Steber Hannah S, Fishler Kristen P, McBrien Sarah B
Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
J Genet Couns. 2023 Dec;32(6):1301-1313. doi: 10.1002/jgc4.1811. Epub 2023 Oct 25.
The Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling's Practice-Based Competencies include research-related skills, which are taught in master's level genetic counseling programs through didactic coursework and completion of mentored research experiences. It is known that research mentors can impact student work environments, create positive perceptions of the research process, and increase students' likelihood of future involvement in research. However, few studies have characterized the experiences of GC students in receiving research mentorship. It is crucial to understand these experiences from student perspectives to better inform stakeholders about factors that impact mentorship. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study explored GC students' experiences receiving research mentorship and their thoughts regarding the successful qualities of research mentors. GC students (N = 165) who graduated between 2019 and 2022 responded to an online survey measuring the mentorship relationship, defined by the Advisory Working Alliance Inventory (AWAI). On average, participants scored 3.96/5 on the AWAI, where higher scores indicate stronger working alliances. When asked to describe their overall research experience in three words, 75.7% of participants used at least one negatively connotated descriptor. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews obtained via purposive sampling of highest and lowest scoring participants on the AWAI (N = 14) revealed the following five themes related to successful qualities of a research mentor: (1) communication; (2) rapport building and relationship; (3) engagement and guidance; (4) expertise and connections; and (5) mentors with different roles. Of note, many of these qualities are foundational skills in genetic counseling. Thus, genetic counselors who may be strong in these areas who do not identify as "researchers" ought to consider becoming a research committee member. Additionally, education programs could consider implementing research committee member evaluations and/or student research self-efficacy surveys to evaluate how these relationships may be shaping research experiences for students within their program.
基因咨询认证委员会的基于实践的能力包括与研究相关的技能，这些技能在硕士水平的基因咨询项目中通过理论课程学习和完成有导师指导的研究经历来传授。众所周知，研究导师会影响学生的工作环境，营造对研究过程的积极认知，并增加学生未来参与研究的可能性。然而，很少有研究描述基因咨询专业学生接受研究指导的经历。从学生的角度了解这些经历对于更好地让利益相关者了解影响指导的因素至关重要。本研究采用混合方法，探讨了基因咨询专业学生接受研究指导的经历以及他们对研究导师成功特质的看法。2019年至2022年毕业的基因咨询专业学生（N = 165）对一项在线调查做出了回应，该调查测量了由咨询工作联盟量表（AWAI）定义的指导关系。参与者在AWAI上的平均得分是3.96/5，得分越高表明工作联盟越强。当被要求用三个词描述他们的整体研究经历时，75.7%的参与者至少使用了一个带有负面含义的描述词。通过对AWAI得分最高和最低的参与者进行有目的抽样获得的半结构化访谈的主题分析（N = 14）揭示了与研究导师成功特质相关的以下五个主题：（1）沟通；（2）建立融洽关系和关系；（3）参与和指导；（4）专业知识和人脉；（5）担任不同角色的导师。值得注意的是，其中许多特质是基因咨询的基础技能。因此，在这些领域表现出色但未被视为“研究人员”的基因咨询师应该考虑成为研究委员会成员。此外，教育项目可以考虑实施研究委员会成员评估和/或学生研究自我效能感调查，以评估这些关系如何塑造项目内学生的研究经历。
