Jami Jansen teaches Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, and Medical Interventions at Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri. Jami is the KHS PLTW Department Chair and a PBS Master Teacher.
In April 2015, Kickapoo High School's PLTW Biomedical Science program was fortunate enough to have, for the first time, a graduating class of students who completed all four classes in the program’s sequence.
In addition, the photo above shows 16 of our BI students who not only completed capstone projects but also 30 hours of internship. Thanks to two amazing community partners, CoxHealth and Drury University, and an exceptional new PLTW teacher, Marci Johnson, this group of students gained an invaluable experience beyond what could be offered in the classroom.
Our Biomedical Innovation students got a firsthand look into the medical world through internships at Cox Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Through their internships, some students witnessed emergency room care (including death), childbirths, neurosurgery, orthopedic care, cardiovascular intervention procedures, pediatric care, nutritional support, and more.
Taking this knowledge from their internship, along with what they gained in their PLTW Biomedical Science classes, each student researched and prepared a capstone project. Just prior to graduation, the students presented in a showcase setting at Drury University, where all had a poster presentation of their project, and five exceptional students were chosen for verbal presentations to teachers, parents, and community members.
The students impressively presented innovations such as a new medical treatment for glioblastomas, a Keto diet plan for seizure prevention, and even a device for administering shots without the patient seeing the needle.
We are extremely proud of these students and of the community stakeholders who took time to enrich the real-world education of our Kickapoo PLTW Biomedical Science students. We look forward to tracking their progress after graduation and into the medical community.
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