Health Science

This course is designed to provide an overview of the health care industry. Students will be introduced to medical ethics, teamwork, disease treatment and prevention through hands-on activities. Additionally, students will develop communication and leadership skills, identify career clusters related to health science, academic requirements for advancement such as certification, licensure, registration, and advanced degrees. This course is highly recommended for students persuing a health science program of study.

Students are introduced to the structure of medical terms, including prefixes, suffixes, word roots, combining singular and plural forms, medical abbreviations, and acronyms. This course allows students will develop a comprehension of medical vocabulary appropriate to medical procedures, human anatomy and physiology, and pathophysiology. This course is highly recommended for students pursuing a health science program of study.

Certification opportunity: Certified Billing and Coding Specialist. Medical Billing and Coding familiarizes students with the process, language, medical procedure codes, requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and skills they will need to produce accurate records. Students will develop an understanding of the revenue cycle and how to effectively manage it. The program is designed to prepare students for employment in a variety of health care settings as entry-level coders, medical billing specialists, and patient access representatives.

This course is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts of kinesiology. Students will gain an understanding of body mechanics, physiological functions of muscles and movements, the psychological impact of athletic performance and explore careers within the kinesiology field.

This course is designed to provide students an advanced level of knowledge, skills, and understanding of body composition and the effect on health, nutritional needs of physically active individuals, qualitative biomechanics, application of therapeutic modalities, appropriate rehabilitation services, and aerobic training intensity programs. Students will develop aerobic fitness programs and rehabilitation programs.

This is a capstone course for students that are completing a coherent sequence of courses in the Exercise and Welness program of study providing opportunities for students to participate in work-based learning experience that combines classroom instruction with business and industry employment experiences. Students will have the opportunity to observe and to perform practical application of previously studied exercise and wellness skills and knowledge. The unpaid experiences may occur in a school and/or community health facility appropriate to the nature and level of experience of each student and under the supervision of the teacher and/or facility mentor. Students who wish to take this course must have their own transportation to travel to their site(s). Uniform purchase is required.

Certification opportunity: Phlebotomy Technician (Parent consent required). Through classroom, laboratory, and simulation experiences, students will learn and apply skills of the health science professional, including vital signs, environmental protection, safety in the healthcare environment, and admission/transfer/discharge procedures. Students will learn to perform skills specific to a health science professional such as medical assistant and phlebotomy technician. Students are required to perform live venipunctures. Uniform purchase is required. Medical Terminology and/or Principles of Health Science are very helpful for students taking this course.

Certification opportunity: EKG Technician (Parent consent required). Through classroom, laboratory, and simulation experiences, students will learn and apply skills of the health science professional, including vital signs, environmental protection, safety in the healthcare environment, and admission/transfer/discharge procedures. Students will learn to perform skills specific to a health science professional such as medical assistant and EKG technician. Students are required to participate in and perform electrocardiograms. Medical Terminology and/or Principles of Health Science are very helpful for students taking this course. Uniform purchase is required.

Student will gain a strong foundation in the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical field (e.g., pharmacy technician, pharmacist). Knowledge includes pharmacology, pharmacy law, medication safety, the dispensing process, and inventory.

Certification opportunity: Pharmacy Technician. Pharmacy II provides students with advanced knowledge and skills including pharmacology, pharmacy law, medication errors, pharmacy calculations, compounding, and workflow expectations in a pharmacy setting. To better prepare students for the pharmacy technician certification exam, students with transportation will have externship opportunities at various times of the year. Uniform may be required.

Certification Opportunity: Medical Assistant. This capstone course is designed to provide an opportunity for senior students who are completing a coherent sequence of health science courses. Students will observe and perform previously studied patient care skills related to the health science field. The unpaid practical application experiences may occur in a school lab and/or community health facility appropriate to the nature and level of experience of each student and under the supervision of the teacher and/or facility mentor. Students who wish to take this course must have their own transportation to travel to their practicum site(s). Uniform purchase is required.

Principles of Biomedical Science provides an introduction to biomedical science through hands-on projects and problems. Students investigate concepts of biology and medicine as they explore health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, sickle-cell disease, hypercholesterolemia, and infectious diseases. This course receives weighted GPA.

Students examine the interactions of body systems as they explore deeply biological identity, communication, power, movement, protection, and homeostasis. Through individual and team activities, projects, and problems, students design experiments, investigate the structures and function of the human body, and use data acquisition software to monitor body functions such as muscle movement, reflex and voluntary actions, and respiration. This course receives weighted GPA

Students investigate the variety of interventions involved in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease as they follow the lives of a fictitious family. Through these scenarios students will be exposed to the wide range of interventions related to immunology, surgery, genetics, pharmacology, medical devices, and diagnostics. This course receives weighted GPA.

Students apply their knowledge and skills learned in previous PLTW Biomedical Sciecne courses to develop innovative solutions for health challenges of the 21st century. The course includes an independent project in which the studnets are encouraged to work with a mentor or advisor from a university, hospital, physician’s office, or industry. This course receives weighted GPA.

This capstone course is designed to provide an opportunity for senior students who have taken Project Lead the Way Biomedical courses to observe and to perform practical application of previously studied laboratory skills related to the health science field. The unpaid practical application experience may occur in a school lab and/or community health facility location appropriate to the nature and level of experience of each student and under supervision of the teacher and/or facility mentor. Students who wish to take this course must have their own transportation to travel to their practicum site(s). Uniform purchase is required.