Biomedical Science Program

The Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Biomedical Science (BMS) Program is a sequence of courses, all aligned with appropriate national learning standards, which follows a proven hands-on, real-world problem-solving approach to learning.

Whether discovering new cancer treatments or teaching healthy lifestyle choices to their communities, today’s biomedical science professionals are tackling big challenges to make the world a better place. PLTW Biomedical Science students are taking on these same real-world challenges – and they’re doing it before they even graduate from high school. Working with the same tools used by professionals in hospitals and labs, students engage in compelling, hands-on activities and work together to find solutions to problems. Students take from the courses in-demand knowledge and skills they will use in high school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.

By immersing students in activities like practicing suturing and constructing body structures from clay, PLTW Biomedical Science empowers students to build knowledge and skills in biomedical science, as well as in-demand, transportable skills like problem solving, critical and creative thinking, communication, and collaboration.

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

Principles of Biomedical Science (Year 1)

By engaging in activities like dissecting a sheep heart, students explore concepts of biology and medicine to determine factors that led to the death of a fictional person.

Human Body Systems (Year 2)

Through projects such as determining the identity of a skeleton using both forensic anthropology and DNA analysis, students examine the interactions of human body systems and apply what they know to solve real-world medical cases.

Medical Interventions (Year 3)

Students delve into activities like designing a prosthetic arm as they follow the life of a fictitious family and investigate how to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease.

Biomedical Innovation (Year 4)

Students build on the knowledge and skills gained from previous courses to design their own innovative solutions for the most pressing health challenges of the 21st century.

2016-17 AP + PLTW Student Achievement: 3 FWBHS Biomedical Science Students Recognized