Burnett School of Medicine Curriculum Touted at National and International Medical Conferences


Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University Founding Dean Stuart D. Flynn, M.D., Spoke at Illumina Genomics, Microsoft® and the International Society of Cardiovascular Translational Research.

By Prescotte Stokes III

As one of the newest medical schools in the nation the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University continues to be recognized for some of its unique attributes.  

Stuart D. Flynn, M.D., Founding Dean of the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, recently gave three presentations to national and international audiences shining a light on some of the medical school’s distinctive qualities.  

Dean Flynn addressed genomic literacy a topic that addressed immense interest at the 2022 Illumina Genomics Forum in San Diego, California in late September where former President Barack Obama was in attendance. Dean Flynn was part of a panel called, “Breakout Deep Dive Session: Health Management Topic B Operationalizing Genomic Healthcare.” 

He spoke about the dedicated curriculum to genomic sequencing at the medical school. His remarks included the relationship with one’s genome with predicting health and disease, help design specific therapies for diseases, genetic counseling and ethical considerations in this field.  

“Significant concerns continue to be expressed regarding the disconnect between the ever-expanding scientific understanding engendered by sequencing of one’s genome, yet a huge gap with translating this information into implementation in addressing health and health care,” Dean Flynn said. “One such area is the role that your genes play in metabolizing medicines you take with scores of drugs now identified being impacted in this fashion. Simply, the dose of a drug that would be appropriate for you is impacted by your genes, so-called pharmacogenomics. As we sequence more and more people, the availability of this information will impact your care.”  

Dean Flynn also spoke during a webinar with Microsoft® in early October addressing the role of augmented and virtual reality in education. He talked about the medical school’s use of the Microsoft HoloLens and HoloAnatomy, an augmented reality modality, which is a highly valued component in teaching our students anatomy.  

“The future of this technology adds components such as pathology, imaging, and histology, among others curricular elements into a composite matrix of educational tools,” Dean Flynn said.  

Lastly, Dean Flynn presented to the International Society of Cardiovascular Research, an impressive international membership that champions the role of research and education in cardiovascular medicine.  

He discussed the medical school’s mandatory four-year research project and thesis (Scholarly, Pursuit & Thesis), mirroring their interest. He also presented the clinical trial research consortium that the school and its highly valued clinical partners in Fort Worth and North Texas are designing and hope to open for trials soon.  

“A major value of this consortium is the ability to enroll a diverse and large population of patients, allowing trials to be opened and closed rapidly, a major asset for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies as they want to assess the value of their product,” Dean Flynn said. “US members of the Society shared the immense value of this model as they often struggle to find enough sites to enroll enough patients to complete a study.”