CanadianAssociationofGeneticCounsellors:

SummaryofCertification

KateGardiner,CGC,CCGCMay19,2016

Objectives

• BriefhistoryofCAGCandCertification• ProcessofCertification• ProcessofRecertification• Currentstatusofregistry+licensure

CAGC+Certification

• CAGC- formedin1987 asaCanadianNPOTopromotehighstandardsofpractice,encourageprofessionalgrowthand

increasepublicawarenessofthegeneticcounsellingprofession inCanada.

CAGC+Certification

• CAGCBoardofDirectors:– President• PresidentElect,Presidentfromprevioustwoterms

– Treasurer– Secretary– OfficeManager*– Studentrepresentative– Regionalrepresentatives(East,WestandCentral)

CAGC+Certification

CAGCCommittees• CertificationBoard • Education• Infertility/ART • Finance• FrenchLanguage • GCRolesTaskForce• MediaandCommunications • Membership• ProfessionalIssues • Nominations• ProfessionalLiability

Insurance• Research

• Website

CAGC+Certification

Committees• CertificationBoard • Education• Infertility/ART • Finance• FrenchLanguage • GCRolesTaskForce• MediaandCommunications • Membership• ProfessionalIssues • Nominations• ProfessionalLiability

Insurance• Research

• Website

CAGC+Certification

• BriefsummaryofPSSleadingintohowmanyGCarecertified

CAGC+CertificationProfessionalStatusSurvey• Every5years• 2011:171respondents– 97%female– ~70%betweentheagesof26-40– 34.21%workingasaGCfor1-5yearsvs22.3%workingasaGCfor>15years

– 20%werecontractedGCs– +90%workinginhospitals/academiccentres– Fairlyevendistributionofareasofpractice– Averagesalary:$72,786.90– 64%CAGCcertified+54%ABGCcertified

CAGC+Certification

CertificationCommittee:Todevelop,maintainandimplementprocesses

andpoliciesrelatingtocertificationandrecertificationofgeneticcounsellorsinCanada

• 8membercommittee,whichservesa4yearterm• Certification• Recertification• ContinuingEducationCredits

• AutonomouscommitteeandactsindependentlyfromtheCAGCBoardofDirectors

• Firstexamin1998• GCsarecertifiedfora10yearperiod• 320certifiedgeneticcounsellors

ProcessofCertification• CertificationExamination– every2years(next2017)andoccurringconcurrently totheCAGCAnnualEducationConference

• Candidatesapplytowritetheexaminoneofthreepathways:– PathwayA– graduatesofABGC/ACGCaccreditedMastersprograminGeneticCounselling

– PathwayB- graduatesofMastersprograminGeneticCounsellingthatisnotABGC/ACGCaccredited

– PathwayC- graduatesofCanadianMastersprograminGeneticCounsellingthatisnotABGC/ACGCaccredited

• Nominimumlengthbetweencompletingtrainingrequirementsandapplyingforcertification

ProcessofCertificationApplicationrequirements• PathwaysA,B,andC

– Officialtranscript– Lettersofrecommendations(twoforPathwayA,andthreeforB

andC)• AdditionallyforPathwaysBandC

– Requestforspecialconsiderationthatoutlineswhythecandidateiseligibletositfortheexamination

– Descriptionofclinicaltraining– Listofprofessionalactivities– OnepageCV/Resume– Descriptionofcoursecontent– *Caselogbookof50geneticcounsellingcasesthataresigned

offbyacasesupervisorwithappropriatecertification(ie:CAGC,CCMG,ABMG,ABGC,RCPC,GCRB,HGSA)

ProcessofCertification

Examination• Computer-basedexam(Yardstick)• 3hour,150multiplechoicequestions– 950questionbank

• FrenchandEnglishavailable• Passingscoresrangefrom70-75%• BasedonKnowledgeandPracticeBasedCompetenciesdevelopedbytheCAGC

ProcessofCertificationExamination• KnowledgeBasedCompetencies

• PracticebasedCompetencies

• Epidemiology,Population, andBasicHumanGenetics

• GeneticScreening

• MolecularGenetics• BiochemicalGenetics• CancerGenetics• PrenatalDiagnosis

• ClinicalGenetics• GeneticCounselling• Cytogenetics

• Counselling andCommunication • Psychosocial Assessment

• PsychosocialSupport andCounselling • AwarenessandDiversity

• Communicationof Information • GeneticExpertise

• CriticalThinking • ClinicalCaseManagement• Education • Research• ProfessionalismandEthicalPractice • ProfessionGrowth• PublicHealthandAdvocacy • Leadership• EthicalPractice

ProcessofCertification

Examination• Scoring+evaluating– PassscoresetusingAngoff +SubjectiveAnalysis– Post-testitemreliabilityevaluatedusingKR,p(diff)+rbp

ProcessofRecertification

• CertificationexpiresonDec31st ofthe10thyearfromthedatetheexamwaswrittenandpassed

• 2pathways:– Re-examination– AccumulationofContinuingProfessionalCredit(CPCs)andContinuingEducationCredits(CECs)

Recertification

• CertificationexpiresonDec31st ofthe10thyearfromthedatetheexamwaswrittenandpassed

• 2pathways:– Re-examination(amendedPathwayA)– AccumulationofContinuingProfessionalCredit(CPCs)andContinuingEducationCredits(CECs)

Recertification

• CPCs+CECs• Mustsubmitanapplication,CPClogbookandCEClogbook• Requiresacombinationfor150totalcredits• CPCs:accruedfromemployment

– 10CPCsperyearforfull-timeemployment(basedon35-40hourworkweek)

– Minimum:20;Maximum70

• CECs:accruedfromapprovededucationalsessions– 1CECforeachhourofeducationsession– Minimum:80;Maximum130

RegistryandLicensure

• Currentstatus:– GCsareunregulatedinalljurisdictionsinCanada– Nogoverningbodytooverseepracticeofgeneticcounselling

– Notitleprotection– Autonomouspracticeprohibitedduetolackofregulatoryframework

– Barrierstolicensureduetolegislature,cost+smallnumbers

• Nextstep?

Thankyou!

• Questions?