title: 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.
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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, SOM 2C454, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA. bonnie.baty@hsc.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Bonnie J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Baty
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trepanier
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Robin L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Joan H. Marks Graduate Program in Human Genetics, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Erby
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.|Women's Health Research Institute, BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Catriona
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hippman
authors.affiliation: Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lerner
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics & Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Melanie F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Faculty Development and Adult Learning Consultant, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Carol B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Texas Health, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Claire N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Singletary
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification; D000072117:Counselors / Q000193:education*; D004496:Education, Continuing; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D006801:Humans
keywords: Advanced training; Career advancement; Career development; Genetic counselors