Biomed program grows

The Blue Springs School District strives to open doors for students to explore new opportunities in learning. The Biomedical Science program is part of Project Lead the Way and in its first year is providing students an exciting doorway into the future.

Introduction to Biomedical Sciences is taught at the Freshman Center by Pattie Balano. The class is the first of a four- course series that will be offered, each as a prerequisite to the other. The program is designed to introduce biosciences to students who have an interest in the medical field. It is estimated that more than 100 students will be involved in the program next year.

"As the instructor of this introductory course I am privileged to work with such a great group of students," Balano said. "Each of them has learned different ways of learning material and how it fits into the working world they will soon face. This first year opened with 40 students and more than 50 percent will continue on to the next course, Human Body Systems, as sophomores."

Project Lead the Way lends itself to problem-based learning and students will be challenged in a manner that gives them reflection from peers, teachers and community leaders as well.

A recent trip to St. Luke’s East in Lee’s Summit included class members getting a hands-on demonstration of the Da Vinci Surgical System, a robotic device that does procedures on prostrate, urinary and ovarian issues.

Jennifer Kaberline was among the students that operated the robotic device. "What I didn’t expect, but am glad was included in the class, is the number of hands-on experiments on a day-to-day basis," she said. "Being able to write up and conduct our own experiment has helped me learn more in depth about our topics and experience the effects first-hand."

Dr. Robert Biber of Midwest Urology invited the Biomed group to St. Luke’s and said "The University of Missouri Medical School is one of the leading schools in the country that has implemented a problem-based learning program to first year medical students. The PLTW Biomedical Program can assist in giving students an advantage over those with only a traditional method of learning and definitely give them a jump start."