Gallant Alexis, Carmany Erin, Trepanier Angela
Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Nancy & James Grosfeld Cancer Genetics Center, Corewell Health East, Royal Oak, Michigan, USA.
J Genet Couns. 2025 Jun;34(3):e70020. doi: 10.1002/jgc4.70020.
Genetic counseling (GC) program admission is highly competitive. Developing applicant competencies, like the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has done, could help genetic counseling applicants better identify the knowledge, skills, and personal qualities programs seek. The purpose of this qualitative focus group study was to develop a set of draft GC program applicant competencies and then compare them with those established by the AAMC. We developed a semi-structured interview guide that included questions about GC application requirements, the reason for each requirement, and how important each was in evaluating an applicant. These were followed by questions that asked to what extent the medical school applicant competencies aligned with what GC programs were looking for in applicants, and overall thoughts about developing applicant competencies. Focus group participants, which could include program leadership and admissions committee members, were recruited through the Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors' listserv. Four virtual focus groups were held between December 2020 and February 2021. Fifteen people participated, representing 13 of 50 programs. One investigator conducted the focus group session while the other two investigators took notes. Each focus group session was recorded and then transcribed verbatim. The transcripts and notes were reviewed by each investigator independently to generate themes (applicant competencies) using reflexive thematic analysis. Draft themes were reviewed, discussed, and refined, using two rounds of an iterative process. The draft set of competencies was then sent to focus group participants for review. Comments were submitted by six participants representing all four focus groups and were incorporated. Thirteen competencies, reflective of the baseline knowledge, skills, and personal qualities sought in genetic counseling applicants, were identified: Foundation in Basic Science and Genetics, Insight into the Profession, Academic Ability, Capacity for Self-Awareness, Interpersonal Skills, Communication Skills, Critical Thinking and Reasoning, Teamwork, Cultural Humility, Professional Attributes, Capacity to Value and Support Diverse Perspectives, Capacity for Growth, and Commitment to Helping Others. These competencies significantly overlap with medical school applicant competencies but also reflect unique aspects of the GC profession. Additional research to evaluate this set of competencies and the pros and cons of using them in GC admissions is needed. We believe that this work serves as a starting place to promote transparency in GC admissions.
遗传咨询（GC）项目的录取竞争非常激烈。像美国医学院协会（AAMC）那样培养申请者的能力，有助于遗传咨询申请者更好地识别项目所看重的知识、技能和个人品质。这项定性焦点小组研究的目的是制定一套GC项目申请者能力草案，然后将其与AAMC制定的能力进行比较。我们制定了一份半结构化访谈指南，其中包括关于GC申请要求、每项要求的理由以及每项要求在评估申请者时的重要程度等问题。随后是关于医学院申请者能力在多大程度上与GC项目对申请者的期望相契合的问题，以及关于培养申请者能力的总体想法。焦点小组参与者包括项目负责人和招生委员会成员，通过遗传咨询项目主任协会的邮件列表招募。2020年12月至2021年2月期间举行了四次虚拟焦点小组会议。15人参与，代表了50个项目中的13个。一名研究人员主持焦点小组会议，另外两名研究人员做笔记。每次焦点小组会议都进行了录音，然后逐字转录。研究人员各自独立审查转录文本和笔记，使用反思性主题分析来生成主题（申请者能力）。通过两轮迭代过程对草案主题进行审查、讨论和完善。然后将这套能力草案发送给焦点小组参与者进行审查。来自代表所有四个焦点小组的六名参与者提交了意见并被纳入其中。确定了13项能力，反映了遗传咨询申请者所需的基础知识、技能和个人品质：基础科学与遗传学基础、对该职业的洞察、学术能力、自我意识能力、人际交往能力、沟通能力、批判性思维与推理、团队合作、文化谦逊、专业素养、重视和支持多元观点的能力、成长能力以及帮助他人的承诺。这些能力与医学院申请者能力有显著重叠，但也反映了GC职业的独特方面。需要进行更多研究来评估这套能力以及在GC招生中使用它们的利弊。我们相信这项工作是促进GC招生透明度的一个起点。
