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INFORMATION FOR

Genes and Development

Course Directors

Course Description

Organization

The Genes and Development (G&D) course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of human genetics, developmental genetics, genetic technologies, and early aspects of embryology. These scientific principles serve as the foundation for mastering neoplasia and cancer biology principles.

Focusing on understanding neoplasia as a genetically based aberration of normal development and cellular regulation supports the transition to the clinical disciplines of hematology and oncology.

The hematological system is the first organ system introduced in the YSM curriculum, and G&D sets the tone for how students learn about normal structure, function, and disease within the different organ systems presented later throughout the curriculum.
By the conclusion of the course, students will have a foundational understanding of the structure and function of the hematological system and the pathophysiology and typical manifestations of hematologic disorders and malignancies. The course will also offer a general introduction to clinical oncology, which will be expanded in subsequent courses.

The Genes and Development course begins with an introduction to foundational genetics principles. Students gain an understanding of how the genome is organized and controls all cellular processes within our cells, the clinical significance of genetic variation among individuals, the available DNA diagnostic tools, and how these tools are utilized in the diagnosis and management of disease.
The course then transitions to embryology, presenting how the program for human development is controlled and how deregulation of this program results in birth defects. Students are introduced to the field of clinical genetics and can apply their genetics knowledge as they learn about common genetic disorders affecting children and adults.

This is followed by an overview of the first organ system in the curriculum, the hematologic system. This introduction to benign hematology serves as a foundation for the second part of the course, which focuses on cancer, starting with cancer biology and pathology. In this portion of the course, students are introduced to the types of genetic changes that occur in somatic cells and enable tumorigenesis. Cancer biology and principles of neoplasia are integrated with developmental genetics and embryology, with students gaining an appreciation of neoplasia as a genetically based aberration of normal development and cellular regulation.

This knowledge is further expanded as the students learn malignant hematology before moving on to learning fundamentals of the approach to solid tumors. The course incorporates cancer pharmacology and clinical aspects of drug development and concludes with a broad introduction to the clinical oncology discipline.

Pedagogy

The instructional methods in the course are integrated to ensure that students achieve the full range of course objectives. Students encounter new material through asynchronous learning tools and large-group sessions and then engage in practice and feedback through patient presentations and panels, large-group skills-based sessions, team-based learning (TBL), clinic-pathologic correlations (CPC), interactive labs, and small-group case-based workshops.

Assessment and Feedback

Formative Feedback

Educational Program Objective (EPO) Type Initiated by Completed by #/course
MTD 2.1: Mechanism and Treatment of Disease
HP 1.1/1.2: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
CR 3.1: Clinical Reasoning
RS 7.1/7.2/7.4 Responsibility to Society
PC 4.1: Patient Care 		Weekly Quizzes Faculty Students 7 (1/week)
Self-assessment Faculty Students 1
PR 5.3/5.4/5.5: Professional identity formation
CM 6.2/6.3: Communication Skills 		Small-group written feedback in biochemistry and high-engagement workshops Faculty Faculty 1/student
CR 3.1: Clinical Reasoning
PC 4.1: Patient Care
CM 6.2-6.3: Communication Skills 		Simulation Feedback Faculty Faculty (during debrief) 2 simulations in this course
  • Summative
  • End-of-course, pass/fail qualifier

Learning Objectives

Discipline-specific learning objectives

Comp EPO Course Objective
HP 1.1 Demonstrates foundational knowledge in epidemiology and public health approaches to health promotion and disease prevention for common genetic, hematologic and oncologic conditions, including environmental and individual risk factors that may be modifiable (see course core condition list).
HP 1.2 Demonstrate knowledge of health promotion and disease prevention recommendations and guidelines for common genetic, hematologic and oncologic conditions (see course foundational concepts).
MTD 2.1 Demonstrate knowledge of the normal development, structure and function of the hematologic system and the related molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms required for health and homeostasis (see course foundational concepts).

Demonstrate knowledge of the normal structure and function of the genome and the ways in which it impacts molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms required for health.

Demonstrate knowledge of the molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms responsible for promoting tumorigenesis and the malignant state.

Demonstrate knowledge of the early stages of human embryogenesis and how developmental signaling pathways and cell-fate decisions in normal embryonic development relate to mechanisms of tumor initiation and progression.

Demonstrate knowledge of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, and management of common genetic, hematologic and oncologic conditions (see course core conditions).
CR 3.1 Formulate basic, prioritized differential diagnoses and outline a diagnostic evaluation and management approach for common genetic, hematologic and oncologic presentations, making the reasoning and information needs explicit (see course fundamental concepts and core conditions).
PC 4.1 Select and prioritize key history questions for common genetic, hematologic and oncologic conditions, including key symptoms, risk factors, and pertinent positives/negatives (see course core conditions).

Identify the paraclinical data (lab studies, imaging, and other tests) most appropriate for the investigation of common genetic, hematologic and oncologic conditions (see course core conditions).
RS 7.1 Demonstrate understanding of the social and structural determinants of health that impact the development and progression of common genetic, hematologic and oncologic conditions. (see course core conditions).
7.2 Demonstrate understanding of the disparate impact of genetic, hematologic and oncologic conditions on diverse populations and the factors impacting health equity.

Common learning objectives relevant to this course*

* Activities within this course will address these, but competency will be achieved within the pre-clerkship phase rather than the course.

Comp EPO Course Objective
PR 5.3 Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively with peers in small-group activities by completing required preparation; showing respect; welcoming teammates’ input; responding to others’ needs; and contributing to a psychologically safe environment grounded in mutual respect and trust.

Give and openly receive reinforcing and constructive feedback to improve performance.
PR 5.4 Exhibit professionalism within the learning environment, including meeting administrative deadlines without reminders; completing course evaluations; adhering to policies; notifying small group leaders about absences; and communicating promptly and professionally with course directors, coaches, Heads of House, and/or deans to request guidance or assistance on all issues that impact the ability to meet course or phase requirements.

Demonstronstrates professionalism in clinical correlation sessions involving patient participation by arriving on time, engaging respectfully with all session participants, showing empathy and respect for patients’ backgrounds and circumstances, safeguarding patient privacy and confidentiality, and fostering an inclusive, psychologically safe learning environment.
PR 5.5 Demonstrate the ability to identify ethical principles in clinical scenarios and case vignettes and discuss how they impact patient care.
CM 6.2 Demonstrate the ability to communicate diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic uncertainty in clinical cases, including how uncertainty influences recommendation strength and next-step discussions, using clear, lay language tailored to the patient.
CM 6.3 Demonstrates the ability to communicate effectively with peers and faculty in small-group activities, including active listening, respectful and honest communication, ability to ask and answer questions, and willingness to receive feedback.

Demonstrates effective interactions with patients during clinical correlation sessions (e.g., asking appropriately framed questions, and expressing appreciation).
RS 7.3 Demonstrate knowledge of core principles of patient safety and quality improvement and apply them to cases to identify system contributors to harm, disparate outcomes, and possible system improvement activities.

Apply an equity lens to safety/quality cases to identify structural contributors to disparate outcomes and propose system-level improvements.
RS 7.4 Recognize factors that contribute to health care costs and the application of cost-effectiveness analysis in guiding clinical decision making and allocation of resources
PS 9.1 Manage information needs by Identifying, locating, retrieving, evaluating, synthesizing and applying appropriate literature to answer questions that derive from clinical scenarios.