The Health Studies Program fosters student interest in health and health services. Committed to academic excellence, the program enhances student understanding of the healthcare field through a specialized curriculum and experiential learning. Honoring the mission of AMHS, the program aims to cultivate respect for life and compassion for those in need.
Students in the Health Studies Program (HSP) are admitted as a cohort in freshman year. Over the four years of high school, HSP students take a full regular academic schedule but have one class per year with their cohort- see the courses section below for more information. These specialized courses require students to develop independent learning skills and expose students to a wide variety of medical careers.
In addition to these classes, students attend several field trips to local hospitals and other medical centers to see and learn from people working directly in medicine. Each year multiple guest speakers provide additional insight about different aspects of medicine and related fields.
Students are required to complete extensive volunteering, job shadowing, and participation in our HOSA club over four years, some of which can be used to fulfill the school service hour requirement.
By the end of the program, students within the Health Studies Program will:
Understand personal and public health issues.
Make responsible health decisions.
Be prepared for possible careers and leadership positions in the healthcare field.
Explore various healthcare careers through site visits, speakers, internships, and volunteer opportunities.
Students in the Health Studies Program take four courses with their cohort: Health for HSP & Health Technology, Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, and Medical Interventions. One of these courses is taken each year as shown below.
Over the course of four years, students in the HSP are required to complete health care specific volunteer work, job shadowing, and participation in HOSA.*
The program requirements are:
96 school community service hours
Of the 96 school community service hours, at least 50 must be in a health care setting
Ten hours or more job shadowing with a healthcare professional
Ten hours service with a community health related organization
Participation in HOSA all years in the program
*For the classes of 2022 and 2023, these requirements will be modified due to volunteer and job shadowing limitations stemming from COVID-19 restrictions.
AMHS has a chapter of HOSA- Future Health Professionals for students to pursue individual interests in medical fields beyond the classroom. Students may participate in this club school wide, but those in the HSP can satisfy some of the volunteering and job shadowing requirements of the program by participation in HOSA.
At the 2021 Regional and State Competitions:
One team placed third in the state anatomy competition
One student qualified for HOSA International in late June in nutrition.
Over the four years of Health Studies program classes, students learn the skills necessary to pass the Biotechnician Assistant Credentialing Exam (BACE). In spring of senior year students can choose to take the BACE. The certification gives students preferential hiring status for entry level biotechnology positions at some biotech firms, and preferential treatment when trying to work in certain research labs as an undergraduate.
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