ACMG has developed training program requirements and their associated activities and materials for the didactic component of Alternative Pathway to Board Certification in Laboratory Genetics and Genomics (LGG).  The program will be open between April 1, 2019 and September 30, 2023 for individuals seeking to sit for ABMGG LGG certification examinations in either 2021 or 2023.

Eligibility for Participation

• Solely ABMGG certified in either Molecular Genetics and Genomics or Clinical Cytogenetics and Genomics
• The ABMGG application to participate in the ABMGG Alternative Pathway should be started (details click here).

Training Program Framework

Required and included in the registration fee:

1.   Required Attendance at the Foundational Specialty Training Molecular Genetics course via live Zoom meeting in 2023 (date tba)

• • Molecular Genetics and Genomics for those already board-certified in Clinical Cytogenetics and Genomics – 9 one-hour lectures
    
    

• • Required 3/4 day Live Zoom Meeting - One small group case-based learning session
    • Mentored case-based learning for
      • Molecular Genetics cases
      • Integrated Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics cases

• • Optional Ondemand short course from past ACMG Annual Meetings
    • • Trainees can select from ongoing short courses aligned with the area in which they are training that are offered at ACMG

• • E-case materials- Analysis of Clinical Molecular Genetics eCases  
    • 20 cytogenetics, molecular genetics or integrated e-cases with interspersed questions with annotated answers (required)

• • • • Cytogenetics and Genomics
        • Karyotyping, abnormality detection and nomenclature exercises
        • FISH patterns, abnormality detection, and nomenclature exercises

• • • • Molecular Genetics and Genomics
        • Sequence or other data from test results and nomenclature exercises

Additional supplementary materials that are not required but may be useful if needed will also be identified.

American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)

Alternative Pathway to Board Certification in

Laboratory Genetics and Genomics

Planning Committee (March 2019)

Thomas William Prior, PhD, FACMG (Chair of Molecular Genetics and Genomics Pathway)

Professor of Pathology and Director of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory at Case Western Reserve University

Nicole Hoppman, PhD, FACMG (Chair of Cytogenetics and Genomics Pathway)

Co-director of the Genomics Laboratory (combined clinical cytogenetics and molecular genetics) at Mayo Clinic

Program Director of the Laboratory Genetics and Genomics Fellowship

Azra Ligon, PhD, FACMG

Chair, American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics Board of Directors

Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School

Chief of Clinical Cytogenetics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Swaroop Aradhya, PhD, FACMG

Head of Global Medical Affairs at Invitae

Katie Rudd, PhD, FACMG

Cytogenetics Director at Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

Elaine Lyon, PhD, FACMG

Director, Clinical Services Laboratory, LLC

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology

Catherine Rehder, PhD, FACMG

Associate Professor, Department of Pathology

Director, Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory

Associate Director, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory

Duke University Health System Clinical Laboratories

Julie M. Gastier-Foster, PhD, FACMG

Senior Director, Institute for Genomic Medicine Clinical Laboratory

Vice Chair, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

PI, COG and SWOG Leukemia Banks and COG Reference Laboratories

PI, Biospecimen Core Resource

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Professor Clinical, Departments of Pathology and Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine

Cindy L. Vnencak-Jones, PhD, FACMG

Professor, Departments of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology and Pediatrics

Medical Director, Molecular Diagnostics Lab

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Gerald (Jerry) Feldman, MD, PhD, FACMG

Professor, Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Pediatrics and Pathology

Director, Clinical Genetic Services, Wayne State University School of Medicine

Director, Division of Laboratory Genetics and Molecular Pathology, Detroit Medical Center University Laboratories

ACMG Staff:

Mike Watson, PhD, FACMG

Executive Director

Jane Radford, MHA, CHCP

Associate Director of Education

Contributor:

Miriam (Mimi) Blitzer, PhD, FACMG

Chief Executive Officer, American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics

Financial Disclosures

It is the policy of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics to plan and implement all of its educational activities in accordance with the ACCME Essentials and Areas and ACCME® Policies to ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor. In accordance with the ACCME® Standards for Commercial Support, everyone (speakers, moderators, platform presenters, presenting authors, committee members and staff) who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ is required to disclose all financial relationships with any commercial interests (see definition below) within the past 12 months that creates a real or apparent conflict of interest. Disclosure must include financial relationships of the individual and those of their spouse/partner. Individuals who do not disclose will be disqualified from participating in a CME activity.

This disclosure pertains to relationships with ACCME-defined commercial interests whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the presentation topic. Any real or apparent conflicts of interest related to the content of the presentations must be managed prior to the educational activity.

ACMG will identify, review and resolve all conflicts of interests prior to an educational activity being delivered to learners.

NOTE:

• ACMG will follow the ACCME’s expectation that no employees or owners of commercial interests will be involved as planners/faculty/presenters of a CME accredited activity.
• The ACCME definition of a commercial interest is any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients.
• The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical service directly to patients to be commercial interests - unless the provider of clinical service is owned, or controlled by, an ACCME-defined commercial interest.
• Diagnostic laboratories are not considered commercial interests unless they are owned by or have a sister organization which is a commercial interest.

The following have reported disclosures:

Julie Gastier-Foster, PhD, FACMG

Dr. Gastier-Foster receives grant support from NCI Cancer Genomics, Bristol Myers Squibb and Incyte Corporation.

Elaine Lyon, PhD, FACMG

Dr. Lyon is a consultant for Genoox and is on the Board of Directors for the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.

Catherine Rehder, PhD, FACMG

Dr. Rehder receives grant support from NICHD. She is a consultant with Illumina and her spouse is a consultant with McKesson. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the American Cytogenomics Conference.

Katie Rudd, PhD, FACMG

Dr. Rudd is employed with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings. Participation in planning and writing case study questions are not in line with any clinical applications or recommendations, business lines or products of her employer.

The following planning members, staff and contributors have nothing to disclose:

Azra Ligon, PhD, FACMG

Gerald (Jerry) Feldman, MD, PhD, FACMG

Cindy Vnencak-Jones, PhD, FACMG

Thomas William Prior, PhD, FACMG

Swaroop Aradhya, PhD, FACMG

Nicole Hoppman, PhD, FACMG

ACMG Staff:

Mike Watson, PhD, FACMG

Jane Radford, MHA, CHCP

Contributor:

Miriam (Mimi) Blitzer, PhD, FACMG