Do you love science, but aren’t sure what the right career path is? Are you tired of contemplating your college major or having adults ask you about it? If you’re considering a career in science but aren’t sure what field is right for you, consider taking some biomedical science classes in high school.
Biomedical science is a broad field with many career paths and opportunities available to graduates. But what exactly is biomedical science?
What is Biomedical Science?
Biomedical science is the fusion of biology and medicine—at the university level, students will dabble in biochemistry, nutrition, disease, and immunology, to name a few subjects. Depending on the program, you may also explore the fields of parasitology, toxicology, pharmacology, and more—in addition to doing work in a laboratory or conducting research. Kinesiology, microbiology, genetics, and anatomy could be in the cards, too.
The good thing about biomedical science is that you don’t need to commit to a specialty right away. Curriculum—even biomedical science in high school—allows you to dabble in a wide variety of subjects, and a biomedical science degree can lead you to careers in education, research, medical practice, and even sales and institutional work.
Biomedical science is foundational for those looking to enter the healthcare profession, but is also beneficial for those who enjoy science and want to try different subjects without the obligation to be heavily specialized.
What are CBK Courses?
CBK stands for Common Body of Knowledge. Essentially, CBK courses are prerequisite classes that can include, but are not limited to, biology, physics, and organic chemistry. Your university will typically require that you maintain a certain grade in these classes in order to continue on the biomedical science track.
Biomedical Science at Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School
When you enroll in the SJND Biomedical Science Program, you will receive six and a half years’ worth of science education packed into four years of college preparatory study. SJND biomed high school classes are project-based, allowing students to dive into subjects that interest them and apply their knowledge to real-world problems.
Activities include the tenth-grade science fair project and completing an internship or job shadowing in their fourth year of studies.
“We learned a lot of things that I ended up using in college, like basic lab techniques, how to streak a plate, isolate a colony, how to do tests, how to do basic chemistry,” said Mary Carmen Reid, ‘17, a member of the first Biomedical Science cohort. “When I got to college and I took that class again, there were a lot of people who had no idea what was going on, but I was like, ‘Oh, I learned this in biomed.’”
Where are the graduates now? Everywhere from medical school to corporate America—and they credit their high school biomedical science program as their launching pad.
Interested in the biomedical science program? Learn more and read the stories here.
