Advances in genomic medicine to customize treatment to the patient rather than the disease has now become a reality for an increasing segment of the population in the Irish healthcare environment especially in the area of cancer and rare diseases. The application of genomic medicine requires an understanding of the contribution of the genome to health & disease, a focus on patient-relevant outcomes and an understanding of the analysis and interpretation of genomic data and how the findings can be applied to inform management and treatment decisions.
This module is designed to provide medical students with an understanding of these areas as are relevant to their future practice of medicine. The module outcomes map to international frameworks for the development of physician competencies in genomic medicine.
The module will provide students with an understanding of the genome’s contribution to health and disease and how genomics is currently being deployed across a variety of clinical settings. We will use examples to illustrate the justified application of genomic test/interventions centred on patient’s profile and clinical presentation. In addition, students will participate in an analysis and interpretation of genomic data from a gene panel and/or exome or clinical exome with a view to generating a clinical report which can be communicated to a variety of stakeholders within a best practice framework.