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KMID : 1172020200210010041
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Journal of Korean Bioethics Association
2020 Volume.21 No. 1 p.41 ~ p.56
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Accreditation for genetic counselors and a master’s program in genetic counseling and its ethics education
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Choi In-Hee
Koo Young-Mo
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Abstract
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It took a long time in western medicine to come up with the NSGC definition of genetic counseling(2006), stating that genetic counseling is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological, and familial implication of the genetic contribution to disease. In Korea, little consensus has been made among healthcare professionals regarding the concept of genetic counseling service in hospitals. We, authors, are dissatisfied with the words of Korean translation because they are both equivocal and confusing. Believing that the Korean public’s call for supplying genetic counseling service will be in increasing demand, we examine in this article accreditation systems, home and abroad, for genetic counselors. This examination includes accreditation bodies, requirements and qualifications. We present a successful case of a master’s program in genetic counseling, open in Seoul, Korea in 2018. Charts show the composition of academic/professional backgrounds of the 29 registered students. Followed by medical ethics course syllabus from Fall 2019 semester, and in turn detailed discussion of five ethical issues described in it. They are: prenatal genetic testing for diagnosis or assisted reproductive technology; adult onset genetic disease; newborn screening and predictive/confirmatory genetic testing for minors; Direct-To-Consumer DNA testing; secondary findings in genomic research. Lastly but not the least, a sensitive issue that concerns with genetic data and the family is also examined from a genetic counselor’s point of view. We conclude this article with a suggestion that a future community of the Korean genetic counselors, should take the lead in managing potential conflicts with stakeholders, including various medical practitioners, on one hand, and promoting collaboration with each other on the other.
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KEYWORD
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genetic counseling service in Korea, genetic counselor, accreditation for genetic counselors, master’s program in genetic counseling, medical ethics education, DNA testing
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