Genetic Counselor Awareness Day is recognized on the second Thursday of November each year. In 2022, the day falls on the 10th of November. This awareness day is intended to empower genetic counselors and help spread awareness about the availability of genetic counselors among the general public, as well as in local institutions and communities. Genetic counselors can play a vital role as part of a rare disease patient’s healthcare team.

What is Genetic Counseling?

Genetic counseling can play a critical role in investigating people and families that are directly affected by or are otherwise at risk of a genetic disorder or condition. The purpose of genetic counseling is to help these people adapt to the implications of having a genetic disorder in the family and the upheavals that it may potentially bring. Genetic counseling is a major component of genomic medicine, which is an emerging field in healthcare that will continue to increase in relevance in the future. Genetic counselors help families interpret medical and family history in order to assess of a certain disease appearing. They also can help families educate themselves about the disease and give informed advice about how to adapt.

Spreading Awareness

The National Society of Genetic Counselors, a Patient Worthy partner organization, is organizing a schedule of events for the day. If you’re interested in participating, they recommend contacting local media by November 2 to help spread the word.

They are also providing a suite of resources for spreading awareness about Genetic Counselor Awareness Day, such as flyers, a Zoom background, a letter of support template, a PowerPoint presentation, and a multi-part media toolkit complete with letter to the editor/op-ed tips, pitches to media, messaging and interview tips, and social media/web posts and graphics.

Are you ready to help spread awareness about genetic counseling? Check out all of these resources here.