Survey of the training needs of genetic assistants supports the creation of genetic assistant training programs.
attitudes
diversity
education
genetic assistant
genetic counseling assistant
training
workforce
Journal
Journal of genetic counseling
ISSN: 1573-3599
Titre abrégé: J Genet Couns
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 9206865
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 Sep 2023
01 Sep 2023
Historique:
revised:
14
06
2023
received:
07
03
2023
accepted:
19
08
2023
medline:
1
9
2023
pubmed:
1
9
2023
entrez:
1
9
2023
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
Despite the increasing numbers of genetic assistants (GAs) in the genomics workforce, their training needs and how to best prepare GAs for their role have not been well defined. We sought to identify the current educational status of GAs, opinions on their training needs, and attitudes about GA training programs (GATPs). Survey links were emailed to NSGC members, 17 state genetic counseling (GC) professional organizations, and genomic medicine researchers. Respondents (n = 411) included GCs (n = 231) and GAs (n = 136). Like other studies, we found that the GA position is filled by a range of education levels and career aspirations. Most respondents supported the creation of GATPs, with 63% endorsing that GATPs would be helpful and half endorsing a short-term (3 months or less) program. Most believed GATPs should focus on general knowledge, with almost all practical skills learned on-the-job. If more GATPs are created, our survey provides evidence that graduates would be hired. Indeed, of those whose work setting required a bachelor's degree, the number of respondents who favored keeping that requirement was similar to the number who favored hiring a GA without a degree if they attended a GATP. However, there were concerns about GATPs. Many (44%) believed creating GATPs could discourage candidates from becoming GAs. We observed that there are two types of GAs: entry-level and bachelor's-level, with the entry-level being those who do not have and are not working to obtain a bachelor's degree and the bachelor's-level being those who do/are. GATPs could focus on the education of entry-level GAs, while gaps in the knowledge base of bachelor's-level GAs could be addressed by augmenting bachelor's curriculum or providing additional training after hire. Further research on the training needs of GAs and hiring practices of institutions will be vital to understanding their training needs and designing and implementing effective GATPs.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Informations de copyright
Published 2023. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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