Redwood High School
Tamalpais
Union High School District
Honors
Biomedical Science
This document includes
critical information including deadlines
INFORMATION
FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS
2012-2013
School Year
What is
Honors Biomedical Sciences?
Honors Biomedical Sciences is yearlong
science elective. Subject matter for this
course is taken from the biologic sub-discipline molecular biology. The level
of difficulty reflects typical course work in molecular biology based college
courses. Honors Biomedical Sciences is a college level course designed for very advanced high
school students. As such the intended audience are students with college level
academic skills interested in molecular biology, and those interested in pursuing
post-secondary education in the areas of pre-med, pre-vet, virology,
microbiology, molecular biology, biomedical science, biomedical engineering, neurobiology,
and other molecular biology related degree programs.
What are the
short- and long-term goals of such a course?
¥ to offer a rigorous college level
opportunity for those students who have an interest in a course that mirrors
the content of molecular biology based post-secondary programs
¥ provide real-life, off campus experiences
in the fields of medicine, biomedical research, and clinical testing
¥ provide access to biotechnology
opportunities in the form of lab work integral to the curriculum – with
respect to this goal, the intent is to provide highly advanced lab experiences
that meet industry and research level expectations
¥ in both lab and non-lab opportunities the
priority is to give students a tangible advantage when entering college and/or
the work force
What is the
expected workload for students?
What type of work should students expect to be doing in this course?
Homework is
rarely assigned overnight. As such the workload cannot be described as having a
regular cycle. Much of the work outside of class time revolves around preparing
for a lab, analyzing lab results and preparing a lab report, or preparing for
an exam. However reading and writing assignments are also part of the course
and these assignments tend to be scheduled in advanced at regular intervals
throughout the semester. Students are advised to review all classroom work,
particularly lecture notes each night. By doing so a student maintains the
material we are covering at any particular point in the course in the forefront
of their mind, and tend to do more reviewing than relearning when preparing for
exams or preparing lab reports. The course also requires that students complete
two large projects independently and one group project. These projects require
a considerable amount of maturity with respect to time management and seeking
help on a timely basis.
Will there
be an informational meeting?
There will be
an informational meeting for students interested in Honors Biomedical Science.
The meeting will take place at RHS in room 228 during lunch on Tuesday February
14th.
Admission
Criteria
Students must meet the following admission criteria in
order to be enrolled in this course:
To be eligible for enrollment in Honors Biomedical
Science students must have completed Chemistry 1-2 with a minimum grade of A-
or Honors Chemistry 1-2 with a minimum grade of B-, and score 75% or higher on
the entrance test. The entrance test assesses reading, writing, comprehension, data
analysis skills, and foundational Chemistry topics. The entrance test will be given in room 228 on Thursday March 8th
from 2:30pm to 4:00pm. Students wishing to take the test must sign-up for the
test in room 228 no later than 3:30pm Tuesday March 6th.
What is the
Entrance Test Like?
Critical to
success in Honors Biomedical Science is
the ability to read, write, and comprehend at the college level; particularly material
related to molecular biology. Data analysis in a molecular context is another necessary
skill, as is a strong background in general chemistry. These areas are the
focus of the entrance test. Lab based scenarios with background information and
data are provided in support of the data analysis portion of the test. Point
distribution:50% reading, writing, and comprehension; 30% data analysis; 20%
Chemistry topics.
The instructor scores the entrance test.
If teacher
recommendations are required, what qualities are teachers asked to evaluate?
No teacher
recommendation is required.
Selection
Process
Students are
notified by the principalÕs office, via mail, as to whether they did or did not
successfully pass the entrance test. Students who are selected will be asked to
commit to the course by signing a required Honors/AP contract.
What if the
test is being given on a date for which the student has another obligation?
Students are
involved in a myriad of activities so it may be necessary for them to make a
choice between taking the test and participating in something else. Since this course is designed for
students who are willing to give it their highest priority if other activities
are already intruding at this point, perhaps the student should not consider
the course at this time.
There will
be no opportunities for makeup other
than the specified test date unless the student has made a prior arrangement with the teacher in charge.
What if a
student doesnÕt do well on the entrance test?
Because of
security reasons, the entrance test will only be given on the specified date.
No re-takes will be administered.
Since this course is designed to provide a college-type experience,
students need to be prepared to perform well under stressful conditions. Many
college courses are graded on the basis of one or two exams, and placement
tests are often given only once.
Would it be
possible for a student to have excellent grades in previous courses in this
subject and not meet the entrance criteria?
Yes. Many
students work hard in their coursework and earn good grades through effort and
persistence. However, Honors/AP courses are designed for students who have an
unusually high interest level or talent for the subject and are ready to deal
with course content at the pace required in a college course. This is a big
leap from regular high school coursework and may be too much for a student to
handle even though s/he is doing well in high school coursework.
What can a
student do if they do not meet the course entrance criteria?
Honors/AP
courses are just one option. Most other courses in the same department are
college preparatory and will provide a rigorous preparation for college. Other
options include a) asking for enrichment within a regular class, b) taking a
specialized summer workshop or institute, c) enrolling in a concurrent college
course in a related subject. There are many ways to find the right challenge.
Talk to your counselor or teacher.
What should
a student or parent do if they need more information?
Contact Mr.
Lovelady, Honors Biomedical Science instructor