Abstract
Beyond the statistics in the NSGC professional status survey, there is little information about the career paths for genetic counselors who hold academic appointments. There is also a gap in knowledge among genetic counselors in general about the qualifications, job responsibilities, and challenges associated with an academic appointment. This exploratory study aims to provide insights into the various career trajectories for genetic counselors holding an academic appointment. One hundred and nineteen genetic counselors with a current academic appointment completed the survey. The majority of the academic appointments were through the School of Medicine at University Medical Centers. Assistant professor (42%) and instructor (40%) were the most commonly reported titles. Over 42% of the participants were affiliated with a genetic counseling program, and they spent more time on teaching and mentoring students, but less time on clinical care than those not affiliated with a genetic counseling program. The opportunity for career advancement, level of autonomy and teaching were the most reported factors driving genetic counselors to pursue an academic appointment. Overall job satisfaction rate was high among all the participants but those affiliated with a genetic counseling program were more likely to be satisfied with their academic appointment. The reported challenges of an academic position included lack of institutional recognition, lack of a career track that allowed for promotion and poorly defined criteria for hiring and promotion, all of which need to be addressed at an institutional level. These findings suggest that genetic counselors find an academic appointment rewarding because of the opportunities to teach, mentor students and conduct research, but that obstacles to career advancement within the academic setting will require changes at the institutional level.