and diagnostic testing can help clinicians and those dealing with cognitive decline in themselves or loved ones choose a path forward. As the Alzheimer’s and dementia fields evolve and as new therapies come out, new diagnostic tools are also being developed with the goal of providing answers that are accessible.

With all of these new diagnostic advancements, it can be challenging for clinicians to determine what to order and when. Susan Hahn, a genetic counselor and expert in the field of Alzheimer’s disease, is joining us from Quest Diagnostics to speak on the newest risk assessment advances including some recently launched tests from Quest and what patient types they make the most sense for.

Providing the patient perspective, we have Rebecca Chopp joining us from the University of Chicago. Rebecca was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about three years ago, and currently serves on the board of Voices of Alzheimer’s as an advocate. She’ll be joining us to speak on her experience receiving a diagnosis and how she has since learned to “live with joy”.

Rebecca Chopp, Ph.D., is a widely published author, editor, and academic in the fields of education, philosophy, religion, and feminism. She served as the 18th, and first female, Chancellor of the University of Denver. She was additionally President of Swarthmore College and Colgate University, and she served as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Emory University and as a Dean at Yale University. Chopp has served on the Governing Board of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Olin University, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and American Council on Education. Currently, Rebecca is an Alzheimer's Advocate who serves on the Board of the Colorado Alzheimer's Association, paints classical portraits and hikes, bikes and walks Buhdy, her dog. An ordained minister, she is currently working on a book entitled Art, Spirit, Body: Ways to Live While Dying from Alzheimer's.

Susan Hahn, MS, CGC is a highly accomplished, strategic, and charismatic genetics professional who spent the past two decades initiating and leading research, outreach, education, and policy activities to facilitate and expand the responsible translation of genomic medicine in the clinical setting. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, encyclopedia entries and chapters. As a result of her long-standing interest in professional, public, and childhood education, she has development and administered numerous undergraduate and graduate courses, public outreach events, web resources, conferences, and print materials. As an active leader, Susan has Chaired or Co-chaired numerous committees and task forces for ABGC and NSGC. In 2014, she was President of the American Board of Genetic Counseling. Susan currently works for Quest Diagnostics as Director of Health Economics and Outcomes Research.

On This Episode We Discuss:

An overview of Alzheimer's disease, how it affects the brain and cognition, and some of the early signs and symptoms
Genes implicated in Alzheimer’s disease and how they are inherited
The relationship o...