Health and Medical Sciences

Health and medical sciences courses prepare students for careers in medicine, nursing, dentistry, and other health occupations. Consistent with their abilities, interests, and educational needs, students may complete a variety of health sciences courses to reach a variety of career preparation goals.

Health and medical sciences courses:

• introduce secondary students to nursing, medical, dental, and other health occupations.
• prepare students with basic skills for employment in nursing homes, clinics, medical and dental offices, hospitals, homes, and certain public health settings.
• facilitate entry into advanced health occupations programs that require post-high school education leading to state licensure, certification, registration, or national credentialing.
• enable students to become more knowledgeable consumers of health services.

Please note that certain health and medical sciences courses follow regulations governed by the Virginia Department of Health Professions and its 13 health regulatory boards including but not limited to the Virginia Board of Nursing and the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. Some courses also follow regulations governed by the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services housed within the Virginia Department of Health.

Course Revisions

The following courses were revised for implementation during the 2023-2024 school year.  All curriculum frameworks are available from Virginia’s CTE Resource Center: 

• Biomedical Technician (14900/8347)
• Emergency Medical Technician I (14055-I/8333)
• Emergency Medical Technician II (14055-II/8334)
• Emergency Medical Technician III (14055-III/8335)
• Medical Assistant I (14151-I/8345)
• Medical Assistant II (14151-II/8346)
• Sports Medicine I (14062/7660, 8316)
• Sports Medicine II (14062/7662, 8317)
• Sterile Processing Technician I (14021/8367)
• Sterile Processing Technician II (14021/8391) 

Safety Best Practice Guide for CTE

The Safety Best Practice Guide for CTE (docx) is a collection of best practice resources used to assist school divisions in the development of a local school safety plan. 

Instructional Resources

• Health and Medical Sciences Course Listing (pdf)
• Virginia’s CTE Resource Center
• Industry Credentialing
• Project Lead the Way
• Revised EMT Guidelines – The High School Based Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Educational Program Guidelines (pdf) were developed jointly with the Office of Emergency Medical Services to unify state and national standards, establish consistent EMT program standards, to ensure high-quality programs are implemented in high schools and technical centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Also see Superintendent’s Memo 223-22 (docx).
  • First Class Paperwork(docx)
  • Last Class Paperwork (docx)

Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO)

Virginia HOSA – Future Health Professionals promotes career opportunities in the health care industry to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people across all health fields.  For more information, visit the CTSO web page.

Resources

• Health and Medical Sciences Licensure Endorsement Requirements
• Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE)
• Governor’s Health Sciences Academies
• Programmatic Accreditation Guidelines for Career and Technical Education
• Virginia Association for Career and Technical Education (Virginia ACTE)
• Virginia Department of Labor and Industry
• Virginia Health and Medical Sciences Educators Association (VAHAMSEA)

Virginia CTE Health and Medical Sciences Listserv

If you are not on the Virginia CTE Health and Medical Sciences listserv, contact Crystal Stokes to be added.