Training future physicians in the era of genomic medicine: trends in undergraduate medical genetics education

Abstract

PURPOSE: Advances in genomic technologies are transforming medical practice, necessitating the expertise of genomically-literate physicians. This study examined 2013-2014 trends in genetics curricula in US and Canadian medical schools to ascertain whether and how curricula are keeping pace with this rapid evolution. METHODS: Medical genetics course directors received a 60-item electronic questionnaire covering curriculum design, assessment, remediation of failing grades, and inclusion of specific topics. RESULTS: The response rate was 74%. Most schools teach the majority of genetics during the first 2 years, with an increase in the number of integrated curricula. Only 26% reported formal genetics teaching during years 3 and 4, and most respondents felt the amount of time spent on genetics was insufficient preparation for clinical practice. Most participants are using the Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics Core Curriculum(1) as a guide. Topics recently added include personalized medicine (21%) and direct-to-consumer testing (18%), whereas eugenics (17%), linkage analysis (16%), and evolutionary genetics (15%) have been recently eliminated. Remediation strategies were heterogeneous across institutions. CONCLUSION: These findings provide an important update on how genetics and genomics is taught at US and Canadian medical schools. Continuous improvement of educational initiatives will aid in producing genomically-literate physicians

Building an Engineering-Based Medical College: Is the Timing Ripe for the Picking?

“…Furthermore, the current medical practice is outpaced by the rapid advancement of health science and technology. A recent survey on genetic curricula in USA and Canadian medical schools found that only 26 % responders reported formal genetic teaching during third and fourth year of school, and most responders felt the amount of time spent on genetics was insufficient for future clinical practice in this era of genomic medicine [3]. Not only medical educators felt the current medical education lags, students at Harvard Medical School expressed similar sentiment [4].…”

Genomics in Modern Medicine: Preparing the Future Healthcare Providers

“…Most medical schools in Canada and the United States were shown to devote an average of 36 hours (with a range of 18-102 hours) of teaching to medical genetics with the most commonly taught topics being cancer genetics, Mendelian disorders, cancer genetics, multi factorial inheritance, clinical cytogenetic, and patterns of inheritance [10]. These lectures are usually delivered in the first year or two of preclinical medical training and this curriculum has not changed much in the last decade.…”

“…Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, there is a growing recognition worldwide of the importance of genetics education for physicians [6][7][8] As a result, there have been studies on how and when genetics is taught in the medical curriculum [9,10]. Most medical schools in Canada and the United States were shown to devote an average of 36 hours (with a range of 18-102 hours) of teaching to medical genetics with the most commonly taught topics being cancer genetics, Mendelian disorders, cancer genetics, multi factorial inheritance, clinical cytogenetic, and patterns of inheritance [10].…”

Educational innovations in clinical pharmacogenomics

“…, NP Ambulos Jr 2,5 , AR Shuldiner 2,6 and MG Blitzer 2,7 Genetic and genomic discovery is revolutionizing medicine at an extraordinary pace, leading to a better understanding of disease and improved treatments for patients. This advanced pace of discovery presents an urgency to expand medical school curricula to include genetic and genomic testing (including pharmacogenomics), and integration of genomic medicine into clinical practice.…”