PLTW opens doors to the medical field for West York students

Medical Interventions is the third Biomedical PLTW (Project Lead The Way) class. In this West York Area High School class taught by Ms. Kirsty Houck, students investigate ways to diagnose, treat and prevent various diseases and conditions. They were presented with their official white lab coats to recognize and celebrate these students for committing to the PLTW pathway. In medical schools, the White Coat Ceremony is an initiation into the program and the career.

PLTW began in the fall of 2020 with the first class, Principles of Biomedical Science. Since then, we have added a new class each year – Human Body Systems last year and Medical Interventions this year. Next year we will have the 4th and final class in the pathway Biomedical Innovations.

Students will gain skills (lab-based and otherwise) that will be used in clinical and research-based settings. Most students in these classes do plan on attending college to study a science-based field, and the skills they learn in PLTW give them a definite advantage in their college classes and laboratories.

The hands-on nature of this class, along with the problem/project-focused curriculum, has allowed students to become fully engaged in what they are learning. They learn the content through DOING the science using equipment that would be found in a research or college lab. It is fun, practical, and real life!