The general objective of this course is to instruct students in the basic concepts, principles, and language of molecular biology and human genetics and to equip students to analyze diseases and the responses to diseases in molecular and genetic terms. These principles will be illustrated using examples from clinical practice. We anticipate that this training will enable students to recognize and solve genetic problems encountered in subsequent clinical training and experience. Specific educational objectives for various sections of this course are included in the body of the coursepack. These objectives represent a subset of the core competencies in genetics that are expected of all health professionals, as put forth in guidelines from the American Society for Human Genetics and the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics.

Prerequisites This course assumes no prior experience or instruction in molecular biology and genetics beyond elementary college biology. Mastery of concepts introduced in prior first-year medical school courses (e.g., BMB514) will be expected. Course Credit by Waiver Examination A waiver examination will be offered on Saturday, August 25, 2007 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room E-105, Fee Hall. The examination is comprised of multiple choice questions. The pass level for this waiver exam will be 75% for all students (CHM and COM). In accordance with college policies (September, 2007), students may take the waiver exam only once for any specified course. Moreover, students who have taken but not passed the remediation exam for BMB526 will not be eligible to take a subsequent waiver exam.

Textbooks Students are expected to acquire and use both a textbook of biochemistry and molecular biology and a textbook of medical genetics. For molecular biology, the required textbook for Fall 2007 will be Lippincott’s Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry, 3rd edition, by Champe, Harvey, and Ferrier (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005). The Lippincott book, also required for BMB514, covers the molecular biology content of this course adequately but without much depth. Students who want more thorough explanations of concepts should consult any of the more substantive undergraduate biochemistry texts (Lehninger, Stryer, Marks, Devlin, Meisenberg & Simmons, or Voet & Voet). The required genetics textbook for Fall 2007 will be Medical Genetics, 3nd edition, by Jorde, Carey, Bamshad and White (Mosby, Inc., 2006). Some students may opt to use a more comprehensive genetics textbook, Thompson and Thompson Genetics in Medicine (7th ed.) by Nussbaum, McInnes and Willard (2007, Saunders). The coursepack for BMB526 2007 is also required. Given the updates and improvements in this course each year, coursepacks from previous years will not be suitable.

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