Preparing tomorrow's doctors for the genomics era: a nationwide survey of UK medical students

Introduction : Low confidence in genomics knowledge among clinicians is a major barrier to the integration of genomics into mainstream medicine. Here, we assessed the genomics confidence of UK medical students approaching graduation. Methods : We conducted a web-based nationwide survey of UK medical students in the final two years of study where participants rated their confidence in genomics concepts. Results : In total, 145 medical students across 19 medical schools participated. The amount of genomics teaching students reported receiving was positively associated with genomics confidence, with the amount of basic science teaching having the strongest influence. While confidence was high in core genomics principles, such as the difference between DNA, genes and chromosomes (95%), confidence dropped in clinical applications of genomics – only 50% reported a good understanding of the genetic contribution to disease and 28% reported good knowledge of clinically-used genomic tests. Overall, 59% reported a poor understanding of variant interpretation, however over half who reported receiving “lots” of genomic medicine teaching reported a good understanding of this topic. Conclusion : Gaps in genomics knowledge and drivers in confidence have been identified herein, highlighting the need for improvements in undergraduate genomics education to prepare future doctors to confidently practise in the genomics era.