Allied Health & Biomedical Sciences

Program of Study

Students attending the Academy of Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences take four years of academic college preparatory coursework. Specializations take place in health technologies and biomedical sciences. Students and staff engage in activities in cooperation with medical specialists at the school and at off-site medical facilities. It is projected that all graduates attend postsecondary programs to pursue careers in medicine, nursing or other health-related specialty fields.

This program utilizes a rigourous and constantly updated curriculum that provide students with opportunities to earn a number of college credits while in high school through articulation agreements with institutes of higher education such as Middlesex County College, Rutgers University and NJIT.

Allied Health - courses include Introductionto Allied Health, Dynamics for Health Care and Society, Legal and EthicalIssues in Health Care and Emergency and Clinical Care

Biomedical Sciences - courses include Principlesof Biomedical Sciences, Human Body Systems, Medical Intervention and Biomedical Innovation*

The PLTW Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Program isa sequence of courses, all aligned with appropriate national learningstandards, which follows a proven hands-on, real-world problem-solving approachto learning. Students explore the concepts of human medicine and are introducedto topics such as physiology, genetics, microbiology and public health. Throughactivities, like dissecting a heart, students examine the processes, structuresand interactions of the human body – often playing the role of biomedical professionals.They also explore the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, workingcollaboratively to investigate and design innovative solutions to the healthchallenges of the 21st century such as fighting cancer with Nanotechnology.

Throughout BMS, students acquire strong teamworkand communication practices, and develop organizational, critical-thinking, andproblem-solving skills. Along the way students investigate a variety of careersin biomedical sciences. During the first year of implementation, schools arerequired to offer at least one of the foundation courses and ultimatelyimplement all three foundation courses. The capstone course is optional.

BMS courses complement traditional science coursesand can serve as the foundation for STEM-centered or specialized academies. Theprogram is designed to prepare students to pursue a post-secondary educationand careers in the biomedical sciences.

Foundation Courses

• Principles of the Biomedical Sciences (PBS)
• 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 Biomedical Sciences program and lay the scientific foundation for subsequent courses. This course is designed for 9th or 10th grade students.
• Human Body Systems (HBS)
• 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. This course is designed for 10th, 11th or 12th grade students.
• Medical Interventions (MI)
• 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. This course is designed for 11th or 12th grade students.

Capstone Course

• 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. This course is designed for 12th grade students.

Location(s):

Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences

1 Convery Boulevard

Woodbridge,NJ 07095

(732) 634-5858