The ABGC Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Committee has made exciting strides for ABGC Diplomates and the genetic counseling industry in 2023, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year. In this article, two committee members — Josie Baker, MS, CGC, a cancer genetic counselor and assistant professor and Whitney Neufeld-Kaiser, MS, CGC, a laboratory genetic counselor — share details on some of their 2023 accomplishments.
These accomplishments include:
- Adding demographic questions to the certification exam to track trends that could inform future exam revisions, with the goal of increasing test equity.
- Creating a glossary of terms that will inform Diplomates on DEIJ terminology.
What made you interested in joining the committee and what is your role on the committee?
Josie Baker: Throughout my career, education and personal life, I have witnessed and experienced first-hand the barriers and discrimination that minority groups face. These experiences highlighted the disparities in health care and made me passion-driven to continually advocate for underrepresented communities. I was excited to bring my personal experiences and education to ABGC, in hopes of helping the organization grow as we learn together. I am thankful to work beside many individuals in the ABGC DEIJ Committee, who are dedicated to change and growth.
Whitney Neufeld-Kaiser: I’m one of the at-large members of the ABGC DEIJ Committee. I was in on the ground floor of creating the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program at the University of Washington, where we had an exquisite opportunity to put anti-racist, equitable, inclusive policies and procedures into place to attract and support a diverse group of genetic counseling students. I learned so much from my BIPOC colleagues who also engaged in that process at the UW, and I was excited to bring the lessons I learned to ABGC.
Can you share about the change to request demographic data on the certification exam?
Both: The genetic counseling profession is not as diverse as the patient population we work with. There are many reasons for this, and one might be that performance on the CGC exam is influenced by demographic characteristics. But since demographics have not been collected from exam applicants in the past, we have no data with which to evaluate this. The ABGC DEIJ Committee talked over several meetings about what demographics to ask for, when to ask for them and how to ask the questions.
The ABGC Board reviewed our draft language and sent back comments and suggestions to consider in creating the final questions and answer choices. We took inspiration from demographics questions in the NSGC Professional Status Survey (PSS) and recommendations from the Minority Genetic Professionals Network (MGPN). The end goal is to mitigate as much bias from the exam development process as possible.
Can you tell me about your experience on the glossary of terms subgroup? What was this group’s goal and what has it accomplished?
Both: The DEIJ Committee has recognized the need to further bring awareness to DEIJ topics, leading us to create the first version of a glossary of terms. The developed glossary will include DEIJ terminology and definitions, as well as examples to further aid in understanding of terms. Our goal is to aid ABGC and their committees, diplomates and candidates in effectively and appropriately understanding terminology that directly relates to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. The glossary serves as a basic framework of terminology and examples to promote discussions surrounding DEIJ topics. The glossary will be updated throughout time to reflect the expansion and understanding of DEIJ.
Are there any other initiatives or successes you’d like to share about your time on the committee?
Both: Each member of the DEIJ Committee brings unique perspectives and lived experiences to the committee’s work. It’s an honor to continue to learn from our colleagues and to be a part of ABGC’s very first DEIJ Committee. We’ve tackled some large projects that have largely been successful, thanks to both the dedication of the folks on the committee and the support of the ABGC board and staff.