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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 our YouTube channel.  

DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.

See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com. 

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As many of you know through podcasting I have become an entrepreneur including consulting for other podcasts. Since I don't have a business degree I have learned a lot through podcasts like Porch Talks. The inspiration to start this show was from the host Melissa Bradley who wanted to inform, instruct, and inspire fellow entrepreneurs, especially in people who identify as women, people of color, immigrants, veterans, people with disabilities, and folks in the LGBTQIA+ community (which drew me in initially). So if you are thinking about starting a business or just love hearing stories about how businesses grow, Porch Talks is for you. (Sponsored)

Surely you have heard of whole genome sequencing, but what about rapid and ultra-rapid whole genome sequencing? This is an emerging method of diagnosing genetic conditions for quick management. PerkinElmer Genomics offers this incredibly valuable test, which can be life saving for ill babies and kids. Learn more in our full episode (#226) with PerkinElmer Genomics. You can visit perkinelmergenomics.com for more information. (Sponsored)