Clark Heather M, Gamm Jennifer, Huether Carl A, Buncher C Ralph, Pfau Ruthann I Blough, Warren Nancy Steinberg
Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, 2165 North Decatur Road, Decatur, GA 30033, USA.
Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet. 2006 Nov 15;142C(4):276-83. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.c.30106.
Members of the genetic counseling community have debated the need for doctoral degree programs to further advance the profession. However, genetic counselors' interest in conducting independent research and attitudes toward obtaining a doctoral degree in genetic counseling has not been assessed in more than a decade. We designed a comprehensive web-based survey to characterize the current research values and practices of genetic counselors. Respondents were asked to self-report their current research involvement, their specific role in research activities, and their interest in performing research in the future. The study showed that a significant number of genetic counselors (84.5%) have conducted previous research, and 69.4% of respondents plan to perform research in the future. These results reflect the maturation of the genetic counseling field, in that a substantial number of genetic counselors consider active involvement in research to be a core role. The study also showed that 34.1% of respondents have high interest in a hypothetical PhD in Genetic Counseling, suggesting that the profession is primed for the development of doctoral degree training options.
遗传咨询领域的成员一直在讨论是否需要博士学位项目来进一步推动该专业的发展。然而，遗传咨询师对开展独立研究的兴趣以及他们对获得遗传咨询博士学位的态度，在十多年来都未曾得到评估。我们设计了一项全面的网络调查，以描述遗传咨询师当前的研究价值观和实践情况。受访者被要求自行报告他们目前参与研究的情况、他们在研究活动中的具体角色，以及他们未来进行研究的兴趣。研究表明，相当数量的遗传咨询师（84.5%）此前曾开展过研究，69.4%的受访者计划未来进行研究。这些结果反映了遗传咨询领域的成熟，即大量遗传咨询师认为积极参与研究是其核心角色。该研究还表明，34.1%的受访者对假设的遗传咨询博士学位有浓厚兴趣，这表明该专业已为博士学位培训选项的发展做好了准备。
