Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Date

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Leadership & Policy Studies

Committee Chair

Edith Gnanadass

Committee Chair

Yonghong Xu

Committee Member

Kami Wolfe Schneider

Committee Member

Meg Evans

Abstract

Although genetic counseling is a health care profession requiring a terminal master’s degree, 4 to 6% of genetic counselors (GCs) hold a doctoral degree. The literature lacks information on how GCs who have doctorate degrees professionally differ from those who do not. Drawing from Cultural Historical Activity Theory, this quantitative study examines how post-secondary education, as a primary mediating tool, shapes career profiles within genetic counseling. Three research questions guided this study: (1) To what extent is the distribution of work environment, job title, and professional responsibilities different between GCs who have a doctorate degree and GCs who do not have a doctorate? (2) To what extent is the distribution of faculty status, research activities, and grant funding different between GCs who have a doctorate degree and GCs who do not have a doctorate? (3) Is salary different between GCs who have a doctorate degree and GCs who do not have a doctorate? Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test of independence, and Fisher’s exact test were used to evaluate de-identified aggregate data from the 2024 National Society of Genetic Counselors Professional Status Survey. The survey was issued to 7,149 North American GCs and had a 38% response rate. Responses from GCs who have a doctorate (n = 66) were compared to GCs who do not (n = 2459). Results demonstrated that GCs with doctoral training exhibit a distinct career profile working more often in non-direct patient care spaces (e.g., higher education institutions) and holding more grant funded research responsibilities. Doctoral training was also associated with greater opportunities for career advancement as evidenced by increased likelihood of holding higher level professional positions, supervising employees, having higher faculty ranks, and possessing job titles that reflect leadership. These findings offer guidance for the genetic counseling profession as they suggest doctoral training may support more specialized career paths, particularly in research, higher education, and leadership. While GCs who have doctorate degrees, especially those in non-direct patient care positions, reported higher average salaries than those without doctorates, further research is needed to evaluate other factors that could explain this difference beyond level of education and position type.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest/Clarivate.

Notes

Open Access.

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