JHU/NIH Genetic Counseling Training Program

The accelerated discovery of disease and susceptibility genes made possible by the sequencing of the human genome has brought new and exciting challenges to the field of genetic counseling. The traditional emphasis of genetic counseling has been on providing information coupled with supportive counseling, primarily for people facing reproductive decisions. The field has broadened dramatically to address a multiplicity of emerging needs, ranging from clients seeking disease susceptibility testing to those wanting to know if a therapeutic treatment option is right for them. Therefore, genetic counselors must not only convey to these individuals and their families information about risks but also the consequences of testing and the potential for therapeutic intervention. These choices are laden with uncertainty and raise difficult ethical, legal and social issues.

Genetic information can have profound psychological meaning for clients, particularly for members of families affected by a genetic condition or risk. Decisions about whether to use genetic tests require that clients evaluate scientific information in the context of their personal values and beliefs. Genetic counselors are trained to facilitate decision-making to promote informed choices. When there is no genetic test or therapeutic option to offer, genetic counselors help family members to adapt to the condition or risk, often under conditions of uncertainty.

As the scope of genetic counseling expands and evolves, patient, professional and community education will be imperative. Increasingly, primary care practitioners are providing aspects of genetic counseling and other genetic services, resulting in a need to educate nurses, social workers and physicians. Genetic counselors play a key role in educating these providers and developing standards of practice. Trained genetic counselors also provide a means for health professionals and patients to communicate with policy makers, the media and the public about new and emerging genetic technologies and services.

Mission Statement

The JHU/NIH Genetic Counseling Training Program shapes genetic counseling services through student and faculty research and develops outstanding genetic counselors who are innovators and leaders in: 

• psychotherapeutic genetic counseling,
• genetic counseling research and scholarship, 
• applications of genomics and precision health 
• transdisciplinary learning and practice, incorporating perspectives from public health, policy, ethics, and advocacy
   

Vision 

Genetic counseling clinician scholars transform evidence-based genomic healthcare.

Read the JHU/NIH GCTP's entire strategic plan, along with our program’s objectives. 

View our Frequently Asked Questions about the training program.

The GCTP distinguishes itself in offering extensive interactive coursework to support completion of high quality, publishable thesis studies. Since its inception, the GCTP has produced a cadre of genetic counselors who broaden the scope of genetic counseling by contributing to a growing research literature that critically examines a variety of aspects of the profession and shapes future directions in the field.

Additionally, program faculty provide students with one-on-one supervision for an hour each week throughout their graduate studies. These sessions offer students feedback based on audiotaped sessions with clients and on interventions consistent with development of counseling expertise.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health provides a strong academic home for the GCTP, while NHGRI and NCI provide funding, instruction and leadership. This collaborative program, which represents the first allocation of federal funds to support graduate education in genetic counseling, is regarded as an important effort to address new challenges resulting from genomics research.

Our financial package for all admitted students consists of three parts:

• A 30% tuition reduction granted by The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health:
  
  The formula dictates that Johns Hopkins pays for the first $3000 of tuition and then pays for 30% of the remainder. This applies for the duration of the 2.5 years of the program. For the 2023-24 academic year, full tuition is $63,408 for the year.
  
  This means that Johns Hopkins will pay $21,122 toward the first-year tuition, and each student’s tuition bill would be $42,286.
  
  See JHU School of Public Health Tuition and Fees.
   
• A $15,450 first year scholarship paid by the NIH 
  
  This reduces the cost of the first year of tuition to $26,836.
   
• A predoctoral training stipend given by the NIH to all US citizens or permanent residents.
  
  See NIH Predoctoral IRTA and Visitng Fellow Stpend Levels.

Learn more about the cost of attending the program and resources available to students.

An applicant's potential to become a skilled, compassionate, and self-aware counselor is an absolute criterion for admission. The greatest consideration will be given to applicants whom we consider best able to advance the profession of genetic counseling through their leadership in research and their interface with the fields of public health, public policy and health education.

An admissions committee, composed of the Executive Committee, reviews the entire application package and considers the overall balance of each applicant's qualifications.

Unfortunately this year we are only able to take applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Exceptions may be made for  international (non-U.S. citizen) applicants with a prior doctoral level degree, such as an M.D. or Ph.D.  If you think you may meet the advanced degree criteria and wish to discuss further, please contact the program admin at GCTPadmin@jh.edu for more information. 

Requirements

• Completion of an undergraduate degree
• Completion of undergraduate level courses in biochemistry and genetics.
• Counseling experience, either paid or voluntary.  This experience should provide the applicant with an opportunity to work with individuals in emotional distress and to reflect on that process. 
   

In addition, prior coursework in psychology and statistics is strongly recommended.

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health requires applicants from countries where English is not the primary, official language to submit scores on an English Language Proficiency Test. 

The NIH/JHU GCTP does NOT require GRE scores or other standardized test scores.  However, we will consider GRE scores if they are submitted as part of our holistic admissions review process. 

Our admissions committee relies on a holistic review process, taking into account academic performance, counseling experience, other relevant work and life experiences, and the match between the  applicant’s training goals and our program’s goals and objectives. Given this process, we do not have a specific GPA requirement.  However, a strong academic background does provide the admissions committee with one helpful indicator of future success. 

Deadlines

Applications must be submitted and completed by the December 1 deadline to be considered.

Invitations for interviews will be presented in February, with final decisions and offers made in April.

Diversity

The JHU/NIHProgram supports diversification of the genetic counseling profession. A diverse profession leads to a richer professional dialogue and enhances genetic counseling for minority communities. Therefore, candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences are welcomed. We especially encourage candidates from groups currently under-represented in the genetic counseling profession, including people with disabilities, men, and people from ethnic and racial minorities.

The Maryland and DC Society of Genetic Counselors (MDCGC) may have application fee reimbursements available for some prospective students. For more information and to apply for a reimbursement, please visit the Student Application Fee Reimbursement.

How to Apply

You should use the standard application form for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. You will be following instructions and deadlines for the ScM degree in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society. This application website will provide instructions for submitting all supporting documents, which include:

• Official transcripts from their undergraduate institution(s)
• curriculum vitae or resume.
• Three letters of recommendation (at least one of which should be an academic recommendation from an instructor or advisor).
• A personal statement.
• When appropriate, scores from an English proficiency exam.
• Official scores from the GRE exam (optional).

The Johns Hopkins/National Institutes of Health Genetic Counseling Training Program is participating in the Genetic Counseling Admissions Match through National Matching Services (NMS) beginning with admissions for Fall 2018. The GC Admissions Match has been established to enhance the process of placing applicants into positions in masters-level genetic counseling programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). The Match uses a process that takes into account both applicants' and programs' preferences. All applicants must first register for the Match with NMS before applying to participating genetic counseling graduate programs. At the conclusion of all program interviews, both applicants and programs will submit ranked lists of preferred placements to NMS according to deadlines posted on the NMS website. The binding results of the Match will be released to both applicants and programs simultaneously in late April.

Please visit the NMS website to register for the match, review detailed information about the matching process, and to view a demonstration of how the matching algorithm works.

*Please put your NMS match number in the header of your personal statement. *

Additional Inquiries

Specific inquiries regarding the program should be addressed to:

Lori Hamby Erby, ScM, Ph.D., C.G.C.
Phone: 301-443-2635
Email: lori.erby@nih.gov

Or to the Program Coordinators:

Ellie Younger
Phone: 301-439-6639
Email: ellie.younger@nih.gov

The Genetic Counselor Educators Association (GCEA) has established a waiver for the $100 fee associated with the Genetic Counseling Admissions Match. Prospective students who demonstrate financial need AND have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater can apply for a Match fee waiver. Prospective students should apply for a fee waiver BEFORE registering for a Match Code Number.

Applications for the Match fee waiver are due by October 4, 2023. Applicants will be notified by October 30, 2023 as to whether they have received a waiver. There are a limited number of waivers, so not all applicants will receive a waiver. Instructions for how to register for the GC Admissions Match will be provided to those who receive a waiver.

Waivers are non-transferable to future Match cycles and cannot be transferred by the recipient to another prospective student. Prospective students who are granted fee waivers must register for the Match by January 1, 2024. Any waiver not used by January 1, 2024 will be rescinded and may be granted by AGCPD to a different prospective student.

Prospective students who are applying for a Match fee waiver will be required to write a short essay and to upload at least one of the following documents demonstrating financial need:

• A copy of a letter verifying unemployment benefits received within the past two years.
• A copy of a letter on official letterhead from a government agency verifying that you or your family have qualified for public assistance based on low income criteria anytime within the past 5 years
• A copy of your financial aid award letter from another / previous institution dated within 5 the past years
• A copy of your approved GRE fee waiver (for tests taken within 5 years of the application deadline)
• A copy of your federal Student Aid Report (SAR) that verifies you qualified for financial aid within the past 5 years based on a family contribution of:|
  
  o Not more than $1,500 if the student is a dependent student
  o Not more than $1,900 if the student is an independent student
   

To apply, register for the match.

Please direct any questions about the Match Fee Waiver process or requirements to gcmatchwaivers@gcea.onmicrosoft.com

The faculty consists of tenured investigators, scientists and health care providers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Leadership for this joint program is provided by the faculty who serve on the Executive Committee.

The genetic counseling coursework, student supervision, coordination of clinical rotations and Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) accreditation are overseen by:

• Program Director Lori Erby, Sc.M., Ph.D., a genetic counselor and scientist in the Center for Precision Health Research
   
• Associate Program Director Megan Cho, ScM. 
   
• Associate Director of Cancer Genomics Leila Jamal, Sc.M., Ph.D. 
   
• Charles Venditti, M.D., Ph.D., Chief and Senior Investigator, Metabolic Medicine Branch, NHGRI, serves as medical director of the program. 

Students benefit from clinical supervisors located at Johns Hopkins, the National Institutes of Health, and multiple hospitals and medical centers throughout the Greater Baltimore and Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Program coordination is provided by Ellie Younger at NIH.

To learn more about genetics, the field of genetic counseling and organizations that work in these areas, click on the links below.

• National Society of Genetic Counselors - About Genetic Counselors
• American Society of Human Genetics
• American Board of Genetic Counseling
• Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling
• American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics
• American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics
• National Organization for Rare Disorders
• Genetic Alliance