The Cancer Genetics Career Development Program (CGCDP) at City of Hope is structured to emphasize self-efficacy learning, with the Cancer Screening & Prevention Program Network (CSPPN) serving as the central arena for progressive, integrated clinical training. Each trainee will be required to participate in cancer risk assessment, counseling, testing, case management, and follow up for a minimum of four patients per calendar month (48 or more patients annually). Level of active participation in cases will be staged as follows:
- Initial period of case observation
- Increasing interaction and active participation during the session and in follow up activities
- Primary clinical involvement and full case responsibility.
Trainee participation will be within a supervised setting with close mentorship at each level. Progression to full-level case responsibility will be determined on an individual basis through mentor-directed performance evaluations. Full case participation includes:
- Pre-counseling case review
- Entry of family and patient history data into Progeny database
- Genetic counseling
- Psychosocial assessment
- Enrollment of candidate patients and families into the hereditary cancer registry protocol
- Chemopreventive, epidemiological and behavioral research trials as appropriate
- Participation in test results disclosure and risk management follow-up visits
- Additional longitudinal case management
Trainees will be required to present each case seen at the weekly interdisciplinary Clinical Cancer Genetics (CCG) Working Group. Each trainee must also complete a case logbook comprised of a comprehensive summary of 25 cases and pass an oral exam related to three of these cases prior to completion of the program.
