Patients and Populations: Medical Genetics M1, Open Michigan

University of Michigan Open Courseware,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109,

Course Description,
The growing awareness of the central role of genetic factors in the causation of human disease has made genetics one of the most rapidly developing fields in medicine. Much of this progress has been propelled by advances in the area of molecular genetics and genomics, advances that, in turn, have been applied directly to the diagnosis and management of disease. The objective of this course is to present the basic principles of medical genetics and their application to clinical medicine, with the intent of providing students the necessary background to understand ongoing developments in genetics and their application to clinical problems. The elucidation of the human genome, and the genomes of multiple other organisms, will change the way medicine is practiced. In order for physicians to understand these developments and utilize them for the benefits of their patients, they will have to be conversant with molecular genetic technologies and the technologies for acquiring, organizing, and interpreting new information.