Nanomedicine concepts in the general medical curriculum: initiating a discussion

Abstract

Various applications of nanoscale science to the field of medicine have resulted in the ongoing development of the subfield of nanomedicine. Within the past several years, there has been a concurrent proliferation of academic journals, textbooks, and other professional literature addressing fundamental basic science research and seminal clinical developments in nanomedicine. Additionally, there is now broad consensus among medical researchers and practitioners that along with personalized medicine and regenerative medicine, nanomedicine is likely to revolutionize our definitions of what constitutes human disease and its treatment. In light of these developments, incorporation of key nanomedicine concepts into the general medical curriculum ought to be considered. Here, I offer for consideration five key nanomedicine concepts, along with suggestions regarding the manner in which they might be incorporated effectively into the general medical curriculum. Related curricular issues and implications for medical education also are presented.

Keywords:

• medical education
• basic science
• teaching
• learning
• assessment
• nanoscience curriculum
• nanomedicine concepts

Acknowledgments

The author gratefully acknowledges Shommari Waseme for engaging in several critical discussions that contributed to the conceptualization of this article. The author also wishes to thank Kadeen Cooke and Christine M Victor for their encouragement and support during the preparation of this article. Special thanks are extended to Nadia Poponne for her invaluable assistance in locating several key references for my review. The professional views expressed herein are those of the author alone and do not imply endorsement by Ross University School of Medicine nor any of its institutional affiliates.

Disclosure

The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work.