Table 1 Comparison of education and training programs for assistants who support cohort studies and/or biobank projects
|  | Core training program of UK Biobank (2006–2010) [8] | Certification system for JSHG GMRCs (FY2008-) [4] | Education and training program for ToMMo GMRCs (FY 2012-) |
|---|---|---|---|
Initial education | |||
 Period | 3–5 days | 1 day | Approximately 4 weeks |
 Program | 5 sessions | 5 lectures | 18 sessions |
 Lectures | 1 session: project overview, consent process etc. 3 sessions: practice (questionnaire, physical measurements, sample collection and processing) | 5 lectures: epidemiology, human genetics, databasing, research ethics, and communication skills | 8 lectures: epidemiology, human genetics etc. 9 lectures: background to the TMM study, and ToMMo practices |
 Practical training | 1 session: includes practical experience of a baseline assessment visit | None | 1 session: 2-h role-play training in the informed consent procedure |
 Examinations | No information | Written examination | Written and interview examinations |
 Other | On-the-job training | None | On-the-job training |
Re-education | |||
 Program | No information | Advanced seminar and other seminars authorized by JSHG | Annual re-education workshop and small group re-education workshops |
 Advanced certification | No information | Senior GMRC certification (IC experience and credits gained from seminar attendance) | Advanced ToMMo GMRC (IC experience and credits gained from seminar attendance) |
 Renewal | No information | Once every 5 years | Once every 5 years |