Career Research Interests and Training of Genetic Counseling Students

Research is important to validate clinical services, provide information on the effectiveness of practice techniques, and develop the knowledge base of a clinical profession. Genetic counseling students from American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) accredited training programs were surveyed to de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of genetic counseling 2007-10, Vol.16 (5), p.645-653
Main Authors: Bedard, Angela C., Huether, Carl A., Shooner, Kerry, Buncher, C. Ralph, Warren, Nancy Steinberg
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic degrees
Advanced degrees
Career Choice
Careers
Doctoral degree
Education, Professional
Genetic Counseling
Graduate studies
Health education
Humans
Medical research
Students
Training
Training programs
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Summary:Research is important to validate clinical services, provide information on the effectiveness of practice techniques, and develop the knowledge base of a clinical profession. Genetic counseling students from American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) accredited training programs were surveyed to determine their career research interests and interest in pursuing a hypothetical doctoral degree in genetic counseling. Genetic counseling program directors were surveyed to assess the emphasis on research training within their programs. A substantial number (46%, n = 92) of genetic counseling students are interested in performing research in their careers and many (40%, n = 80) would pursue a doctoral degree in genetic counseling if it was available. Students and directors from programs with a thesis requirement reported a significantly higher emphasis on career research preparation than those from programs without a thesis requirement. The results of this study indicate that future genetic counselors are interested in contributing to the research base that will advance the field. This study suggests a need to strengthen research training within ABGC accredited graduate programs and explore the development of a doctoral degree option in genetic counseling.
ISSN:1059-7700
1573-3599
DOI:10.1007/s10897-007-9104-5