Genetics Fundamentals
- HMX
Group Enrollment Option A program that is a popular choice for organizations and institutions to purchase in bulk.
Learn about the building blocks of life – and the future of medicine.
- Online; Instructor-Paced
Lessons are released weekly and remain available until the course ends.
$1,025
Multi-course bundle pricing is also available. The student price for an individual course is $800 and cannot be combined with course bundles.
Certificate
There are two certification levels, based on participant scores: Certificate of Achievement; Certificate of Completion
10 Weeks, 4-6 Hours/Week
Most people can expect to spend around 40 hours total, but this depends on your baseline knowledge and how carefully you take notes.
On This Page
Overview
Most conditions have some genetic basis, and a scientific revolution enabled by genomic technologies is changing the way that many diseases are diagnosed and treated as well as providing insight into health, risk factors, and disease prevention. A solid understanding of genetics has never been more important for the practice of medicine.
In this foundational course, you will get an overview of key concepts behind the evolving fields of human genetics, genomics, and precision medicine. Real-world applications will help you explore concepts, providing relevance and integration of key principles.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the fundamental concepts of genetics, including gene structure and genetic variation
- Learn about inheritance of disease, population-specific risk, and genetic testing
- See how increased knowledge of the human genome is applied in clinical settings, including through precision treatment of cancer and other diseases
Participant Types
Pre-med students; Current medical students; Health care professionals working in R&D, product management and strategy, sales, and marketing
About the Course
HMX online courses bring complex material to life through engaging biomedical visualizations, clinical applications, and true-to-life scenarios paired with lectures from Harvard Medical School faculty and leading experts.
Who Should Apply
This foundational course is appropriate for pre-med and current medical students interested in building their foundational knowledge of medical science; professionals in health care and related fields who need a fundamental understanding of genetics – including those working in R&D, product management, strategy, sales, marketing, and other roles; and learners interested in building a base of knowledge in genetics.
Course Format
Most people can expect to spend around 40-60 hours total, but this depends on your baseline knowledge, how carefully you take notes, and how seriously you take the assessments. Lessons from the courses are released weekly and remain available until the courses end, so you can work at your own pace. The course wraps up with a final exam administered the final two days of the session.
Have a busy schedule? Consider Genetics Essentials instead, an advanced HMX course that will review key genetics topics in a shorter format designed for professionals.
Group Enrollments
HMX courses are ideal for organizations looking to train teams or larger groups. Group pricing is available, making it a cost-effective investment in team development.
Faculty
HMX courses are led by Harvard Medical School faculty, working in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team of experts in biomedical visualization, assessment, and the science of learning to create a unique learning experience that will stay with you.
- Lecturer in Genetics, Harvard Medical School (former)
Robert Green
MD, MPH
- Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Associate Physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Geneticist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Director, Genomes2People Research Program, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Carrie Blout Zawatsky
MS, CGC
- Genetic Counselor, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Calum MacRae, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School / Cardiologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Jonathan Picker, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School / Medical Geneticist, Boston Children’s Hospital
Huma Rana, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School / Medical Geneticist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
HMX Faculty Perspectives
Why do you think it’s important for health care professionals to learn genetics?
"As DNA sequencing becomes cheaper and more readily available, the role of genetics in medicine is expanding. With our increasing understanding of the variation in the human genome, we can start to predict how specific changes in DNA sequence will affect an individual’s health. Human genetics is extremely complicated, but it is apparent that many human diseases are influenced by genetics." -Christine DeGennaro, PhD
From Our Learners
Hear from HMX students as they share their experiences learning online with Harvard Medical School.
"Genetics has never been a topic that is systematically taught ... I found that the way [HMX] organized the course was just the right approach; it makes sense cohesively without going into too much unnecessary detail."
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