Paduan Learners and Francis

What I always find amazing is the enthusiasm with which medical students learn genetics. My colleague came back from some of our house visits and I had some time to teach. It is as if they were never taught genetics to begin with. I just finished up an hour long lecture with the 3rd year medical students of New York Medical College. I often hear so many..."Oh Yeahs" or "Oh....I get it" answers....That is what motivates me.

After the hour long lecture....I often the tell them that they now know more genetics than their attendings (Older Physicians). This often makes them feel very empowered. I walk these students through the history of modern medical genetics and tell them about the lack of providers in the field. Often this is accompanied with several expletives about how Mendel did us wrong.....


Did you know that medical students in this new century still think that 1 gene makes 1 protein makes one phenotype? It is true....despite the evidence for alternative splicing, methylation, epigenetics...I could go on and on. There is a reason why a certain unnamed CEO at a certain unnamed genomics company said "Teaching Doctors genetics isn't hard....It's impossible"


I think you know who that company was........Unlike others that are teaching physicians through CMEs.


What I really want to know is.....how many doctors are doing what I just did? I am looking to build a Clone Army and don't have the ability to go to Kamino. So to quote Jerry....."Who's coming with me?" Please email me!


The Sherpa Says:


Congratulations to Francis Collins on his recent Ethics award. He is the George Washington of our genomic union. If we could only clone thee....methylation and all!