Developing a genomics rotation: Practical training around variant interpretation for genetic counseling students.

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Genetic Counseling Education

Background:

• Next-generation sequencing (NGS) adoption necessitates genetic counselors' expertise in variant interpretation.
• Clinical exome and genome sequencing expand genetic testing scope and diversity.
• On-the-job training is common, but structured, experiential learning is increasingly needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the need for improved genomics and variant interpretation training in genetic counseling.
• To develop and describe goals and learning objectives for variant interpretation rotations.
• To illustrate practical application of variant interpretation concepts in various genomic settings.

Main Methods:

• Established a genomics and variant interpretation rotation for a genetic counseling training program.
• Evolved the rotation into three distinct experiences: clinical, research, and healthy genomic analysis.
• Focused on case-based, experiential learning to build foundational variant interpretation skills.

Main Results:

• Developed specific goals and learning objectives for variant interpretation rotations.
• Created diverse rotation experiences catering to different genomic contexts.
• Demonstrated practical application of learned concepts.

Conclusions:

• Experiential rotations are crucial for equipping genetic counselors with essential variant interpretation skills.
• Training must adapt to the evolving genomics landscape.
• Standardized learning objectives enhance foundational competency for new genetic counselors.