The Evolution of Genetic Counselor Education and Training in the United Kingdom : A Reflection of the Last 10 Years and Future Directions

The UK genetic counselor profession has evolved to be adaptive to meet developing education and training needs in response to scientific and clinical genomics advancements. Training has moved from a 2-year master of science (MSc) program in 1992 to two 3-year training programs currently. One MSc is delivered in a hybrid model incorporating a clinical placement. The other, the Scientific Training Programme (STP), integrates an academic MSc with work-based training within a Genomics Medicine Service in England. Both enable a pathway to professional registration either via the Academy of Healthcare Science (AHCS) registration, supported by the Genetic Counsellor Registration Advisory Board (GCRAB), or the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC). Evolution of education and training in the United Kingdom is being driven by multiple factors, including technological advancement, changes in the genetic counselor profession, government and health policy priorities, evolution of professional regulation, workforce demands and training capacity, and learners' preferences. The profession has responded to these drivers by ensuring training programs' curricula remain up to date and flexible for rapid changes; they consider the introduction of new training routes, such as apprenticeships, and implementing new delivery methods to support consistent training via the online Genomic Training Academy (GTAC) learning platform. This reflective perspective on the evolution of genetic counselor training and education is written by key stakeholders from the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors' education and training sub-group (GCET), whose role is to horizon scan for potential developments that will impact the profession to ensure a rapid response to future changes.