On the first day of school you are expecting to walk into your principles of biomedical science class and sit at a desk by an unfamiliar face.

Instead, you walk into a crime scene. Your biggest worry now is not whom you are going to sit by but what kind of class you have signed yourself up for.

The Project Lead The Way biomedical pathway started in 2013, offering students not only the challenge of a rigorous college level biology class but also real world applications of these topics through hands on experiences.

“We go over 50 different medical/science careers and do a lab or activity for every one,” said Sarah Brown, coordinator of the program.

This pathway not only allows for students to get college credit hours for the courses but it also allows students the option of job shadowing, interning, and obtaining certifications, such as a Pharmacy technician and an EKG technician.

“The PLTW pathway has allowed me the opportunity to seek out my interests in the medical field because of the variety of topics this pathway introduces,” said Holly Hummel, third-year student of the biomedical pathway and recent white coat inductee.

These courses are no easy feat; students are pushed to their full potential and work extremely hard every day. “I wanted to do something special to reward my students for their hard work, said Brown. “This is why I started the White Coat ceremony last year.”

The White Coat ceremony is an induction celebration offered at the beginning of students’ third year of the biomedical pathway.

“My favorite part of the ceremony is how proud the students are after receiving their white coat and also the pride of the parents seeing their success,” said Brown.

Last year, 13 students received their white coat, and on Oct. 18, 27 more were inducted.

“Clark Regional agreed to donate lab coats and I got them monogrammed to make them more personal for each student,” said Brown.

Students are able to wear these lab coats through the last two classes of this pathway during labs and experiments and also are able to keep them after graduation. The students give Mrs. Brown credit for this one-of-a-kind opportunity.

“Mrs. Brown does not simply just teach,” Hummel says, “She goes above and beyond to encourage her students to dream and motivates them to continuously do their best.”