education reportPurpose: Physicians entering medical practice in the 21st century will require more than a basic understanding of human genetics because of rapid progress in the field of genetics and genomics. The current undergraduate medical curriculum at most institutions is not adequate to prepare medical students for these challenges. Enhancing exposure to genetics throughout the medical school curriculum should help prepare the next generation of physicians to use genetic and genomic information for optimal patient care.
methods:We have introduced a Genetics Track Curriculum to the undergraduate medical curriculum at Baylor College of Medicine.Results: This track runs in parallel to the existing 4-year curriculum and includes didactic sessions, small group discussions, longitudinal clinical experiences, clinical and laboratory rotations, community outreach, and scholarly projects related to genetics. It also provides the students a means to network and discuss topics and career paths in medical genetics.
conclusion:We have developed a novel curriculum that enhances genomic education for medical students with the ultimate goal of enabling our graduates to deliver more effective and personalized medical care. We believe that the Genetics Track Curriculum at Baylor College of Medicine can serve as a prototype for other medical schools across the country and abroad.
Genet Med
imPORtAnce OF Genetic And GenOmic FLUencY FOR tHe PRActicinG PHYsiciAnOver the past several decades, there have been countless discoveries in medical genetics and molecular biology. There has also been rapid progress in biotechnology. These advances have practical applications for the determination of disease risk, the interpretation of clinical laboratory data, the treatment of disease, the use of pharmacologic agents, and reproductive counseling.1-4 Concomitant with the advancement of genetic knowledge and technologies is the emergence of ethical and public policy concerns related to their application to medical practice. 5,6 It is widely recognized that physicians entering medical practice in the 21st century will require more than a basic understanding of human genetics.Historically, genetic testing has been used selectively to diagnose monogenic or chromosomal disorders or to evaluate the risk of developing or transmitting single-gene disorders. However, genetic testing is increasingly being used to modify therapeutics, to determine prognosis, and even to provide probabilistic risk assessment for common/complex disorders. Because of advances in technology and the availability of highthroughput sequencing and high-density microarrays, it is now possible to interrogate thousands of loci in an individual's genome at a relatively low cost and in a timely manner. 4,[6][7][8][9] In the future, practicing physicians will need to appraise these technologies and make critical judgments and decisions regarding the results they generate for their patients. Several studies have shown that most physicians are unable to interpret even simple gene...