Project Lead the Way 

 

Classes in the Biomedical Science Academy are certified courses by Project Lead The Way, a nationally recognized program. The national affiliate for Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is Rochester Institute of Technology and our North Carolina affiliate is Duke University. PLTW provides a comprehensive approach to STEM Education. Through activity-, project-, and problem-based curriculum, PLTW gives students l a chance to apply what they know, identify problems, find unique solutions, and lead their own learning. The Biomedical Science Academy’s faculty are all certified instructors of Project Lead The Way.

Project Lead The Way Biomedical Sciences Pathway

(Foundation Courses)
Students are required to take all three foundation courses.

• Principles of the Biomedical Sciences (PBS) Prerequisites: Biology or Honors Biology
• Students investigate various health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, sickle-cell disease, hypercholesterolemia, and infectious diseases. They determine the factors that led to the death of a fictional person and investigate lifestyle choices and medical treatments that might have prolonged the person’s life. The activities and projects introduce students to human physiology, medicine, and research processes. This course provides an overview of all the courses in the program and lay the scientific foundation for subsequent courses. 9th grade 
  
  
• Human Body Systems (HBS) Prerequisites: Principles of Biomedical Sciences, Biology or Honors Biology
• Students examine the interactions of human body systems as they explore identity, power, movement, protection, and homeostasis. Students design experiments, investigate the structures and functions of the human body, and use data acquisition software to monitor body functions such as muscle movement, reflex and voluntary action, and respiration. Exploring science in action, students build organs and tissues on a skeletal manikin, work through interesting real world cases and often play the roles of biomedical professionals to solve medical mysteries. 10th grade
  
  
• Medical Interventions (MI) Prerequisites: Principles of Biomedical Sciences, Human Body Systems, and Biology or Honors Biology
• Students investigate a variety of interventions involved in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease as they follow the life of a fictitious family. The course is a “How-To” manual for maintaining overall health and homeostasis in the body. Students explore how to prevent and fight infection; screen and evaluate the code in human DNA; prevent, diagnose and treat cancer; and prevail when the organs of the body begin to fail. Through these scenarios, students are exposed to a range of interventions related to immunology, surgery, genetics, pharmacology, medical devices, and diagnostics. 11th grade

(Capstone Course) Prerequisites: All 3 Foundation Courses.
Students are required to take Capstone Course their senior year.

• Biomedical Innovation (BI)
• Students design innovative solutions for the health challenges of the 21st century. They work through progressively challenging open-ended problems, addressing topics such as clinical medicine, physiology, biomedical engineering, and public health. They have the opportunity to work on an independent project with a mentor or advisor from a university, hospital, research institution, or the biomedical industry. Throughout the course, students are expected to present their work to an audience of STEM professionals. 12th grade

• Academy Internship
• Students complete a 135-hour minimum internship.  This is required to graduate from the academy. An internship prepares students to be college and career ready at a professional level. It improves their time management, prioritization, business ethics, conversation through professional emails, training and meeting etiquette. Typically completed during their summer break between their junior and senior year or can be completed as a course during their senior year, preferably fall semester before college applications.