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Continuing education for health professionals

In order to provide the best patient care health professionals should invest in educational opportunities that give them up to date knowledge and skills.

In this resource section, you can find directories with various educational resources, self-training modules, information about advanced degree courses, research and fellowship opportunities, and links to various conferences and meetings around the world. Each of these tools for continuing education has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example while online tools provide the benefits of a self-paced environment for learning, conferences allow discussion and generation of new ideas.

The World Health Organizations Human Genetics encourages health professionals to use these resources for personal and professional growth. We aim to support an educated and informed health workforce to provide the best health services to populations worldwide and to achieve the best possible health for all.

Higher educational resources
Distance learning
Online self-training tools
Advanced degree courses
Continuing education for health professionals
Continuing education for nurses
Research and fellowship opportunities
Conferences and meetings

Higher educational resources

• Universities/Institutions Offering Regular Teaching and Training in Biotechnology (India)
  This is a comprehensive list of various Master's and higher level degrees offered by institutions in India. The admissions procedure, contact person, and other relevant information is provided.
• Genetic Counseling Programs (United States, Canada, United Kingdom)
  The following is a list of Genetic Counseling Programs in the United States as well as some in Canada and the United Kingdom. These include programs that have a full accreditation and new programs.
• Graduate courses, department of human genetics, University of Cape Town.
• University of Cape Town: Division of Human Genetics
  To give emphasis to the genetic problems of pregnant mothers and young children in line with the Minister of Health's stated policy. The categories of heritable disorders which cause childhood handicap include blindness, crippling, profound deafness and mental retardation.
• University of Pretoria, Department of Genetics
  We stress the necessity of making students aware of the importance of good scientific method and of training students to be independent and resourceful scientists.
• Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Science

Distance learning

• The Australian Genetics Training Centre (AGTC)
  The Australian Genetics Training Centre (AGTC) provides distance genetic education services to health practitioners in human genetic testing and impact of genetic disorders using cased-based clinical scenarios.
• Graduate Certificate in Human Genetics (Distance Learning)
  The Graduate Certificate in Human Genetics aims to provide health professionals with the appropriate knowledge and skills to incorporate genetics in their practice.

Online self-training tools

• The New England Journal of Medicine Continuing Medical Education Program (UK)
  The NEJM offers two types of programs. One is a one-credit exam based on specific articles in the NEJM from recently published issues. These exams can be taken online or in print. There is also another program in which health professionals can take a 50-credit exam based on articles from the last 6-month volume of the NEJM. These exams are scheduled at particular times, while the web-based exams are available at the convenience of the health professional.
• Clinical Genetics: A Self Study for Health Care Providers (USA)
  The Virtual Children's Hospital is a resource tool set up by the University of Iowa in order to provide information to healthcare professionals as well as the public. Their Clinical Genetics self-study provides healthcare professionals with information on the need for genetics, and how to provide resources and references to their patients. The goal is not to certify individuals as experts, but to provide information.
• Genetics and Your Practice (USA)
  This reference tool is a compilation by various organizations and individuals including the Washington State Department of Health, March of Dimes, the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, and others. The reference guide serves to better educate healthcare professionals, as well as to assist them in knowing when to provide referrals, and to better communicate with their patients.
• Frontiers Programs in Clinical Genetics, The George Washington University Medical Center (USA)
  The goal of the Frontiers in Clinical Genetics program is to make health practitioners aware of latest research in the field of genetics and its implication on clinical practice. The program also serves to foster the understanding of related ethical and legal issues relating to genetic approaches in disease control.
• Frontiers Programs in Genomics, The George Washington University Medical Center (USA)
  This program is targeted toward a wide audience and trains them particularly on dealing with genomics in relation to epidemiology and statistics. Affymetrix gene chips and cDNA microarrays are analyzed as part of this program.

Advanced degree courses

• Doctorate Courses (Italy/ India)
  The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology offers Ph.D. courses in Italy and in India. Depending on the course, the duration ranges from three to four years, and is completed in conjunction with various institutions in those countries. This program has a particular emphasis on helping developing countries.
• Genetic Counseling Graduate Programme, National Human Genome Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University (United States of America)
  This programme is established by the National Institutes of Health and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There are two general programs of study, one which ends in a Masters of Science, and the other with an option to study further to obtain a Ph.D. degree. The program has accreditation with the American Board of Genetic Counseling and emphasizes the psychological and educational aspect of patient interaction.
• Various Graduate Schools
  A comprensive source online graduate school information.

Continuing education for health professionals

• New England Journal of Medicine (UK)
  This website includes two resources for continuing education in Medicine. The NEJM Weekly CME Program which offers one-credit exams based on specific articles in the New England Journal of Medicine as each issue is published. Exams are available on the Web or in print when you want to take them. The NEJM Review CME Program offers 50-credit exams based on selected articles from the previous 6-month volume of the New England Journal of Medicine. Exams are scheduled for March and September of each year.

Continuing education for nurses

• Educational Opportunities at Mayo Clinic, Minnesota (United States of America)
  Mayo Clinic offers a variety of educational opportunities for nurses including awards and scholarships for study. The programs are credited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
• Genomics Education for Advanced Practice Nurses (United States of America)
  Sponsored by the University of California in San Francisco School of Nursing, this program aims to incorporate genomics into one of three specialities: oncology, cardiology, and gerontology. The concept is to have nurses with dual specialities with genomics as well as one of the three general areas. The teaching is done in collaboration with the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UCSF School of Medicine.
• Apply for Credentialing as an Advanced Practice Nurse in Genetics (APNG) or a Genetic Clinical Nurse (GCN) (United States of America)
  This program is targeted toward nurses whose professions involve genomics. The program involves presenting a portfolio in genetic nursing to obtain credentials as genetic nurse practitioners. This program does not require graduate degrees, and is focused on the professional portfolio.
• International Society of Nurses in Genetics Courses/Academic Programs (United States of America)
  This web site contains links to the four programs which offer Master's Degrees or Nursing Doctorate Degrees for nurses who want to focus on genetics.

Research and fellowship opportunities

• Short-Term Fellowship Programme (Italy/ India)
  This programme is an establishment of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and is a three-month maximum appointment. The appointment is either at the ICGEB centres in Italy or India, or in one of the affiliated institutions.
• Post-Doctoral Fellowship Programme (Italy/India)
  The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology offers post-doctorate fellowship programmes to individuals from its member states. The fellowship is offered either in the ICGEB center in Italy or in India, and in some institutions in Italy.
• National Human Genome Research Institute Physician Scientist Development Program in Genomic and Genetic Medicine (United States of America)
  This program serves to further the knowledge of certified physicians in providing them with an opportunity to develop research skills. This program involves clinical work in genetic medicine in conjunction with the knowledge database of genomics. Individuals who enroll in this program develop their own research project, which can be used as a platform for further independent investigations.
• Genomics and Disease Prevention: Training and Education, Fellowship and Career Opportunities (United States of America)
  This site includes various opportunities with information on career development, and professions in bioethics, genetic counseling, etc. The site also has information about career development programs at the Center for Disease Control focusing on genomics and illness. Other training opportunities can be found here.

Conferences and meetings

• Scientific Meetings of the International Genetic Epidemiology Society (International)
  This is a list of conferences from all years including current and future conferences scheduled.
• 2004 Annual Education Conference sponsored by the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors (Canada)
  This conference will be held from October 16-18 in Canada. Main topics for this conference are ocular genetics, and the past, present, and future of the genetics field. This course can be used as credit for continuing education.
• Meetings and Courses in 2004 at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Italy and Others)
  This site contains a list compiled by the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology of the various conferences in the year 2004. The main web site can be found here.
• Annual Education Conference 2004, National Society of Genetic Counselors
  This conference is sponsored by the National Society of Genetic Counselors. In addition, there is a short course preceding this course on Genetic Counseling for Psychiatric Disorders, details of which can be found here.