In this installment of “What Can North Penn Do For You”, we take an in-depth look into what North Penn can do for students interested in the medical field.

Are you an underclassmen at North Penn High School? Are you interested in pursuing a degree or career in the medical field? Don’t know how to move forward? North Penn’s course and club offerings are available to you!

The Knight Crier is running a recurring feature on specific classes, clubs, and people to reach out to help students furthermore unravel their interests and achieve their educational/career goals after high school. In this installment, we will cover what opportunities North Penn has to offer for students interested in the various fields of nursing and medicine.

AP Classes

AP Biology: This is a year-long elective AP Course that provides an in-depth understanding of molecular and cellular biology, genetics and evolution, and organisms and populations. 

AP Physics 1: This is a year-long elective AP Course that has a prerequisite of a “C” or higher in 6.0 Pre-Calculus. It gives students a foundation of physics for those interested in life sciences, pre-medicine, and applied sciences. 

AP Calculus: Although AP Calculus is not normally required for nursing, it is normally needed for medical school. This year-long elective course includes the study of limits, differentiation, and integration of algebraic and transcendental functions all of which can be found in college math courses. 

AP Statistics: This year-long elective course dives into the world of collecting and analyzing data and statistics. Most medical and nursing schools will require statistics as it helps to assess patients in a field of uncertainty. 

AP Chemistry: Chemistry serves as the backbone of all human life, and the backbone of the medical field. Many students who plan to pursue a career in the medical field must take Organic Chemistry in college, this course provides a firm understanding of Chemistry. 

Electives:

Body Systems and Physiology (6.5): This is a year-long elective course that focuses on topics of biology that apply to nursing and pre-medicine. Some of these topics include human anatomy and physiology, nutrition, and disease. 

Genetics and Embryology (6.0): This is a year-long elective course that involves the study of DNA structure, cell reproduction, and embryology. It delves into pedigree charts and human traits. This course is highly recommended for those going into the field of medicine and genetics. 

Anatomy (1&2): These are both half-year electives that dive into the anatomy physiology and body systems. Anatomy 1 focuses mainly on the basics such as the skeletal and muscular systems, while Anatomy 2 dives into the digestive system and nutrition. These courses provide a valuable foundation for anyone looking to go into pre-medicine and nursing. 

Emergency Care: This is a half-year elective course that ends with the opportunity to get Standard First Aid and Community CPR certification. Throughout the semester, students learn about illness and accident prevention. It also has a focus on self-care techniques. 

Clubs:

FHOC: “Future Health Occupations Club can be helpful for students interested in the health sciences, nursing, medicine because this club seeks to coordinate real interactions with medical professionals. Guest speakers are typically asked to speak with our club members in person or virtually to share their educational and professional experiences with North Penn Students. FHOC has heard from oncologists, radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, to name a few,” North Penn FHOC Adviser Nate Snyder stated. “This year an extension of the club participated in the Pennsylvania HOSA conference in Lancaster. HOSA is an organization that seeks to encourage and develop student interest and skills in all health professions.”

Extras:

CHIP: This is an internship program that counts as class credits that allow you to be exposed to the work field as a high school student. For nursing/pre-med in particular, there are opportunities to shadow therapists at Ivy Rehab, become a CNA at Dock Woods, and build your soft skills at a job.