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Developing a Model of Advanced Training to Promote Career Advancement for Certified Genetic Counselors: An Investigation of Expanded Skills, Advanced Training Paths, and Professional Opportunities

Journal of Genetic Counseling volume 25, pages 625–634 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

There are currently multiple paths through which genetic counselors can acquire advanced knowledge and skills. However, outside of continuing education opportunities, there are few formal training programs designed specifically for the advanced training of genetic counselors. In the genetic counseling profession, there is currently considerable debate about the paths that should be available to attain advanced skills, as well as the skills that might be needed for practice in the future. The Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors (AGCPD) convened a national committee, the Committee on Advanced Training for Certified Genetic Counselors (CATCGC), to investigate varied paths to post-master’s training and career development. The committee began its work by developing three related grids that view career advancement from the viewpoints of the skills needed to advance (skills), ways to obtain these skills (paths), and existing genetic counselor positions that offer career change or advancement (positions). Here we describe previous work related to genetic counselor career advancement, the charge of the CATCGC, our preliminary work in developing a model through which to view genetic counselor advanced training and career advancement opportunities, and our next steps in further developing and disseminating the model.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the help of Susan Manley, who is also a member of the CATCGC, and the Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors, which provided the impetus to form the committee and paid for conference calls enabling the committee to meet.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, SOM 2C454, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA

    Bonnie J. Baty

  2. Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA

    Angela Trepanier

  3. Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Robin L. Bennett

  4. Joan H. Marks Graduate Program in Human Genetics, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, USA

    Claire Davis

  5. Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Lori Erby

  6. Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Catriona Hippman

  7. Women’s Health Research Institute, BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Catriona Hippman

  8. Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA

    Barbara Lerner

  9. Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Anne Matthews

  10. Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Melanie F. Myers

  11. Faculty Development and Adult Learning Consultant, New York, NY, USA

    Carol B. Robbins

  12. Departments of Pediatrics and of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Texas Health, Houston, TX, USA

    Claire N. Singletary

Authors
  1. Bonnie J. Baty
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  2. Angela Trepanier
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  3. Robin L. Bennett
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  4. Claire Davis
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  5. Lori Erby
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  6. Catriona Hippman
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  7. Barbara Lerner
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  8. Anne Matthews
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  9. Melanie F. Myers
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  10. Carol B. Robbins
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  11. Claire N. Singletary
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bonnie J. Baty.

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Conflict of Interest

Bonnie Baty, Angela Trepanier, Robin Bennett, Claire Davis, Lori Erby, Catriona Hippman, Barbara Lerner, Anne Matthews, Melanie Myers, Carol Robbins, and Claire Singletary declare that they have no conflict of interest. No human or animal studies were carried out by the authors for this article.

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Baty, B.J., Trepanier, A., Bennett, R.L. et al. Developing a Model of Advanced Training to Promote Career Advancement for Certified Genetic Counselors: An Investigation of Expanded Skills, Advanced Training Paths, and Professional Opportunities. J Genet Counsel 25, 625–634 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-015-9916-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-015-9916-7

Keywords

  • Advanced training
  • Genetic counselors
  • Career development
  • Career advancement