Introduction to Precision Medicine Course

This course is jointly developed by the Precision Medicine Resource and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons MD/MS in Biomedical Sciences Dual Degree Program.

Overview

This one-semester course is taught by Krzysztof Kiryluk, MD, and Ron Wapner, MD — faculty leaders in this rapidly evolving field — as well as experts in specific clinical areas who will present their most up-to-date findings in the field.

This course provides health sciences students with an overview of precision medicine. The content of the course covers all aspects of precision medicine with an emphasis on genomic health. Students will learn the basics of molecular genetic basis of disease and molecular diagnostic methods to diagnose germline and somatic mutations and apply these strategies across a wide range of clinical conditions including diagnostic testing and health forecasting. The course will include detailed instruction on how to interpret genomic variation and how to effectively communicate this information to patients in ways that are effective, efficient, and that scale. The course will cover big data initiatives in systems biology and quantitative data analysis and how machine learning and digital health platforms are being applied to individual patient care. Finally, the course will address questions of clinical implementation, including measuring cost-effectiveness, clinical utility and will address the ethical, legal, and social issues presented by precision medicine.

• Semesters: Spring
• Format: Each session comprises a didactic lecture, followed by an interactive breakout session.
• Grading: Pass/Fail (letter grade is optional for non-medical students).
• Credits: 3 credits per semester.
• Date/location: One day per week, Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center building.

Please contact us for the course syllabus.

Eligibility

The course is open to the Columbia University/New York-Presbyterian Hospital community and has no specific prerequisites. Registration is required.

Cost

Course tuition and fees depend on student/scholar affiliation. Please contact us to inquire about tuition cost for this course.

Cite it, Submit it, Share it!

If your research has benefited from one or more Irving Institute resources, please remember to:

• Cite our CTSA grant, UL1 TR001873, in any relevant publications, abstracts, chapters, and/or posters.
• Submit your publications to PubMed Central (PMC) for compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy.
• Share your research updates with us by sending an email to: irving_institute@cumc.columbia.edu