A Conference on Human Genome Research Implications

The directors of genetic counseling training programs met to update graduate education curricula. The focus was threefold: ethnocultural issues; ethical, social and legal implications of the HGP; and strategies to address the shortage of genetic counselors. Enhancing graduate education is one critical means to meet the anticipated expansion of the roles of genetic counselors. The NSGC is the professional society which represents the vast majority of genetic counselors and is committed to maintaining a high standard of care. The development of curricula which can be widely implemented, as well as endorsed guidelines for training, will reach a large constituency of counselors-in-training and will have widespread impact on the field of genetic counseling. The community-at-large will directly benefit from comprehensively trained counselors, new models of service provision and broader appreciation for the ramifications of genetic testing.