Course Instructor

Sajid Merchant, MS, CGC, is the course instructor for MDGEN407. As the Lead Genetic Counsellor of the Edmonton Medical Genetics Clinic, his primary role is on direct patient care and healthcare administration, including day-to-day activities of the clinic. He also has a longstanding passion for education and finding opportunities to teach alongside many other responsibilities.

In 2010, Sajid co-created BIOL 490 (now MDGEN407) with Dr. Heather McDermid to give undergraduate students deep exposure to genetic counselling after recognizing a gap in training opportunities.

Teaching Philosophy

"I believe that learning and teaching are a shared responsibility. Ostensibly, the teacher is to provide the medium for student learning. However, my thinking is that if the process is optimized, student questions will drive deeper thought and learning for the teacher, creating a learning circle that feeds both the student and teacher. Genetics, by its nature as being a newer medical science, means there is still much to learn; it is a fast-paced, growing area of study. Consequently, those in the field must view learning as a lifelong process. I have found that interacting with students causes me to challenge my beliefs, understanding and refines and expands my body of knowledge.

Since genetic counselling is a practice-based discipline, so too are my courses. Clinical practice enhances the quality and relevance of my teaching; observational activities and interaction with patients for students are a critical learning component that I provide. Further, allowing students to observe the practice of the skills and knowledge learned through my assignments also affords opportunities for leadership and modeling behavior.

I believe that learning at higher levels needs to be practical. As such, my courses and assignments are all based on real-world situations. My hope is that a student will never have to ask, “Why do I need to know this?” or, “How will I ever use this”? This fosters active student engagement with the course material.

Further, I strongly value genuine understanding over simple memorization even if this costs “grades”; such an approach is critical to truly apply one’s learning in real-life situations in an adaptable way. This approach is emphasized in my classes and fosters critical thinking. Further, this facilitates a discussion and questioning of beliefs, particularly so in ethical-based situations – which come up frequently in clinical medical genetics and genetic counselling. In science and medicine half the battle is asking the right question, not just having the “right” answer. Thus, students are rewarded as much for asking questions as they are for knowing the answer.

My relationship with my students is very important to me. I like to see the "whites of their eyes," which my independent studies courses facilitate well. Further, my regular guest lectures on ethics and medical genetics are extremely interactive, providing challenging scenarios that we work through together in groups. Working with small classes or individual students has allowed me to have the personal contact I enjoy with my students. I try to create a safe environment in which students can openly share their opinions, questions and concerns. This builds a sense of community in the classroom.

As a practicing genetic counsellor in the Edmonton Medical Genetics Clinic, I grow and hone my clinical skills in real-time through my patient care. I can then use these experiences to enrich my teaching. My regular attendance at educational conferences provides other avenues for keeping abreast of changes in the field, which can then be returned to my teaching. Lastly, my volunteer work with the genetic counselling professional groups also helps me remain current within professional circles, which often include teaching networks. Since learning is a lifelong process, I engage in ongoing professional development and reflection, all of which is embedded into the teaching I deliver to my students."