Increasing Student Exposure to Medical Genetics Through a Problem-Based Curriculum During the First Two Years of Medical Training

With the ever increasing use of molecular diagnostics for genetic evaluation of clinical conditions, there is a need for an increased understanding of genetics from the most basic concepts to the interpretation of results from molecular analysis. Many U.S. medical schools find it necessary to teach genetics in a very restrictive time frame and find it difficult to allot more time for the rapid expansion of information and new technologies in genetics. We describe how a problem-based curriculum has provided a threefold increase in the amount of time students actually spend discussing genetics issues without actually spending less time in a structured class environment Information is easily disseminated to students through case studies, providing students the means to understand the usefulness of genetics to the practitioner. © 1994, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.