Parker Truong

Tell us about yourself!
I’m an Australian-born Vietnamese. My parents came to Australia by boat in the 1970s. I was born in Perth, grew up in Brisbane, and settled in Melbourne a few years ago. I love Melbourne and everything it has to offer when it comes to food, sports, and cultural events and it’s why I’ve decided to stay and build my career as a Genetic Counsellor! For the past 9 years, I’d been working full-time across a range of industries before going back to study at UTS. My first job was an analyst role where I measured and reported on performance of military helicopters for the Australian Army and Navy. I moved on to do work for Victoria Police, working on projects that focused on gendered violence and preventing crime in the community. Most recently, I was a manager at the Victorian Electoral Commission, delivering on the performance needs of election officials to carry out elections. 

What are you passionate about? 
This one’s easy - my fur baby, Willis. He’s a French Bulldog and I could write a book about him. He’s goofy, affectionate, loyal and loves to bark at other dogs on the TV. I also enjoy powerlifting, Olympic lifting and metabolic conditioning and I try to incorporate this into my lifestyle. Work-life balance is really important to me – I’m not one to stay at home and I like to explore new cultures, the outdoors and go travelling. I once trekked through the jungles and caves of Vietnam, and travelled to the United States to witness the 2016 Presidential Election – what a time! 

What inspired you to study this degree?
Having recently turned 30, I found myself reflecting on my career to date and where I see myself in the future. I realised I had reached a critical juncture in my career and wanted work that motivates me - working with people and supporting them to navigate complexities, solve problems, find solutions and use evidence-based decision making. But more so, I wanted to do these things in ways that have positive impacts on the lives of others. I have always found genetics fascinating, including during my honour’s degree in biotechnology, but couldn’t see myself working in a laboratory full-time. So, for a period of time, my interest in genetics was put aside, until now. I also knew I could draw on my own lived experiences as a child of refugees and being part of the LGBTQI+ community, to support others.

Why did you choose to study at UTS?
I found out that the genetic counselling program is delivered as a blended learning program combining interactive online learning, and attending campus twice a year in two blocks. This was perfect for me as it allows me to undertake the course from my hometown here in Melbourne while also immersing myself in face-to-face intensives. There can sometimes be lots of barriers to mature-age study and this removed those for me. This gave me confidence that a lot of thought has gone into the course to ensure the online learning experience is meaningful and worthwhile for students. What also attracted me to UTS was the fact that the university organises your clinical placements based on your preferences. I recently did my first placement at a local hospital here in Melbourne, and will soon do my next placement in Brisbane. I plan to do a placement in Canada next year and it’s embedded in me that this was the right choice all along!

What are you learning about?
A lot! How about I give you a glimpse of what I’ve been learning over the past week. In one subject, I learnt how to read and interpret a breast cancer pathology report, then practiced summarising the report for both a client and a medical expert. In another subject, I began my journey in cross cultural counselling where I’m learning to develop practice in relation to culturally safe genetic counselling care. I’ve also been working on a few assignments. In one assignment, I’m reflecting on my clinical placement at a local hospital where I had the opportunity to shadow a Genetic Counsellor and observe their work, and in another assignment, I’m critically appraising a research paper and considering the application of the findings to genetic counselling practice. And that was just last week! 

What is the most rewarding aspect of the course?
What I find most rewarding is seeing my progression and improvement each week in becoming a trained Genetic Counsellor. We practice our communication and counselling skills very often. I’m excited to see where I will be at the end of this program – I can feel it’s already changing my perspective, behaviour and the way I navigate situations in everyday life - that’s a good thing. What I also find rewarding is seeing the work Genetic Counsellors do during my clinical placements – they play such an important and impactful role in the lives of individuals and families and I’m grateful to learn and see it first-hand.

How do you balance postgraduate study alongside your other commitments?
At the moment, I’m working three days per week, while attending classes on Thursdays and Fridays. It’s a great schedule because it allows me to balance work, study, exercise, and my social life. To stay on top of my assessments, I have developed a workplan that maps out when these are due and ensure I give myself enough time to complete my assignments and quizzes. It’s quite easy to balance if you plan everything out!

How has the online mode of learning affected your study experience?
I was hesitant about online learning previously because I didn’t like the idea of logging in to look at slides and listening to a lecturer read off these slides. I can say that this isn’t case for the Master of Genetic Counselling program. Learning involves completing your readings and activities via a learning management system prior to class, and then discussing and practicing your learnings during class. It’s very interactive and a lot of individual participation is involved. I’m now an expert at unmuting on Zoom before I speak. I don’t think I can go back to classroom learning!

What do you hope to achieve in the future?
I’d like to inspire more people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds into the genetic counselling field. I believe the profession should be reflective of the clients we see – this builds courage and confidence in the very people who have decisions to navigate in relation to their health, and I know it’s helped me personally in the past. In terms of career goals, I simply want to be a Genetic Counsellor who makes a positive impact in the life of others, and be surrounded by colleagues who want the same.

What advice do you have for students who are considering this course?
Talk to a Genetic Counsellor to gain a good understanding of the work that they do and make sure this is a commitment you are ready for. Be genuine and authentic in your personal statement – this really stands out to the reader, and for yourself, be clear about your ‘why’. Don’t forget to talk about how your professional, volunteering, study, and lived experience is relevant to the genetic counselling profession. Reach out to academic staff if you need suggestions on how to upskill your human genetics knowledge. Good luck!