Role play for genetic counseling learning: Value and students perceptions

Performing genetic counseling is one of the tasks of every paediatrician. This assumes prior training during the residency.

To assess the impact of role-play (RP) for training of paediatric residents in genetic counseling and participants' perception.

Repetitive cross-sectional evaluation study. During two RP sessions, two residents played the role of the parents of a patient with cystic fibrosis, and another the role of the doctor. Residents had an evaluation by standardized patient exercises immediately before and after the session. Test scores were compared by the Wilcoxon rank test for associated samples. A satisfaction questionnaire was completed by the participants anonymously.

Post-test scores were better than pre-test scores overall (p = 0.002) and for items in the cognitive domain (p = 0.002). Of the 12 participants, only one had had previous training in genetic counseling. All participants were satisfied with the learning and felt that it would change the way they practice. All participants thought they could do genetic counseling autonomously, but nine of them wanted to have other RP sessions on the same theme. Only one participant found the session stressful and all wanted to multiply this type of sessions for other learning.

RP is an effective and well-accepted means for genetic counseling training. It should be integrated with paediatric resident training.