Possible future knowledge of harm. Medical education often includes learning
activities in which students’ bodies are involved—students often practice physical
examination skills on each other, examine their own blood or urine, or, as ultrasound
instruction is introduced, practice on each other. Any of these activities could reveal
a significant abnormality, such as a previously undetected blood dyscrasia or a
congenital renal malformation. One difference between these activities and
performing genomic screening testing is that the genomic testing generates a
permanent third-party record that may later affect the student. The anonymity of the
testing leaves students in the dark about what information is recorded about them and
opens the door for anxiety about the unknown. While a basic science professor might
perceive this as a minor and dismissible concern, it may not be trivial for a student.