Abstract
BackgroundThere continues to be a disjoint between the emergence of new diagnostic technologies and venues to train new physicians on how to apply them. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has become a very important tool for a wide range of clinical applications. Technical complexity and cost have been the major obstacles in incorporating these technologies into the classroom.Goal for innovationWe opted to use the MinION, which is a new portable DNA sequencer that can produce data in real-time at a relatively low cost, for a NGS hands-on workshop with medical students.Steps takenWe conducted a pilot NGS hands-on practical module in order to expose an interested group of medical students to this new portable sequencer device. A pre- and post-survey, using a Likert-type scale survey items and open-ended questions, evaluated participant resistance to new diagnostic tools, familiarity with NGS, and likelihood to use a portable sequencer in clinical practice.OutcomesPrior to participating in our learning workshop, students did not understand how to incorporate NGS into clinical practice, and expressed that cost and prior training/knowledge were among the limiting factors in their likelihood to use NGS as a diagnostic tool. After participating in the module, students’ responses demonstrated a shift in their understanding of the scientific principles and applications of NGS (pre- and post-survey scores p < 0.05).ReflectionThe hands-on experience not only helped students become closer to and more comfortable with NGS, but also served as a venue to discuss the science and application of this technology in medicine. Such discussion helped to provide participants with current “genetic literacy” that is often incompletely covered in the typical undergraduate medical education curriculum.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s40037-020-00568-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
There continues to be a disjoint between the emergence of new diagnostic technologies and venues to train new physicians on how to apply them
We conducted our first Next-generation sequencing (NGS) hands-on practical module at the Laboratory for Education in Molecular Medicine, a dual function teaching and research lab, in order to expose an interested group of medical students to a new portable sequencer device
We set up a NGS hands-on practical module using the MinION to provide a group of medical students with a first-hand experience of the latest DNA sequencing technology, while learning about the principles of DNA sequencing and DNA extraction [15]
Summary
Advanced diagnostic tools have been accessible only through clinical diagnostic testing labs, while physicians, medical students, and resident trainees would have little to no access to or understanding of their use. These tools are becoming more common and their costs are beginning to drop below current gold standards, further reducing the barrier to clinical application. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has become the most important tool for a wide range of clinical applications, including bacterial identification, antibiotic resistance detection, non-invasive prenatal testing, tumor profiling, and genetic screening [2,3,4]. Having a better understanding of emerging diagnostic technologies such as NGS will improve my academic and clinical practices
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