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Master of Genetic Counselling (MC-GENCOUN) // Attributes, outcomes and skills
About this course
Coordinator
Dr Jan Hodgson
Contact
Melbourne Medical School
Currently enrolled students:
- Contact Stop 1
- General information: https://ask.unimelb.edu.au
Future students:
- Further information and enquiries: http://go.unimelb.edu.au/3vwa
Professional accreditation
The Master of Genetic Counselling constitutes the professional qualification for entry into employment as an associate genetic counsellor, and for Part 1 certification, awarded through the Board of Censors in Genetic Counselling (Human Genetics Society of Australasia).
Intended learning outcomes
Research and Evaluation Skills:
- Develop skills of research methodology from the Graduate Diploma to effectively implement original supervised clinical research;
- Understand the ethic committee process and develop an ethics proposal;
- Undertake a critical literature review relevant to a particular topic of research;
- Develop original research arising from clinical practice;
- Present findings from a original research project at a professional forum;
- Understand the principles of qualitative research, including research design and process in an ethical framework OR
- Understand biostatistical concepts and methods and their application in the assessment and management of health conditions OR
- Develop an understanding of the nature and purposes of health program evaluation.
Critical Reflection and Cognition Skills:
- Develop counselling skills through application of models of practice, in supervised clinical placements;
- Critically evaluate different models of practice through theory, observation and participation in genetic counselling interviews;
- Respect differences in cultural, religious and socioeconomic beliefs in clients, through developing a critical understanding of difference through the literature and personal contact with clients;
- Develop self-awareness through reflection and active participation in the process of supervision.
Communication Skills:
- Analyse the genetic counselling process and the impact on families from a cultural, ethical and psychosocial perspective;
- Understand and critically analyse the process of transference and counter transference in an interview;
- Critically analyse the process of communication.
Ethical Skills:
- Understand the ethical principles that guide and inform genetic counselling practice;
- Consider personal, cultural and moral values which may impact on the individual practice of genetic counselling;
- Recognise the ethical challenges that may confront clients;
- Understand and identify the potential for ethical challenges in emerging new genetic technologies;
- Identify possible challenges to facilitating informed consent and maintaining patient confidentiality.
Genetics Knowledge:
- Understand the principles of inheritance;
- Understand chromasomal disorders and the genetic basis of disease;
- Understand clinical genetic risk assessments for patients and families;
- Elicit and document a famity history and family pedigree, convey genetic information and discuss risk;
- Understand the normal stages of human embryo developments and have an awareness of how this can be disrupted;
- Understand the role of genetics as the underlying cause of various disorders of the human body;
- Understand the role of genetics in cancer;
- Have an appreciation for the range of molecular, cytogenetic and biochemical laboratory tests utilised in clinical genetic practice;
- Understand the genetic testing approach taken for specific genetic disorders;
- Understand the treatment approach taken for specific genetic disorders;
- Understand the issues relating to population based screening;
- Understand the role of prenatal screening and testing in pregnancy management and care, and the options available when fetal abnormality is detected;
- Understand the organisational and economic aspects of health care in Australia;
- Understand the role of the genetic counsellor in the context of the multidisciplinary approach to clinical genetic health care;
- Understand the principles of the legal and professional duties and the responsibilities of genetic counsellors as health professionals and members of a health care team.
Graduate attributes
Knowledge
Graduates of the Master of Genetic Counselling Degree will have acquired:
- a body of knowledge that includes the understanding of recent developments in a discipline and/or area of professional practice in the discipline of Genetic Counselling
- knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to a field of work or learning in the discipline of Genetic Counselling
Skills
Graduates of the Master of Genetic Counselling Degree will have developed:
- cognitive skills to demonstrate mastery of theoretical knowledge and to reflect critically on theory and professional practice or scholarship
- cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories and to apply established theories to different bodies of knowledge or practice
- cognitive, technical and creative skills to generate and evaluate complex ideas concepts at an abstract level
- communication and technical research skills to justify and interpret theoretical propositions, methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions to specialist and non-specialist audiences
- technical and communication skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse, theorise about developments that contribute to professional practice or scholarship technical and communication
- skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse, theorise about developments that contribute to scientific professional practice or scholarship
Application of knowledge and skills
Graduates of the Master of Genetic Counselling Degree will demonstrate the application of knowledge & skills:
- with creativity and initiative to new situations in professional practice and/or for further learning
- with high level personal autonomy and accountability
- to plan and execute a substantial research-based project, capstone experience and/or piece of scholarship with creativity and initiative to new situations in professional scientific practice and/or for further learning to plan and execute a substantial research-based project
Last updated: 18 December 2020