Her Mom’s Breast Cancer Diagnosis Changed Trajectory of Her Career

When someone in your family is diagnosed with breast cancer, it can affect the entire family. Our guest Chrissy Spears, knows this well because her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer her senior year of college. When she and her mother received genetic testing, she was impressed by their genetic counselor’s compassion and insight. 

It's interesting to learn how one experience can change the trajectory of someone's career. Chrissy had initially planned to attend pharmacy school after graduation but ended up becoming a genetic counselor instead. Today, she is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and a Certified Genetic Counselor at The Ohio State University, Division of Human Genetics. Some of the topics we discussed include the intricacies of genetic testing and counseling, dealing with situations where one does not know one's family history, and gender-affirming care and training, as well as the criteria used to determine if a patient is a good candidate for genetic counseling.