Public Health Pathway
Public Health Saves Lives!
Students in Physiology of Aging, hone their problem-solving skills and demonstrate creativity as they create MakeyMakey interactives to teach others about the circulatory system.
Public Health is the why and how of good healthcare practice and policy.
Public Health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities.
Public Health is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention; and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases.
Public health is concerned with protecting the health of entire populations. These populations can be as small as a local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country or region of the world.
In short, if you want to improve peoples' lives using the scientific methods and/or evidence, then Public Health is the pathway for you.
High-Demand Public Health Careers
Hands-on Learning
The Public Health Pathway emphasizes project-based learning. If you join this pathway you will have lots of opportunities to explore, learn, and apply knowledge through interactive, creative, and challenging projects.
IMG_5214.MOVIn this video, an Advanced Physiology student is harvesting sea urchin gametes. These gametes were later mixed and early embryogenesis was observed under a light microscope (see image below).
In Public Health, you will learn about:
Diseases
Disorders
Outbreaks
How the Body Works
How to Perform & Assess Epidemiological Research
Fertilized sea urchin eggs dividing, as seen under a light microscope in Advanced Physiology.
You will learn via laboratories
Video_4.movVideo shows a Daphnea (water flea) under a light microscope. In Advanced Physiology, students explore animal physiology by using water fleas as an animal model.
You will learn via real-life case studies and stories.
The above image is a backlit agar petri dish showing "zones of inhibition" where bacteria could not grow because of antibiotic presence. Immunology students created this when they perform an antibiotic-sensitivity test to determine the best antibiotic for a particular patient's unique bacterial infection.
You will explore how culture, language, and economics can effect human-health outcomes.
In Biomedical Law & Ethics students read the The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which tells the story of a Hmong child and her family's struggles to navigate the American healthcare system. This book explores the tension between biomedical approaches to healthcare and traditional healing practices, and the ways in which cultural beliefs and practices can shape the experience of illness and healthcare.
Guest Speakers
Public Health also hosts a variety of guest speakers, which vary year-to-year depending on schedules. Past speakers have included Clark County Public Health, a mortician, and a complex litigation lawyer
Public Health Pathway Curriculum
Public Health is a flexible pathway. You may take Public Health as your only CTE pathway or you may pair it with another of HeLa's pathways. Most of the Public Health courses don't have pre-requisite courses. Making it the most flexible of HeLa's pathways.
A student must complete two-credits worth of Public Health courses (listed below) to be considered a "Public Health CTE completers". However, students do not have to be committed to the Public Health Pathway to take the courses offered in the pathway. So come and try out a course or two!
Epidemiology is a two-semester course, where students will study the distribution and determinants of health and disease in populations. This course provides an overview of the principles and methods of epidemiology, with a focus on the application of these principles to real-world public health problems. Topics covered include study design, measures of disease frequency and association, causality, sources of bias, and strategies for controlling and preventing disease. The course also explores the use of epidemiological data for public health decision-making and policy development, and the ethical considerations involved in conducting and using epidemiological research.
Advanced Physiology is a one-semester course that builds upon the foundation of basic anatomy and physiology and delves deeper into the complex physiological processes that were introduced in Anatomy & Physiology I & II. Topics covered includes musculoskeletal, neuronal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and renal physiology; the regulation of body fluids and electrolytes; and embryology. This course also explores advanced topics such as muscle physiology, regulation of energy metabolism, and briefly touches on the physiology of exercise. The course emphasizes the integration of physiological systems and their role in maintaining health. The goal of the course is to provide a deep understanding of select advanced physiological concepts and their application to the understanding and treatment of human diseases. This class is a good prelude to a pathophysiology course in college.
Immunology is a one-semester elective course that covers the basic principles of immunology, including antigen-antibody interactions, cellular communication, and immune cell development. Students will learn about both specific and nonspecific defense mechanisms. Including the role of phagocytes, natural killer cells, complement proteins, and lymphocytes in health and disease. This will expand student learning from biology, anatomy and physiology, and chemistry.
Physiology of Aging is a one-semester course that explores the biological changes that occur in the body as individuals grow older. It covers the normal aging process as well as age-related diseases and conditions. Topics include cellular and molecular changes, changes in organ function, alterations in metabolism and hormone levels. The course also covers the impact of lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise on human physiology and the role of genetics in determining lifespan. The goal of the course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the physiological changes associated with aging and the factors that contribute to healthy and pathological aging.
Biomedical Law and Ethics is a one-semester course that explores legal and ethical issues in medicine, healthcare, and biomedical research. The course covers a wide range of topics, including patient rights, informed consent, confidentiality, end-of-life care, organ transplantation, human experimentation, genetic engineering, and biotechnology.
The course will emphasize the importance of ethical decision-making in the medical field. Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of the legal and ethical principles that govern medical practice and research, and learn how to apply these principles in real-world case studies. Students will also learn about the role of government agencies and professional organizations in regulating and monitoring medical practice and research.
This class will also include a book study of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman.
All students who wish to complete the Public Health Pathway, must take the required year-long Epidemiology course, which is worth one credit; and two semester-long Public Health classes of their choice. Course options include: Biomedical Law & Ethics, Immunology, Physiology of Aging, or Advanced Physiology. See the course descriptions and syllabi above to learn more.
Public Health Teacher
Jennifer Wallace came to K12 teaching later in life. She earned a PhD in Molecular & Medical Genetics, and a Master of Clinical Research from Oregon Health & Science University in 2011. There she studied the genetics of heart development. After her PhD training, she did a postdoctoral research fellowship at Stanford University. Then, while her kids were young, she worked as a freelance science writer and then managing editor at Bitesize Bio — an instructional website for biomedical researchers.
In 2018, she decided to go into K12 teaching, so she went back to school, this time for a Master of Arts in Teaching from Pacific University. Jennifer now enjoys using her real-life science experience in the classroom.
In her summers, Jennifer enjoys camping, clamming, rock hounding, and gardening. She does these things with her husband, their five children, and a menagerie of pets. She has a little brown Heinz-57 mutt named “Little Dog”. She also has two bunnies, “Terrified-Rex”, or “T-Rex” for short; and “Try-carrot-tops”. She shares her home office with a bumble bee ball python named “Kaa”.
In the winter, you can find her under a heated blanket, knitting, drawing, or reading. Although she finds herself consuming more audiobooks than paper books these days.
Mochi, the classroom Axolotyl.
Public Health Goes with Everything...
Public Health degrees are often combined with other professional degrees.
The Public Health Pathway is great on its own, but it is even better when combined with other pathways.
Come by room 211 or email Dr. Wallace at jennifer.wallace@evergreenps.org to learn more about this exciting pathway with great growth potential and flexibility.
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