Traveling Short Course - Survival Skills for the 21st Century: How to Shape Your Future as a Genetic Counselor

November 10-11, 2008
The Down Town Club
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Click on the links below to be taken to the specific sections.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

We anticipate approval of up to 10 contact hours or 1 CEU for the Traveling Short Course.

Back to top

Session Objectives

After attending the Traveling Short Course, participants will be able to:

• Create and execute a strategic plan for their program and/or career path.
• Utilize planning, negotiation and project management skills to increase productivity and success.
• Apply vision and leadership for a more fulfilling professional and personal experience as a genetic counselor.

NSGC 2008 Traveling Short Course Session Listings & Learning Objectives

Following Your Passion
After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize the aspects of participants’ profession that they are passionate about.
2. Generate ideas about how to focus on those aspects and build their work around them.
3. Discuss how to maintain this focus on a daily basis to enhance their career.

Flexibility – How to Adapt to Yourself and the Institution
After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Demonstrate various methods of inter- and intra-personal flexibility techniques to maximize teamwork.
2. Identify common personality strengths and weaknesses that encourage and inhibit flexibility.
3. Through case examples, review applicable scenarios that illustrate use of flexibility in conflict resolution

On the Management Track: Leadership Development

1. Participants will identify their own leadership strengths and weaknesses.
2. Participants will explore multiple approaches to the development of leadership and management skills to allow participants to select techniques and interventions that are consistent with their style and preferences.
3. Participants will be challenged to identify small projects to test their leadership and management skills, including research of the issue, crafting of the goals and objectives, development of a project plan and a plan to measure success.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Annual Review
After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the components of a productive performance review.
2. Formulate a plan to enhance her/his next performance review.

Handling Conflict with Poise
After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize five different styles of conflict resolution.
2. Identify their personal style of conflict resolution as well as the styles they may have difficulty working with.
3. Create a set of tools that may be helpful when a handling a conflict that arises in the workplace.

Leveraging Genetic Counseling Skills for Nontraditional Roles
After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize the applicability of genetic counseling skills in other roles.
2. Identify specific genetic counseling skills and attributes and how they can be utilized successfully in other roles.
3. Apply what has been learned to each participant’s own career.

Finding a Career vs. Taking a Job
After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify key elements of personal satisfaction regarding career direction.
2. Define various motivations and processes for making decisions affecting career planning.
3. Recognize skills and talents inherent to achieving career satisfaction

Negotiating Your Way to Success
After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe what would make their job personally and professionally satisfying and identify what aspects of their current job are in need on negotiation to meet these satisfaction standards.
2. Gather the appropriate tools necessary to prepare for a negotiation with their superiors.
3. Communicate effectively with supervisors in the negotiation process.

Yoga in the Workplace/Balancing Work and Life
After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize tendencies that inhibit balance and learn behavior modifications to restore & refresh.
2. Identify the benefits, both physical and mental, of yoga at home and/or in the workplace.
3. Empower you to have balance in your life by utilizing the resources and tools available.

Back to top

Registration Rates and Information

Registration includes access to all sessions and conference proceedings and break beverages on Monday, and continental breakfast, lunch and break beverages on Tuesday. CEU’s for the meeting must be purchased separately.

Registration Classes and Fees

To register online, click here. Registrations must be received or postmarked by October 24, 2008. Following October 24, individuals interested in registering should do so on-site in Philadelphia.

Back to top

Meeting, Hotel and Travel Information

Meeting Location

This event will be held at The Down Town Club in Philadelphia, PA. The Down Town Club is located on the southwest corner of 6th & Chestnut Streets in the Public Ledger Building. Use the 6th Street entrance to the building. The Club is on the 11th Floor. Philadelphia might be most famously known as the birthplace of American democracy, but you'll find it's an ideal destination for discovery as you explore its colorful neighborhoods, learn more about its rich history and delve into its spectacular sights and attractions. Click here to learn more about Philadelphia!

Housing Reservations

Rooms have been arranged at the Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City for a discounted rate of $149 single/double per night (plus tax) and $10 per additional person after two people. Rooms are available at the discounted rate until October 20, 2008 or until the NSGC block sells out, whichever comes first. Rooms reserved after this date are subject to rate and availability.

You may make your hotel room reservations by calling the hotel directly at 215-665-9100. You must reference National Society of Genetic Counselors to receive the group rate.

Check-in is at 4:00 PM, and check-out is at 11:00 AM.

The Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City is located less than 1 mile from The Down Town Club.

Group Airline & Car Rental Discounts

NSGC has partnered with Apollo Travel to provide all attendees of the Traveling Short Course with discounted air and car rental reservations. All prices quoted will include your meeting’s negotiated discount. The earlier you book, the bigger the discount!

Click here for online reservations.

Phone reservations are accepted Monday-Friday, 7am – 7pm (CST) by calling 1-866-880-6483.

Email Reservations may be made by emailing travel@travelapollo.com.

Ground Transportation

The Philadelphia International Airport is located approximately 10 miles from the Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City.

Taxi

A taxi will cost a flat rate of $26.25 to the Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City and they are readily available at the airport.

Public Transportation

A SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) stop is located at the airport and drops off 3 blocks away from the Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City. Exit SEPTA at Market East Station. The cost is $7.00 one way.

Click here for more detailed information on SEPTA. Click here for a map of SEPTA.

Parking

Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City: Onsite self-parking is $20 per day and valet parking is $23 per day.

The Down Town Club: There are several parking garages in the area. Parking will cost approximately $18 per day, depending on the lot.

• 615 Chestnut Street (Entrance at 7th & Ranstead Streets)
• 7th Street (Between Chestnut & Market)
• Curtis Building (Entrance to Garage on Sansom between 6th & 7th Streets) Sansom Street is between Chestnut & Walnut Streets
• Bourse Building (Entrance to Garage is on 4th Street near corner of Chestnut)

Driving Directions

Click here for driving directions to The Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City.

Click here for driving directions to The Down Town Club.

The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2008 Annual Meeting
November 11-15, 2008
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Abstract Submission Deadline: June 19, 2008
www.ashg.org/2008meeting

The program will provide the highest quality scientific and clinical information to address the needs of ASHG’s diverse audience. The 2008 Program Committee has worked to balance basic, translational, and clinical research with educational and social issues. The scientific sessions of invited speakers and contributed papers are relevant to clinicians diagnosing and characterizing birth defects and developmental disorders; to counselors informing and supporting patients and families about these disorders; to basic scientists deciphering the pathogenesis of Mendelian disorders; to geneticists dissecting contributions to complex traits; and the newest information on genome wide association studies; and to all of us translating the wealth of genomic information into function. In addition, updates on research will be highlighted for epigenetics, genomics, non-coding RNAs, triplet expansions, pharmacogenetics, and therapy for genetic disorders.

Back to top
Back to Traveling Short Course Main Page