This spring, ABGC committees have been hard at work on a variety of projects supporting the 2025-2027 Strategic Plan. Read on for updates from both the Exam Performance Taskforce and the DEIJ Committee.
If you are interested in joining a committee, look for the call for volunteers that will open in the fall.
Exam Performance Taskforce
Christina Palmer, MS, PhD, Chair
The Exam Performance Taskforce has met regularly for nearly a year to review ABGC certification exam pass rates and identify possible factors that may influence candidates’ performance on the exam. The taskforce used a systems framework to organize its thinking and has reviewed a variety of data (deidentified) provided by ABGC and the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC), as well as publications, to address the four levels of the framework (societal, professional organizations, programs, students).
It does appear that certification exam performance is influenced by factors at all four levels of the framework. The systems framework explicitly includes the ecosystem in which genetic counseling students are trained and certified and highlights that improvements in certification exam performance will require coordinated action across multiple facets of the certification process. The systems framework explicitly includes the ecosystem in which genetic counseling students are trained and certified and highlights that improvements in certification exam performance will require coordinated action across multiple facets of the certification process.
We are currently finalizing our discussions and will have specific recommendations for actions and future research. We anticipate submitting the final report to the ABGC Board of Directors this summer. These will then be compiled into a report available to all.
Christina Palmer is professor at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Department of Human Genetics and UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Committee
Josie Baker, MS, CGC, Chair, and Nick Charles Paolino, MS, CGC, Vice-Chair
The DEIJ Committee is increasingly engaging with initiatives across ABGC, in alignment with the organization's Strategic Goal of creating and expanding equitable opportunities for genetic counselor of all backgrounds, as well as demonstrating and upholding cross-cultural competencies.
At the Board’s request, the committee has reviewed the Call for Volunteers application to ensure its language reflects the DEIJ Glossary and aligns with best practices in diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Looking ahead, the DEIJ Committee will also play a key role in reviewing Continued Competence Learning Scenarios to ensure inclusive and equitable language is consistently applied.
In our previous update, we shared that the ABGC Need-Based Certification Scholarship was open to exam candidates. We’re thrilled to announce that we were able to award 42 scholarships — exceeding our original goal of 40. We hope this program continues to grow, helping to reduce barriers and increase the diversity of professionals entering the field of genetic counseling.
Get to know Josie and Nick in the previous committee update article.