Genetic Counseling Fellowship in Research Training (GC-FIRST)

SUMMARY Due to expanded clinical implementation of genetic testing and technologies across healthcare specialties, there is a huge demand for genetic counseling services in clinical, industry, public health, and academia. The roles of genetic counselors have changed and grown drastically over the 40 years since the field's inception. As the field has expanded to over 4,000, there is greater need for genetic counselors to be able to research the practice in an evidence-based fashion. At present, a two-year Master’s Degree in Genetic Counseling constitutes the terminal degree for genetic counselors, the majority who practice in clinic settings. While genetic counselors are primed to study the profession in their current roles, additional research training is needed to foster the necessary skills and methodology expertise to lead independent research programs. In recognition that the field of genetic counseling would benefit from additional research funding and that our research team is well poised to meet this need, we have created the first ever research fellowship for genetic counselors called the Genetic Counseling Fellowship in Research Training (GC-FIRST) at the University of Minnesota. Upon completion of this comprehensive 2-year, part-time research education experience, four genetic counselors will be exceptionally well positioned to contribute to the growing need for genetic counseling researchers. The overarching objective of GC-FIRST is to train genetic counselors in a range of research methodologies to promote research implementation by genetic counselors working in clinical, industry, public and population health settings. Our central goal is to educate genetic counseling researchers to be independent leaders who mentor future genetic counseling researchers. To reach this goal and attain the overall objective, we will: 1) Develop a rigorous qualitative and quantitative training in the fundamentals and advances in genetic counseling research through a series of formal coursework and training modules; 2) Provide interdisciplinary research training using a practical, application based, and collaborative approach to produce two manuscripts and a grant application; 3) Generate a diverse cohort of well-trained research clinicians that will have enthusiasm for lifelong learning to bolster the genetic counseling research workforce; 4) Evaluate the short term and long term summative and formative outcomes of the two-year fellowship. If successful, this application would create the first research training fellowship program for genetic counselors and contribute to the workforce in academic, clinical, industry, public and population health settings. An added end-product of the fellowship will be the creating and distribution of a set of online modules that will be packaged to educate an even greater number of genetic counselors with advanced research training.