2008-08-22

More genetics in high school than medical school?

This highly amusing story about fish that are not what they are said to be, should be a sobering wake-up call to medical schools. Here we read about students using third parties to DNA sequence and then taxonomize samples they procured in restaurants and groceries. In the article we read of high-school students (who are not necessarily interested in careers in science) whose scientific literacy with regard to genetics would put many physicians to shame. Admittedly, these students have privileged access to well-informed thought leaders and yet can we point to equally creative and hands on teaching of genetics (and its commoditization) in our elite medical schools? The gap between the public's knowledge of genetics and that of the "professionals" appears to be continually narrowing even while public expectations of the value of such knowledge continues to grow.

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