The course also educated physicians about the support groups for genetic disease victims and the role of genetic counselors, who advise parents on genetic testing, help them decide whether or not to have children and help them cope with the stigma of being a disease carrier.

One of the highlights of the workshop was a keynote address given by Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Center for Human Genome Research, is which he discussed the future of genetics medicine and the progress being made with the Human Genome Project.

"Basically, we are doing this research because it's good for human health in a very profound way," he said. "By 2005, we expect to have the entire sequence of human DNA. This project has been underway for four years and we are both under budget and ahead of schedule."

But Clark cautioned about being too optimistic, citing the difficulties in using this human genome data.

"Even when we have the entire human genome, it will be like having complex set of house plans without knowing how to use hammers and nails" he said.

Most attending physicians said they found the workshop worthwhile.

Dr. Robert J. Pinkel, rheumatologist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at the Medical College of Ohio, said. "[The cursively relevance is filling in the basic since I graduated twenty-nine years ago. I need to know this to keep up with modern research in my own field."

Sandra Park contributed to the reporting of this article.