<html><head><base href="x-msg://119/"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>From: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">"Lafferty, Katherine A." <<a href="mailto:KLAFFERTY@partners.org">KLAFFERTY@partners.org</a>><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>Date: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">October 1, 2012 5:06:44 PM EDT</span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><b>Outreach event for local college students!</b><br></span></div><br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><div>Dear Biology Faculty and Staff,</div><div> </div><div>As a part of the Biology department at MIT, I am hoping that you might be able to help me out with this amazing opportunity for your students to learn about an exciting career in the health care field. I am a genetic counselor currently working in the Boston area. This year, the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.nsgc.org"><font color="blue"><u>www.nsgc.org</u></font></a>) is hosting their annual educational conference right here in our great city of Boston!</div><div> </div><div>I am acting at the outreach coordinator for this year’s conference and we have put together a day-long session for local college students to learn about a career as a genetic counselor. Activities will be held on<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Friday October 26</b><font size="1"><span style="font-size: 8pt; "><b><sup>th</sup></b></span></font><font size="1"><span style="font-size: 8pt; "><sup><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></sup></span></font>at the Hynes Convention Center from 1PM-5PM with an early bird session starting at 10AM. I am hopeful that you would be able to share this opportunity with your students. If you are interested, I would happy to come by and talk to any classes you think would like to learn about genetic counseling and this event.</div><div> </div><div>Have questions?? Please find some more informing about genetic counseling below. If you or any of your students have more questions about genetic counseling or this outreach event please contact me at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:klafferty@partners.org"><font color="blue"><u>klafferty@partners.org</u></font></a>, by phone at 617-768-8368 or check us out on Facebook at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/GCcareerevent"><font color="blue"><u>www.facebook.com/GCcareerevent</u></font></a></div><div> </div><div>I hope to see your students there!</div><div> </div><div>Best regards,</div><div> </div><div>Katherine Lafferty, MS, CGC</div><div><i>Licensed Genetic Counselor</i></div><div> </div><div><b>What is genetic counseling?</b></div><div>Genetic counseling is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease. This process integrates:</div><ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 36pt; "><li>Interpretation of family and medical histories to assess the chance of disease occurrence or recurrence.</li><li>Education about inheritance, testing, management, prevention, resources and research.</li><li>Counseling to promote informed choices and adaptation to the risk or condition.</li></ul><div style="padding-left: 18pt; "> </div><div><i>(National Society of Genetic Counselors, 2005)</i></div><div> </div><div><b>Who are genetic counselors?</b></div><div>Genetic counselors are health professionals with specialized graduate degrees and experience in the areas of medical genetics and counseling. Most enter the field from a variety of disciplines, including biology, genetics, nursing, psychology, public health and social work.</div><div> </div><div>Genetic counselors work as members of a health care team, providing information and support to families who have members with birth defects or genetic disorders and to families who may be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions. They identify families at risk, investigate the problem present in the family, interpret information about the disorder, analyze inheritance patterns and risks of recurrence and review available options with the family.</div><div> </div><div>Genetic counselors also provide supportive counseling to families, serve as patient advocates and refer individuals and families to community or state support services. They serve as educators and resource people for other health care professionals and for the general public. Some counselors also work in administrative capacities. Many engage in research activities related to the field of medical genetics and genetic counseling.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>(Adopted by the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Inc. 1983)</i></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><font face="Georgia" size="2" color="gray"><span style="font-size: 9pt; "><b>Katherine A. Lafferty, MS, CGC</b></span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia" size="2" color="gray"><span style="font-size: 9pt; "><i>Licensed Genetic Counselor</i></span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia" size="2" color="gray"><span style="font-size: 9pt; ">Laboratory for Molecular Medicine<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>Partners HealthCare Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>65 Landsdowne Street, Rm 351<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>Cambridge, MA 02139<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>617-768-8368<br><a href="http://pcpgm.partners.org">pcpgm.partners.org</a></span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia" size="2"><span style="font-size: 9pt; "> </span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; "> </span></font></div></span></font><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p>The information in this e-mail is intended only for the person to whom it is<br>addressed. If you believe this e-mail was sent to you in error and the e-mail<br>contains patient information, please contact the Partners Compliance HelpLine at<br><a href="http://www.partners.org/complianceline">http://www.partners.org/complianceline</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>. If the e-mail was sent to you in error<br>but does not contain patient information, please contact the sender and properly<br>dispose of the e-mail.</p></div></span></blockquote></div><br></body></html>