How the Field of Genetics Has Taken Over Our Lives

The explosion of knowledge regarding genetics changed medicine probably more than anything ever has or ever will. Some may argue that the uprising of hygiene may have been a bigger change, and they would be legitimate in their argument.

Now, people are trying to relate everything back to genetics. For most it's a true search for a genetic relationship and what that might mean for treatment or prognosis. But I think others use genetics as a crutch. I personally don't think genetics explain everything. Some people suffer from obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes simply because they haven't lived as healthy as they should have.

Genetics has also caused quite a change in the curriculum of medical students and residents everywhere. Our knowledge base is far more expanded now, simply because of genetic influence, than it was just ten years ago.

Trying to memorize all of these genetic associations has only thrown another wrench into this OKAP thing.