This curriculum, designed for 10th grade high school students, introduces students to a number of possible careers in the Health Sciences field. Students will complete "rotations", each lasting roughly 1-5 weeks in length, in which they get to "walk around in the shoes" of a Health Sciences professional, such as a doctor or nutritionist, performing tasks similar to those the practitioner would execute in the real world. As students perform these real-world tasks, in addition to topic-specific skills, they will practice general skills such as scientific reasoning, writing and oral presentation, and teamwork, which will be useful to them in life as well as any Health Sciences career.
Health Sciences in particular brings purpose to science education
while opening doors to students in career areas that are needed and beneficial
to the public. Following is a tentative list of projects that will comprise the Year in Health Sciences. Four of these courses are on track to be completed in early Spring 2007.
Rotation 1: Nutrition Advisor
(Ready in Spring 2007) |
Develop nutritional plans for teenagers with particular nutritional health concerns. |
Rotation 2: Sports Medic
(Ready in Spring 2007) |
Diagnose sports-related injuries and conditions in teenage patients. |
Rotation 3: Superworm
(Ready in Spring 2007) |
Redesign the biological structures of a simple organism. |
Rotation 4: Internal Medicine
(Ready in Spring 2007) |
Diagnose and "treat" a patient with internal injuries. |
Rotation 5: Medical Detective |
Write forensic reports on the causes of death at mysterious crime scenes. |
Rotation 6A: Drug Defense |
Submit technical briefs for class-action lawsuits involving the effects of drugs and other substances. |
Rotation 6B: Tools of the Trade |
Document observations and tests of critical medical equipment. |
Rotation 6C: Outbreak! |
Develop a response plan and press communications in response to a flu pandemic. |
Rotation 6D: Laying Down the Law |
Legislate on health policy, accounting for multiple perspectives. |
Rotation 6E: Cutting Costs without Cutting Care |
Write recommendations on how to solve a hospital’s budgetary crisis. |
Rotation 7: Up-Close with Addiction Recovery |
Collect and summarize data on the impacts of drug addiction. |
Rotation 8: Plant Plague |
Develop a short- and long-term plan to resolve a fungal attack on a local crop population. |
Rotation 9A: Designer Genes |
Write informational materials on the science, ethics and politics of genetic engineering |
Rotation 9B: Re-Inventing the Wheel(Chair) |
Submit new or improved designs for medical instruments. |
Rotation 9C: Something in the Water? |
Analyze environmental data to report on the sources and impacts of toxins in a specific location. |
Rotation 9D: Who Pays? |
Advocate improvements in health care for children after researching policies and procedures worldwide. |
Rotation 9E: Business Week |
Write for a financial journal on the current state of the drug industry. |
Rotation 9F: Diagnosis |
Gather information on a patient presenting with specific symptoms and develop a treatment plan. |
Rotation 10: Disaster! |
Develop a natural disaster response plan addressing short- and long-term concerns. |
Final Internship |
Work for six weeks in one of six specializations |