Medical Interventions 2014 – 2015                Ms. Kathleen Wilhelmy

Course Objective

In the Medical Interventions course, students will investigate the variety of interventions involved in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease as they follow the lives of a fictitious family. A “How-To” manual for maintaining overall health and homeostasis in the body, the course will explore how to prevent and fight infection, how to screen and evaluate the code in our DNA, how to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, and how to prevail when the organs of the body begin to fail. Through these scenarios, students will be exposed to the wide range of interventions related to Immunology, Surgery, Genetics, Pharmacology, Medical Devices, and Diagnostics. Each family case scenario will introduce multiple types of interventions and will reinforce concepts learned in the previous two courses, as well as present new content. Interventions may range from simple diagnostic tests to treatment of complex diseases and disorders. These interventions will be showcased across the generations of the family and will provide a look at the past, present and future of biomedical science. Lifestyle choices and preventive measures are emphasized throughout the course as well as the important role scientific thinking and engineering design play in the development of interventions of the future.

Grading

Each marking period counts as 40% of a student’s final grade, with a comprehensive final exam at the end of the Semester which will count as 20% of their final grade. Each marking period the grade will be determined according to the following chart.

Attendance, Lateness and Cutting

All rules regarding attendance, lateness, and cutting will be followed as per the 2013 – 2014 Policy Edition Newsletter. All absences will be counted as unexcused unless the school receives proper notification. You must report to class on time or you will be marked late. If you are late three times it will be equivalent to one absence, which could affect your grade. If you cut a class or are late you will receive a “0” for any assigned work, quizzes or tests you miss during that period.

Make-up

It is the student’s responsibility to make up any work missed due to an excused absence within 5 days of returning to school.  This includes absences in which the student was not in school and it includes missing a class due to participation in a sport, extracurricular activity and attending class trips or any other school event.

Time will be given in class to complete the activities and projects but any assignments not completed in class must be completed for homework. The specific items that are due for each assignment will be specified by me during the lesson and posted on the board. It is the student’s responsibility to complete and hand in assignments on time.  Some activities and projects will be completed in groups and each person is responsible for taking their own notes and answering all conclusion questions.  All assignments must be handed in on time when it is due, failure to do so can result in a reduced grade or a zero for that assignment.

Quizzes and tests will be given throughout the course.  The material covered on each test will based on the essential questions, vocabulary and content covered in each activity. 

LAB ACTIVITY

If a student misses a class lab activity that cannot be made up during class time then an alternate or modified assignment may be given. In some cases students will have to use classroom equipment to complete makeup assignments which will require that they come in before or after regular school hours to make up missed assignments.  It is important that the makeup work is completed as soon as possible to keep up with the class material.

PLEASE NOTE:  Not all lab activities can be made up.  Some labs require extensive and complicated teacher preparation and some solutions and materials cannot be recreated.  Students who miss these activities may not receive full credit for the alternate assignment.

BEHAVIOR

School rules and regulations will be followed in my classroom as per the Student Handbook. Students should wear their school I.D. and dress appropriately. Use of electronic devices will not be tolerated during class and are subject to confiscation and/or disciplinary action.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. It invalidates the work of the person who copied the words, and deprives the original author of credit.

Students will be assigned seats, lab tables, books, and other equipment for use during class; it is his/her responsibility to insure their area and equipment is kept neat, clean, in good working order and free of any graffiti. The equipment and books are expensive and students will be held financially accountable for damages due to neglect.

All Safety rules and regulations must be followed as per safety contract. Not following lab safety rules could result in the student’s removal from class and a  reduced grade or a zero for that lab assignment.

Student Supplies Required

Laboratory Journal

Career Notebook

3 Ring Binder

Attached you will find an overview and outline of the course.

UNIT ONE:

Students are introduced to Sue Smith, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Sue is a college freshman who is presenting symptoms of an unknown infectious disease which students eventually identify as bacterial meningitis. Sue survives the infection but is left with hearing impairment. Through this case, students will explore the diagnostic process used to identify an unknown infection, the use of antibiotics as a treatment, how bacteria develop antibiotic resistance, how hearing impairment is assessed and treated, and how vaccinations are developed and used to prevent infection.

UNIT TWO:

Students are introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the head of the Smith family. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are very excited because they just found out they are expecting a new baby. Because the couple is in their early 40s, the doctor has suggested genetic screening and testing. Through this case, students will explore how to screen and evaluate the code in our DNA, the value of good prenatal care, and the future of genetic technology.

UNIT THREE:

Students are introduced to Mike Smith, the sixteen-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Mike is diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that often affects teenagers. Mike’s treatments put him into remission; in order to remove all of the cancerous tissue, he had to have most of his arm amputated and he needs a prosthesis. Through this case, students will explore the diagnostic process used to determine the presence of cancerous cells, the risk factors and prevention of cancer, rehabilitation after disease or injury, and the design process for new medications, prosthetics, and nanotechnology.

UNIT FOUR:

Students are introduced to Mrs. Jones, the forty-four-year-old sister of Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Jones has been struggling with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus for twenty years. Over the years, Mrs. Jones did not take good care of herself or properly control her diabetes. She eventually began using an insulin pump and changed her lifestyle to regulate her blood sugar levels, but the damage had already been done. Mrs. Jones is now dealing with end stage renal failure and needs a kidney transplant. Through this case, students will explore protein production, blood sugar regulation, dialysis, organ donation and transplantation, non-invasive surgery techniques, as well as creation of a bionic human.