Biomedical Symposium set for December 1

As part of NDCL’s ramped-up STEM course offerings, science teachers Mr. Nathan Smith and Miss Rebecca Weinfurtner '04 have been teaching students about vector-borne diseases by challenging them to diagnose illnesses through medical case studies in our new Biomedical Studies course.

Getting a second opinion: Seniors John Frindt (left) and Paul Jurkovic consult with Dr. Janet Poponick during their biomedical studies class.

Dr. Janet Poponick `77, who serves as the course’s medical consultant, visits the class regularly to share her professional experiences and to refine the students’ diagnostic skills. Dr. Poponick, who is a member of the Notre Dame Schools Board of Directors, recently retired after many years as an Emergency Department physician for MetroHealth.

At the beginning of the semester, students were given a case that described a patient’s symptoms and medical history. Throughout the semester, students have been collecting additional data and researching various possible diseases in order to make diagnoses.

Students will present their final diagnoses to a panel of medical professionals during our first Biomedical Symposium on December 1 from 6:00-8:00 PM in the Sisters of Notre Dame Learning Commons at NDCL. We invite everyone in the NDCL community to join us for this first-ever showcase of biomedical learning.