APHMG News & Updates

APHMG is happy to share the news that Dr. Azra Ligon, PhD, FACMG has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the ABMGG, effective January 1, 2025.

Here is the official announcement.

In order to better reflect our organization and ensure delivery of important email information, APHMG has updated our main our email address to manager@aphmg.org.  Please be sure to updated your address book and remove the old info@aphmg.org email. 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Dear APHMG Colleagues,

Those of you who attended the recent Course Director’s SIG meeting at the 2023 APHMG annual conference heard about UT Houston’s Adult Cardiovascular Genetics Certificate Program from Dr. Siddharth Prakash. If you are interested in learning more, Dr. Prakash has kindly shared a link to the program. This link will also eventually be posted in the Genetics Education Resource Exchange (GERE).

Please go to:

https://go.uth.edu/CVGenomicsCert

Join us for the 2023 ASPBP Annual Conference!
Wednesday, October 4, 2023 - Thursday, October 5, 2023

Dear Colleagues,

The Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) would like to invite you to the 2023 Annual Virtual Conference, to be held October 4-5, 2023. The ASPBP conference provides opportunities to connect with and learn from others who share the same passion for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion essential for STEMM disciplines. The annual ASPBP conference will provide you with new approaches, ideas and resources across the pathway programs ecosystem, from K-12 programs to Post-Bacc and  Master's degree programs. Our theme is "Pathways and Bridges: Opportunity. Connection. Equity. Success."

More information on sessions, speakers, and details on how to register will be coming soon. Keep an eye on your inbox! 

For additional information or any questions you may have, please feel free to contact us at support@aspbp.org.

Thank you,
ASPBP  

https://julnet.swoogo.com/ASPBP23

Please help spread the word about a medical student-initiated genetics symposium in the Southeast.

In addition to promoting genetics as a discipline, the organizers also hope to connect genetics special interest groups between schools.

Millions of people have gotten direct to consumer genetic testing, and many of them have questions for their healthcare providers about the results.  These questions can be challenging for many to answer, especially given the constantly changing testing landscape. The National Society of Genetic Counselors recently put out a Practice Resource on Elective Genetic Testing, which they define as is testing that is performed in the absence of a medical indication. Among other topics, this resource covers the likelihood of detecting various results, how to evaluate a lab or test, reporting details, and pros and cons of this testing.

Looking for an open-source textbook that is presented at the undergraduate medical student level? APHMG member Renee LeClair has written one that might be a good option for you. Her book Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students is USMLE-aligned and designed to be paired with clinical correlations in class.

Genetics in Medicine has published an important article on the terminology used to indicate human differences, such as those of race, ancestry, gender, sex, and differences in ability.  To provide practical hints, the authors quoted work published in Genetics in Medicine and suggested updates to the wording. A link to this paper "Words matter: The language of differences in human genetics" can be found in our DEIJ resources.

We are pleased to announce that APHMG is now a member organization of the AAMC and the Council of Faculty and Academic Sciences (CFAS). APHMG's representative to CFAS is Tracey Weiler. Thank you to Kathy Hyland, Tracey Weiler, and members of the APHMG council for helping with the application!

In 2015, a curriculum survey led by APHMG members reported the status of genetics curricula in US and Canadian medical schools, including many of our APHMG member institutions. Our Canadian colleagues, including APHMG member Jennifer Fitzpatrick, recently published a detailed analysis of preclinical genetics curricula of Canadian medical schools that explores and compares these curricula at the level of individual syllabi and course objectives. This is an important and timely study that underscores a reality that our Association can positively impact:  Genetics remains underrepresented in undergraduate medical curricula. Thanks to all of our colleagues for their dedicated work.  Bring your ideas to the 2023 APHMG meeting and let’s work together to improve genetics access and representation in medical schools.