Tabitha Hanson

黑料官网

Graduate Student

Program

Genetic Counseling

Biography

Hi all! My name is Tabitha Hanson. I hail from Grand Rapids, MN. I graduated from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in 2018 with a BA in Biology and minors in Psychology and Chemistry.

During my time at Saint Mary's, I took on mentoring roles such as Teaching Assistant or Tutor and helped to establish our school's Peer Learning Assistance program with the goal of making college learning more accessible. Volunteering with local programs such as Saint Anne Assisted Living, Winona Health, Mayo Clinic's Caring Hands, and later Ronald McDonald House, allowed me to expand my caregiving skills and engage with communities, which I aim to serve as a genetic counselor.

Immediately following graduation, I was employed by Mayo Clinic as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist in the Genomics/Cytogenetics Lab in Rochester, MN. I primarily performed fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH). There, I learned the intricacies of clinical lab testing and came to appreciate the need for improved test utilization. My passion for genetically complex cancer cases and client order triage led me to stay in the FISH lab for nearly 7 years as I chased my professional dreams.

For me, becoming a genetic counselor has been my primary aspiration for more than a decade. Following my grandmother's positive experience during a GC consult, I was drawn to the profession, which seems to favor patient empowerment over paternalism.

My advice to any GC graduate school hopeful would be to seek help from someone who has been in your shoes and not to feel discouraged if you do not “Match” the first, second, …or third time! Due in no small part to a hearty support system of friends and family, a lot of ""grit"", and learning through adversity, I am so proud to be a part of the 5th cohort here at 黑料官网! I am looking forward to connecting with other students and genetic counselors, as well as honing my skills in clinic.

In my free time, I like to ""walk adventurously"", watch documentaries and campy films, cook (I am strictly a cook as I am a soggy-bottom baker), and hang with my friends, family, and most importantly, my cat.

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