Patel Sheilly, Zayhowski Kimberly, Saenz Diaz Joselyn, Carmichael Nikkola
College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Medical Sciences and Education, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
J Genet Couns. 2025 Jun;34(3):e70062. doi: 10.1002/jgc4.70062.
Social media plays a significant role in career exploration and professional networking, yet its use by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) genetic counseling students remains underexplored. This study examines the use of social media by BIPOC genetic counseling students and its potential to increase diversity in the profession. As part of a longitudinal study using a constructivist grounded theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 current BIPOC genetic counseling students. Through reflexive thematic analysis, themes were conceptualized; these revealed a desire, as prospective students, for more social media content made by BIPOC genetic counseling students and increased awareness of existing resources. Barriers to posting genetic counseling-related content as current students included time constraints, perceived lack of credibility, and concerns about damaging professional identity. Despite these barriers, some participants expressed a desire to post more actively after graduation, particularly about advocacy related to the field. The findings highlight a noteworthy reliance by prospective genetic counseling students on social media for information, contrasting with a low supply of content from current students and professionals. To address this gap, we suggest implementing training and mentoring practices focused on social media use, promoting paid opportunities for BIPOC students to create content, and encouraging open discussion about social media engagement within training programs. By fostering a supportive environment and highlighting successful examples of social media use from current genetic counselors, BIPOC students may feel more empowered to share their experiences and insights, enhancing awareness of genetic counseling as a career option for BIPOC individuals. This study underscores the importance of addressing barriers to social media engagement among BIPOC genetic counseling students to promote a more diverse and inclusive profession.
社交媒体在职业探索和专业人脉拓展中发挥着重要作用，然而，黑人和原住民及有色人种（BIPOC）遗传咨询专业学生对其的使用情况仍未得到充分研究。本研究调查了BIPOC遗传咨询专业学生对社交媒体的使用情况及其在增加该行业多样性方面的潜力。作为一项采用建构主义扎根理论方法的纵向研究的一部分，对25名在读的BIPOC遗传咨询专业学生进行了半结构化访谈。通过反思性主题分析，提炼出了相关主题；这些主题显示，作为准学生，他们希望有更多由BIPOC遗传咨询专业学生制作的社交媒体内容，并提高对现有资源的认识。作为在读学生，发布与遗传咨询相关内容的障碍包括时间限制、认为缺乏可信度以及担心损害职业形象。尽管存在这些障碍，一些参与者表示希望毕业后更积极地发布内容，特别是关于该领域宣传方面的内容。研究结果凸显了准遗传咨询专业学生对社交媒体获取信息的显著依赖，这与在读学生和专业人士提供的内容较少形成对比。为了弥补这一差距，我们建议实施专注于社交媒体使用的培训和指导措施，为BIPOC学生创造内容提供付费机会，并鼓励在培训项目中就社交媒体参与进行公开讨论。通过营造支持性环境并突出当前遗传咨询师使用社交媒体的成功案例，BIPOC学生可能会更有动力分享他们的经验和见解，提高BIPOC个人对遗传咨询作为一种职业选择的认识。本研究强调了解决BIPOC遗传咨询专业学生参与社交媒体的障碍对于促进一个更加多元化和包容性行业的重要性。
