Course Catalogue

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The eight week full time placement (minimum of 300 hours) in a genetics centre will allow students to observe clinical practice in a variety of contexts, and to undertake relevant tasks under supervision, for example taking family history, drawing a pedigree, communicating genetic and other relevant information to clients, and planning appropriate case management.

Work placement

Successful completion of year 1 of the MSc in Genetic and Genomic Counselling

Students will keep a log book of observed cases in line with GCRB and EBMG core competences, including a record of practice hours. The placement supervisor will hold a debriefing session with the student at the end of the placement to discuss achievement against the supervisor checklist of objectives. In consultation with colleagues who have worked with the student, the supervisor will generate an outcomes-based assessment to indicate how well the student has performed in relation to the learning objectives (60%).

The student will use this as a basis from which to generate a reflective portfolio of about 2,000 words that discusses their experience and reflects in detail on three cases into which they have had input (30%).

After the placement finishes the students will meet as a group, firstly with one of the NHS programme leads to discuss practical aspects and challenges experienced during the placements, and secondly students will meet as a group with a counselling supervisor to share emotional challenges within the genetic counselling placements. Each student will then generate a short report explaining how they dealt with one challenging situation at the time, and, on reflection, how they would deal with a similar situation in the future (10%).

Students will work under supervision within a clinical team that is delivering a genetic service to enable the student to observe and discuss best practice and to develop their own skills as a future genetic counsellor, and subsequently discuss and share placement experiences, facilitated by one of the NHS lead team, to further develop their knowledge and skills.

The course aims to provide an opportunity for students to begin to develop the Core Competences for Genetic Counsellors as described by the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors and the European Board of Medical Genetics Core Competences (which have informed the learning objectives).

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Interact appropriately with patients in order to take a family history and draw a pedigree;

■ Communicate effectively to provide patients with clear information about genetic conditions;

■ Make appropriate and accurate genetic risk assessments for clinical cases;

■ Identify issues relating to a client or their family and generate suggestions for appropriate responses;

■ Generate appropriate documentation for case notes and correspondence;

■ Recognise professional boundaries;

■ Demonstrate critical understanding of the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors (AGNC) Code of Ethics and the European Board of Medical Genetics Core Competences;

■ Establish effective working relationships to function within a multi-disciplinary team;

■ Demonstrate reflective skills within the counselling context;

■ Identify, synthesize, organise and summarise relevant medical and genetic information that could be used in genetic counselling for specific cases;

■ Investigate recent literature relevant to conditions seen in clinical cases, and use this to reflect critically on both optimal current management and directions which may be taken in future management of similar cases.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.