Welcome to the course!

Hello and welcome.

We are delighted that you have decided to learn with us and wish you a warm welcome. We are a team of five GPs, some with specialist knowledge of genomics and others with broad experience of Primary Care. We have worked together to create this course with the Wellcome Genome Campus Advanced Courses and Scientific Conferences team. WGC Advanced Courses and Scientific Conferences are committed to and experienced in providing advanced training in genomic skills to a wide range of audiences.

The team have also worked with Health Education England’s Genomics Education Programme to create a course suitable for people working in Primary Care to build up their knowledge and skills in genomics. Learners from all backgrounds with an interest in genomics in Primary Care are very welcome to participate, learn from each other and share your experiences and ideas.

The course assumes a basic knowledge of genetics. Links are provided to relevant training materials throughout the course. If you are finding the scientific aspects of the course challenging, you might want to take an introductory course to orient you to genetics and genomics. The Genomics Era: the Future of Genetics in Medicine from St George’s University, London is very helpful.

The RCGP have provided a glossary of some of the key terminology used in genomics.

Your learning on this course

Comments area

Almost every step has a comments area where everyone can comment and discuss the course material. Please take a look at ‘FutureLearn’s Social Learning Tips’ and for more details see ‘FutureLearn’s Learning Guide’.

Use these ideas to help you to make Comments and to join in the Discussion Steps:

• Write comments for sharing with others
• Read your comments and responses through before posting
• Make constructive comments – critique the idea, not the person
• Write what you would also say face-to-face
• Some learners may not have English as their first language, so always try to write clearly
• Remember that learners vary in culture, age and experience
• Explain any acronyms you use and avoid jargon if you can.

If you read a comment that you think might break FutureLearn’s Code of Conduct, report it to FutureLearn’s moderators for review by clicking the flag button beneath it.

More on Your Learning

The course will take about 3 hours a week. It may take more or less time, and this depends on a number of factors, such as your learning preferences, your prior knowledge and experience or how much time you have available. We encourage you to:

• Learn when it is best for you and at a pace that suits you
• Use the quizzes to help you: to track your learning, recall and apply key concepts and reflect
• Press the ‘Mark as complete’ tab as you complete each Step.
• Reflect on your learning as you look back over the week.