Camerun Wasington, WU class of ‘17, becomes the first African-American male to be accepted into VCU’s genetic counseling program
Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) genetic counseling program is not an easy one to enter into. About 50-60 percent of applicants are offered interviews, and only nine were accepted for the fall 2018 semester.
Camerun Washington, a class of 2017 graduate, was one of the nine students selected, and is the first ever African-American male to be accepted into the program.
“I remember becoming interested in the field (of genetics) in seventh grade, when we conducted our first punnett squares and Mendel’s tests,” Washington says. From there, his high school education let him look even closer into the study of genetics.
“We had this assignment based on attached and detached earlobes. A very basic exercise, but I had to research into my family history. The people that are close to me, my relatives, had this. The concept of genetics and how it works, and that it affects me as a person, was so interesting to me.”
According to the National Society of Genetic Counselors, genetic counseling is the process by which patients can receive personalized help towards making decisions about their genetic health. Genetic counselors are licensed practitioners of the field, pinpointing things such as how certain genetic diseases may affect patient or relative health, how medical histories could have consequences on disease occurrence or recurrence and what genetic tests are most appropriate for the patient’s needs.
For Washington, genetic counseling is much more than just a science; it’s about the people as well.
“DNA is a really personal thing, it delves into philosophy, psychology; it literally makes up who we are.”
Part of who Washington is, and what sets him apart, is being a minority student in the sciences. The main reason he believes that he is in this unique position is due to a of a lack representation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Science has to be present in a way that fits all learning styles in order to attract all races and backgrounds. It’s a subject that is difficult in general, and can be even more difficult to get kids interested in.” Washington said, “If in eleventh grade, I had had a genetic counselor of color come talk to me, introduce me to the subject, my interest in genetics would have been magnified so much.”
In a study published in 2016 by the National Science Foundation, only 29 percent of bachelor’s degrees in the fields of science and engineering were awarded to minority populations.
Washington says that as a minority, it was the academic support groups at Winthrop that aided in his trajectory towards graduate school at VCU.
“If I hadn’t had the support system from Winthrop, I would not have been as prepared for my VCU interview… the Eagle STEM and McNair Scholar programs; without those support systems, my next step would have been so much more challenging.”
Washington says his master program at VCU has also offered support programs that encourage inclusion and mentorship, and that his class is diverse in background, race and age.
“Minority students, and non-minority students, should demand inclusion.” Washington said.
He also suggests that undergraduate and graduate students should actively seek out mentorship programs like the ones he has been involved in, and get involved with their academic communities.
In selecting a graduate school, Washington has a big piece of advice: don’t be afraid to follow the money.
“Minority backgrounds typically get overshadowed in the STEM field,” he said. By accepting scholarship packages, “you’ll be able to pay it forward in a way that you’re not straddled with debt post-graduation; in a way you can pay it forward and keep this thing going.”
Washington has a three-part plan to pay it forward in his own way. Returning to his roots in South Carolina is a large part of that plan, since his internship at the University of South Carolina OB/GYN Genetic Counseling through the Palmetto- USC Health Group was a major propeller towards his goal.
Second, he hopes to write grants for genetics education and bring awareness to their importance to communities. Lastly, he wishes to keep learning.
“I want to become a better genetic counselor by going to conferences, by perfecting my practices… by being able to go into a patient’s room and say ‘let’s talk genetics’. Good outcomes for patients: that’s the goal.”
