Muhlenberg athletes are spending the summer of 2026 enjoying fantastic experiences on campus, in their hometowns, across the country, and even around the world.

Ella Borello, a senior biology major on the cross country and track and field teams, shadowed two genetic counselors, one of them a Muhlenberg alum, at the University of Pittsburgh.

This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to shadow two genetic counselors via telehealth at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as I prepare to apply to genetic counseling master's programs this fall.

Last summer, I wrote about shadowing at SUNY College of Optometry because at the time I thought I wanted to pursue a career as an optometrist. Over the past year, I realized that genetic counseling was a better fit for my interests and career goals because it allows me to combine my passion for science and healthcare with patient counseling and support. I wanted to use this summer to gain more exposure to the field to prepare for this new career path I wanted to pursue.

Through telehealth, I was able to shadow two genetic counselors from UPMC, which gave me exposure to two different areas of genetic counseling. I shadowed one cancer genetic counselor, where I was able to see how genetic counselors work with patients and families who may be at risk for hereditary cancer conditions. I was able to see the wide variety of genes and genetic conditions that we can test for, which I found especially interesting because the possibilities continue to grow as the field of genetics advances.

I also shadowed a prenatal genetic counselor, which gave me exposure to genetic counseling in the prenatal setting and the different types of cases that can come up in that specialty. Being able to observe both specialties helped me better understand the different areas that genetic counselors can work in and what the day-to-day responsibilities of the career look like.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this experience was how accessible it was through telehealth. Since I live in New York and the genetic counselors I shadowed are located in Pittsburgh, I would not have been able to have this experience in person.Shadowing virtually allowed me to learn from genetic counselors in another state and still get meaningful exposure to the field.

I am also incredibly lucky that one of the genetic counselors I shadowed was a Muhlenberg alumnus, Rachelle Gehr. I was introduced to her through my Developmental Biology professor, Dr. Elizabeth McCain, who helped connect me with genetic counselors in the Muhlenberg alumni network. This experience showed me how valuable the connections I have made at Muhlenberg can be, even as I explore a career that is different from what I originally planned to pursue.

Another part of the experience that I found really fascinating was watching the genetic counselors explain complex genetic information in a way that was understandable to patients and families. Genetic counselors have an extensive background in genetics, but the patients they work with may have little to no experience with the subject. I got to see how the counselors adjusted their explanations to make sure that patients understood the information they were being given.

This showed me how much of genetic counseling as a career involves teaching and communication, not just understanding genetics. This is super meaningful to me because it combines the science behind genetics with the ability to connect with people and help them understand information, which I believe is a highly rewarding job.

Overall, this shadowing experience was important to me because it gave me a much better understanding of what a career in genetic counseling actually looks like. I was able to observe clinical cases, see what genetic counseling appointments are like, and learn more about the daily responsibilities of a genetic counselor. As I prepare to apply to master's programs this fall, this experience has given me more confidence in my decision to pursue genetic counseling and has helped me better understand the type of career I hope to have after college.