The relationship between genetic counseling student self-efficacy and clinical training

Clinical experience is an important part of the training required in genetic counseling graduate programs, but little evidence exists for the number of clinical cases a student may need in order to confidently perform skills. The purpose of this study was to further describe the relationship between genetic counseling student self-efficacy and the number of core cases students log during their training. In this study, second year genetic counseling students nearing the end of their training completed a questionnaire that included the Genetic Counseling Self-efficacy Scale (GCSES) and questions related to the students' clinical experiences. Genetic counseling student self-efficacy was found to be positively associated with the number of core cases the student accumulated during training, with a plateau in GCSES scores between 80 and 100 core cases. These data suggest that 50 cases may not be enough for the average student, but over 100 may be more than needed in order to feel confident in their skills. Genetic counseling programs may benefit from increased flexibility in clinical training to meet the different needs of their trainees. Further studies characterizing the relationship between genetic counseling student self-efficacy and clinical competency, and well as the effectiveness of clinical training by genetic counseling programs, may aid in better understanding the clinical training specifications that best meet the needs of genetic counseling trainees.