1969. Sarah Lawrence College established the first U.S. program in genetic counselling (Human genetics, n.d.). Genetic counselling seeks to advise patients who are at risk of an inherited disorder on the consequences and risks of that genetic disorder(s), the probability of transmitting the inherited disorder(s) to any potential children, and to help with family planning, including prenatal diagnosis and decisions to have children (Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors, 2014).

The program at Sarah Lawrence College has since grown to be the largest genetic counselling program in the United States (Human Genetics, n.d.). It is estimated that nearly 50% of U.S. genetic counsellors, including directors of North American human genetics programs, graduated from the College (Human Genetics, n.d.). Graduates of the program also work internationally (Human Genetics, n.d.).

-Erna Kurbegovic and Colette Leung

• Human Genetics—Program Character. (n.d.). Sarah Lawrence College website. Retrieved from http://www.slc.edu/graduate/programs/human-genetics/character/index.html.

• Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors. (2014). CAGC-ACCG website. Retrieved from http://cagc-accg.ca/content/view/12/26/