A Case-Based Active Learning Session for Medical Genetics Resources

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Genetics and Genomics

Background:

• Clinical applications of medical genetics are expanding, requiring non-genetics professionals to manage patients with genetic conditions.
• Medical students need skills and confidence in using medical genetics resources for future practice.
• There is a need to prepare medical students for managing genetic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce first-year medical students to credible medical genetics resources.
• To develop active learning materials for medical genetics education.
• To enhance students' skills and confidence in utilizing medical genetics resources.

Main Methods:

• A 2-hour session for 123 first-year medical students.
• Combined flipped classroom and small-group collaborative case-based learning.
• Included a preclass exercise on navigating the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) website.
• Applied information from resources to patient cases in small groups.

Main Results:

• Post-session surveys indicated increased confidence in skills related to medical genetics resources.
• Students showed a greater future intention to use medical genetics resources.
• The session was effective regardless of students' prior exposure to these resources.

Conclusions:

• The session served as a practical introduction to essential medical genetics resources for most students.
• Equipping students with inquiry-oriented learning skills can foster lifelong learning in medical genetics.
• Early training in utilizing medical genetics resources is vital for future medical professionals.