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Genetic Counseling Mock Interview

Question 11 of 25 for our Genetic Counseling Mock Interview

Genetic Counseling was updated by on September 8th, 2017. Learn more here.

Question 11 of 25

How do you explain to patients that just because they are tested for having a higher chance of receiving a certain disease, doesn't necessarily mean you will have that disease?

For this question, you can talk about a specific example and then follow it up with how you handled the situation.



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How to Answer: How do you explain to patients that just because they are tested for having a higher chance of receiving a certain disease, doesn't necessarily mean you will have that disease?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Genetic Counseling job interview.

  • 11. How do you explain to patients that just because they are tested for having a higher chance of receiving a certain disease, doesn't necessarily mean you will have that disease?

      How to Answer

      For this question, you can talk about a specific example and then follow it up with how you handled the situation.



      Written by Ryan Brown

      Answer Example

      "I had a patient come in to see me who was distraught that she tested positive for the Alzheimer's gene. While she did not present any symptoms, she was worried that she would turn out like her grandfather who was helpless and delusional as he aged. She started crying and panicking. I told her that just because she tests positive does not mean that she will have the disease but yes it does increase her chances. I also set up an appointment with a neurologist so that he could refer her to support groups and talk to her about potential clinical trials. More importantly, I let her know that it is difficult to predict the future and we could potentially have a cure by the time she expresses the disease. This did seem to calm her down and make her realize that she should enjoy today and worry about tomorrow when it gets here."

      Written by Ryan Brown