The U.S. Department of Labor expects the healthcare industry to continue to grow more than all other sectors over the coming decade. To meet the growing demand, an expected 15.6 million jobs will be created in healthcare by 2022.  This exciting Capstone course is intended for students interested in entering this burgeoning healthcare field. Designed as a blended learning course, it will offer in class, on-line and experiential learning.  Students will hear from guest speakers, pursue independent fieldwork, and research an area of personal interest. All students in this class will complete an Introduction to Medical Terminology (on-line) course and earn First Aid/CPR/AED certification.  The final product from this class will be showcased as part of each student’s VOGC Exhibition of Learning. 

My work was divided into four major categories: independent research, research paper writing, courses completion, and field experience. 

The independent research process included exploring databases and finding sources, including a minimum of 12 relevant scholarly articles, and videos or interviews. I then ensured to include proper citations and annotation for the sources used. I also kept track of all information in the articles/sources by taking detailed notes and organizing my digital portfolio.

The writing process included constructing a 2500 word research paper to answer my driving question: To what extent are genetics/hormones responsible for the induction of homosexuality in males aged 10-25? This paper was composed as an organized collection of all of my research. In other words, it was a synthesis of all my independent research

The courses part of my project included a Medical Terminology course by Tunxis Community College and a First-Aid/CPR/AED course by the American Red Cross. This process was a meaningful part of my project as it gave me my own personal experience with medical care. I learned from the courses about the information necessary to provide care for someone in need of medical assistance. Although the process was not project-specific, it created a better understanding of the complexity and effort required in the medical field.

The field experience portion of my project included: connecting healthcare professionals, pathology labs, private practices, or other facilities for possible job shadow or other means for gaining knowledge.

When all of the above mentioned work was completed, I presented my entire project in front of the Steering Committee, other students and parents. In the presentation, I mentioned elements of my digital portfolio that document every step and action of my project. Finally, I summarized the entire year's work to to audience so they leave with a new piece of knowledge which they can benifit from at some point in life.