An experienced educator and administrator in San Diego, Chuck Podhorsky has earned a number of awards over the course of his career, including the Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award and recognition in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Chuck Podhorsky leverages his experience to serve as principal of La Jolla High School, which participates in the BioMed Pathway program.

The BioMed Pathway program engages students in four years of learning in various areas of medical science. At La Jolla High School, students in the first cohort have advanced to the last year of the program. The program begins with a foundational course, Principles of Biomed Science, during which students work with an autopsy case study throughout the year to determine the cause of death.

Students in the BioMed Pathway program move on to Human Body Systems in year two. In this course, they conduct other case studies and learn how to dissect and examine various organs. In year three, students take Medical Intervention and learn how to diagnose medical conditions and explore a variety of tests and therapies.

The final course of the program, Biomedical Innovations, engages students in research projects during the first half of the year and gives them the opportunity to participate in off-campus lab internships during the second half. Overall, the program exposes students to the diversity of careers which can be found throughout the medical field.