Written by PLTW | Jan 12, 2013 5:00:00 AM
March 21, 2013 At a recent White Coat Ceremony, five Wando High School (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) students were presented with monogrammed lab coats for completing all four courses in PLTW's Biomedical Sciences program. The students recognized at the event were Diana Fang, Jake Meyer, Tommi Etsuko, Carly White, and Alexis Higgins. The ceremony was the brainchild of Dr. Sally Nesmith, who teaches Biomedical Sciences courses at Wando High, and Ruth Truluck, the school's dean of Health Sciences, Human and Public Services. The idea developed out of a discussion on how to show students in the program's first course, Principles of the Biomedical Sciences, the advantages of staying with the BMS program throughout their high school careers. While Wando High School is certified for BMS, providing students the potential to earn college credit for their high school classes, Dr. Nesmith and Truluck sought something more tangible. They felt the White Coat Ceremony would be a great way to acknowledge and reward the four-year students for their dedication and effort. The first-year students were tasked with planning, setting up, and hosting the event under Dr. Nesmith’s and Truluck’s guidance. They also found sponsors for the lab coats and monogramming. During the ceremony Wando Principal Lucy Beckham delivered opening remarks about the students' success. Truluck presented each student with a white lab coat that featured the student's name,"PLTW Biomedical Sciences," and one of the sponsor’s names. Baytree Orthodontics; A10 Clinical Solutions; East Cooper Medical Center; Roper St Francis, Mt Pleasant Hospital; and MUSC College of Medicine sponsored the event.