Course Description
Increasing awareness of the role of genetics in laboratory testing has made molecular diagnostic pathology one of the fastest growing fields in pathology during the past two decades. The objective of an introductory molecular genetic course is to present the basic principles of medical genetics and their application to laboratory medicine. The intent of this course is to provide pathologists with a foundation in medical/laboratory genetics to include nomenclature, available techniques (in particular, specimen requirements, turn-around-times, and diagnostic/prognostic utility), and laboratory management/quality assurance. Furthermore, certain cases (diseases) will be presented to illustrate multiple aspects of medical genetics and serve as useful paradigms. Specific areas will be highlighted in which major advances can be expected and to which the basic principles learned can be applied. In summary, the goals of this course are to present basic genetic principles that allow one to keep up with rapid progress in the laboratory and the applications of genetics in clinical medicine.