New Genetic Counseling Program Means More Growth for CHOP Team

Over the last few decades, the number of genetic counselors at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has grown from a single genetic counselor in 1985 to the current group of 42 counselors providing services to patients and families with suspected or known genetic conditions across the entire institution. That number is likely to increase substantially with the announcement that the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Arcadia University have launched a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program at Penn in 2019.

Arcadia’s genetic counseling program was established in 1995 with support from CHOP and Penn. More than 250 genetic counselors have graduated from the program, many of whom have fulfilled clinical placements at CHOP and within the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Concurrently, genetic counselors have acted as teachers and thesis mentors through the Section of Genetic Counseling at CHOP-Penn.

“These counselors look forward enthusiastically as they continue to train and retain the best and brightest as part of Penn Medicine’s ongoing leadership in genomic and precision medicine,” said Donna M. McDonald-McGinn, Chief of the section of Genetic Counseling, Director of the 22Q and You Center, and Associate Director of the Clinical Genetic Center at CHOP and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn.

Read the full announcement.