Board Certification
Most individuals who graduate from an accredited genetic counseling graduate program seek board certification shortly after beginning their career. Board certification ensures that an individual has specific competencies and is up to date with current general genetic and genetic counseling information and practice. Certification also lends credibility to the genetic counselor and to the institution which employs the genetic counselor.
The American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) was incorporated in 1993. It is the entity responsible for preparing and administering the board examination to certify and recertify qualified individuals who practice genetic counseling services. The ABGC also accredits the genetic counseling graduate school programs. Prior to 1993, the American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG) offered certification for genetic counselors.
Prior to becoming board-certified, one must be eligible to sit for the examination. Eligibility requires that:
- One has graduated from an ABGC-accredited genetic counseling program
- One has clinical experience in ABGC-approved training sites
- One has completed a log book of 50 supervised genetic counseling cases
Board certification requires passing two examinations within two consecutive examination cycles; a General Examination that focuses on general genetic principles and information, and a Genetic Counseling Examination that pertains to the specialty of genetic counseling. Both examinations are offered every three years, with the next examination cycle scheduled for the year 2005.
Certification lasts for ten years, and may be necessary for acquiring licensure and health insurance reimbursement in the future. To sustain the title of board-certified, one must obtain a sufficient number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) over a ten-year period, or sit for the board examination to become recertified.
CEUs are awarded for attending educational programs that have been approved by the ABGC and are based on a contact hour system. For more information on recertification and CEUs, please visit abgc.net.
Licensure for Genetic Counselors
Individuals of many professions and trades have or seek out licensure in order to maintain a level of professionalism and a standard of quality. Licensure serves to protect not only the professionals who hold the license, but also consumers who interact with the licensed individual. Having a system of licensure in place for a given profession or trade can serve to protect the public health, safety and welfare of individuals who are subjected to or utilize a particular profession or trade. Licensing qualified individuals can ensure that those who provide services to consumers are doing so in the most accurate and efficient way, consistent with statutes and regulations of the boards of registration.
Establishing licensure for genetic counselors is a multistep, significant undertaking that must be approached on a state-by-state basis. The Division of Professional Licensure is an agency within each state that regulates licensure.
Legislation mandating licensure for genetic counselors has been enacted, thus far, in two states: Utah and California. Several other states are putting forth the effort to obtain licensure as well. These include, but may not be limited to: Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North and South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Massachusetts.
Genetic counseling is a relatively young profession. Until recently, there were not enough genetic counselors to warrant licensure for this profession. It is evident, however, that this is a profession that is growing, and will continue to grow and be needed in the future. Licensure could be of great benefit to this profession to help it to grow and become recognized for all it is worth.
Why Do We Need Licensure?
- Genetic counselors are specially-trained health professionals with degrees from nationally accredited genetic counseling graduate programs and professional licensure would help us to be better recognized as such.
- Counselors are a critical part of the health care team and provide vital information and emotional support not only to their client, but often times to an entire family. Licensure would add to our level of professionalism.
- The absence of licensure for this profession increases the possibility that unqualified practitioners with insufficient or no genetics training and experience are providing inadequate or incorrect genetic counseling and information. Such activities could prove to be more harmful than beneficial to clients and families.
- Licensure would establish that only specially-qualified individuals with the title of "genetic counselor" could provide such services to clients. Qualifications may include that an individual must have earned the appropriate degree (such as a master's degree from an accredited genetic counseling graduate program or a doctoral degree from an accredited medical genetics training program) and that the individual must have board certification.
- Establishing provisions for licensure would allow for suspending, refusing, or revoking of a licensure from a person who is not acting in accordance with established professional conduct.
- Licensure would make health insurance reimbursement for genetic counseling services more readily available to individuals whom undergo genetic counseling. This would make the out-of-pocket costs less expensive for patients, and would allow genetic counselors to bill for their service.
- Licensed counselors would be better motivated and dedicated to keeping up with the rapidly increasing volumes of genetic information, which is the job of a genetic counselor. Physicians have a different focus and don't always have the time or expertise to provide genetic information to patients.
"Court rulings across the country are showing that the increased use of genetic testing has substantially expanded physicians' liability for failure to counsel patients about the hereditary disorders. In recent years courts in Minnesota, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Utah, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia have ruled on medical malpractice cases stemming from genetic testing issues."
- Fortado L: Genetic Testing maps new legal turf; doctors' liability grows as tests are more widely used. The National Law Journal 26(50) p. 1, Sept. 6, 2004.