title: The current status of medical genetics instruction in US and Canadian medical schools.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Relatively little is known about how medical genetics is being taught in the undergraduate medical curriculum and whether educators concur regarding topical priority. This study sought to document the current state of medical genetics education in U.S. and Canadian accredited medical schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  In August 2004, surveys were sent from the Indiana University School of Medicine to 149 U.S. and Canadian medical genetics course directors or curricular deans. Returned surveys were collected through June 2005. Participants were asked about material covered, number of contact hours, year in which the course was offered, and what department sponsored the course. Data were collated according to instructional method and course content.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 75.2%. Most respondents (77%) taught medical genetics in the first year of medical school; only half (47%) reported that medical genetics was incorporated into the third and fourth years. About two thirds of respondents (62%) devoted 20 to 40 hours to medical genetics instruction, which was largely concerned with general concepts (86%) rather than practical application (11%). Forty-six percent of respondents reported teaching a stand-alone course versus 54% who integrated medical genetics into another course. Topics most commonly taught were cancer genetics (94.2%), multifactorial inheritance (91.3%), Mendelian disorders (90.3%), clinical cytogenetics (89.3%), and patterns of inheritance (87.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings provide important baseline data relative to guidelines recently established by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Ultimately, improved genetics curricula will help train physicians who are knowledgeable and comfortable discussing and answering questions about genetics with their patients.
authors: Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA. vthursto@iupui.edu
authors: Virginia Carol
authors: VC
authors: Thurston
authors: Paula Sue
authors: PS
authors: Wales
authors: Mary Alice
authors: MA
authors: Bell
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Torbeck
authors: James Joseph
authors: JJ
authors: Brokaw
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D003625:Data Collection; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005826:Genetics, Medical / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000639:trends*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States