Health Science Program
Ms. Margaret Carlson
August 10, 2015
Dear Parents/Guardians,
My name is Margaret Carlson, and I will be your son/daughter’s Health Science
instructor for this school year. It is an absolute pleasure to have the opportunity to
educate your child and I hope this class will enhance your child’s interest in the health
care field.
This year Bartlett High School is offering multiple courses in the Health Science
Program. I will be teaching Health Science Education, Diagnostic Medicine, and
Pharmacological Sciences. Classes are designed to give a broad overview of the health
care field and will address medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and
pharmacology.
Health Science Education is an introductory course designed to prepare students to
pursue careers in the fields of biotechnology research, therapeutics, health informatics,
diagnostics, and support services. A basic overview of health care systems and
environment will be discussed. Career exploration and leadership development are
important aspects of this course.
Diagnostic Medicine is a course designed to focus on an individual’s health at a single
point in time by exploring careers in cardiology, medical laboratory, radiography, nuclear
medicine, speech pathology, imaging, and others.
Pharmacological Sciences is intended to prepare students with an understanding of
the roles and responsibilities of the healthcare worker in a pharmacy setting. This
course will cover key topics in pharmacology, pharmacy law and regulations, sterile and
non-sterile compounding, medication safety, quality assurance, and more.
Each course requires a mastery of competencies, which will be accomplished by using
a variety of learning experiences including reading, writing, research, case studies,
technology based modules, and hands-on activities. It is of great importance that your
child understands that the equipment we will be using is very expensive and must be
handled carefully. Horse playing and misuse of the equipment will not be tolerated.
Another important aspect of the Health Science Program is the student organization,
Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). HOSA is a national student led
organization that is endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education. HOSA’s mission is
to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery
of quality health care to all people. HOSA provides students with opportunities to
participate in competitions at the Regional, State, and National levels.
All students must join HOSA. It is a required competency for the course, and also
required for HOSA competition. HOSA dues are included in the course fee of $30. This
amount is due no later than September 10, 2015. You may pay with cash or check. If
you pay by check, please address it to Bartlett High School and include your telephone
number on the check. The school will send one check to the organization.
I encourage every student to participate in the HOSA competitions; however, this is not
mandatory for the course. If your child decides to compete in a HOSA competition, it is
your child’s responsibility to look up the competition he/she wants to participate in (you
can find the information at www.hosa.org and www.tennesseehosa.org). I will need this
information by September 25, 2015.
In order to promote a sense of medical professionalism, all students must wear scrubs
every other Thursday unless otherwise noted. There are several places to purchase
these uniforms such as Landau, Identity Factor, Wal-Mart, even garage sales or thrift
stores. Scrubs with hospital logos will not be permitted. This counts towards a
professionalism grade for the course. We will begin wearing scrubs on September 17,
2015.
We will also be taking a few field trips this year. I use the following criteria to determine
if students will be allowed to go on the field trip: behavior, grades, HOSA participation,
and violation of the cellphone policy.
I look forward to working with your son/daughter, thank you for allowing me the
opportunity to be involved in their education. Please contact me with any questions or
concerns. I am excited about the upcoming school year!
Ms. Margaret Carlson, RN, BSN
Health Science Instructor
Bartlett High School
mcarlson@bartlettschools.org
Dates to Remember
September 10, 2015: Lab fee due ($30 – includes HOSA fee)
September 17, 2015: Begin wearing scrubs
September 25, 2015: HOSA competition information due