Forced to do PLTW's HBS (Human Body Systems) sophomore year, easily disturbed by gory stuff

[p3ntag0nE_hoU53]

I am currently a hs freshman enrolled in PLTW's PBS (principles of biomedical science) and I hate it. I hate learning about life and cells and dna and that stuff and I don't wanna do it anymore. My school forces all freshmen and sophomores to do PLTW's PBS and HBS (human body systems) for some reason and there are no alternate science courses I can take.

I am easily disturbed by moderate-large amounts of blood and gore, and I'm worried HBS will have tons of that disturbing stuff. My school has other science courses, but they're only offered to juniors and seniors for 3rd year science credit. Is there any way to avoid HBS? What would be the best for me?

Also, i'm barely passing PBS right now (D-; less than 1 point from an F), I almost failed english, and I have a 100 in algebra 1 if this info helps.

 

[berkeman]

I am currently a hs freshman enrolled in PLTW's PBS (principles of biomedical science) and I hate it.

Then why are you enrolled in it? What would you rather be enrolled in? Can you not change majors for some reason? And wait, do you mean you are a High School freshman in the US and you are forced to take this line of classes? That seems quite strange to me...

I am easily disturbed by moderate-large amounts of blood and gore, and I'm worried HBS will have tons of that disturbing stuff.

Well, speaking as a medic who has lots of experience with blood and gore and some experience with mass casualty incidents, there are ways to become more comfortable with them (if you need to, like if you are not able to transfer to a different major).

Our training in dealing with blood and gore involves working with simulated incidents, where "moulage" is used to make up fake injuries on volunteer victims. The moulaged injuries can be *quite* realistic looking, but as you are working on them, you know they are fake, so it's easier to deal with them (even when they are squirting blood and people are screaming). When you train a lot with very realistically moulaged patients, you get very used to dealing with them. Then when you deal with similar injuries in the field, you think "Yeah, I've seen that before...", so even though it is real that time, it looks the same and your training kicks in and you deal with it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulage

There are ways to get this training if you are interested. One of the easiest ways is to look for a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) organization in your city/county, and enroll in their basic training course. Medical Operations will be part of that training, and working with moulaged patients will be part of the training and your final exercise/exam.

https://community.fema.gov/PreparednessCommunity/s/cert-trainings?language=en_US

Another way is to volunteer with your local Red Cross chapter or similar, to help out at events (both planned and unplanned). As part of that you will likely need to get your Basic First Aid or First Responder training, which will hopefully help to make you more comfortable with treating patients.

Good luck.

 

[p3ntag0nE_hoU53]

I was enrolled into pbs because i was forced into it. I didn't have a choice. I'm not even interested in health-related careers. And yes i am a high school freshman in the us

 

[berkeman]

I was enrolled into pbs because i was forced into it. I didn't have a choice. I'm not even interested in health-related careers. And yes i am a high school freshman in the us

Is this a private school that your parents are forcing you to attend? For example, I'm not aware of any public high school in the US that would do this...

 

[p3ntag0nE_hoU53]

I go to a 2A public school

 

[berkeman]

I go to a 2A public school

Sorry, my Google-foo is not helping me find much beyond '2A Public School' Football Programs. Are you on the JV Football Team?

 

[p3ntag0nE_hoU53]

Lol i don't play sports. I just watch the home football games

 

[berkeman]

Lol i don't play sports. I just watch the home football games

Okay, based on your location (which I can see), I think I know which high school you go to. I will send you a message (PM) with that link, so you can help me to see these unusual class requirements. Give me 5 minutes.

 

[Drakkith]

My school has other science courses, but they're only offered to juniors and seniors for 3rd year science credit. Is there any way to avoid HBS? What would be the best for me?

I recommend talking to a counselor or someone else in the school staff about this, along with your parents. There may be some way to avoid taking this course and instead taking another science course, or taking a higher level course or a different subject now and two science courses next year. But this is really up to the school, so I don't know how much help we can be to you.

 

[CrysPhys]

I was enrolled into pbs because i was forced into it. I didn't have a choice. I'm not even interested in health-related careers. And yes i am a high school freshman in the us

Is this an instance, e.g., in which your parents want you to become a doctor, but you don't? So you're enrolled in a public high school, but it's a specialized school, such as a charter school, focussed on prepping future doctors?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Some things to consider.

(1) 46 states require high school biology. The remaining 4 leave it to the local school districts who probably require biology. While you might be able to wriggle out of this particular class, the class it is replaced with will likely be similar.

(2) "Wanna" is not even slang. It's baby talk. If you want to convince people around you that you are adult enough to make these decisions, your message is undermined by this.

(3) Drama is not your friend. "Forced to take"? Really? By big men pointing guns at you? Again, if you want to convince people around you that you are adult enough to make these decisions, your message is undermined by this.

It is late April. How much of this class is left? Four weeks? At this point, it may well be easier and simpler to finish than to start over with something else.

 

[Muu9]

While you might be able to wriggle out of this particular class, the class it is replaced with will likely be similar.

It's extremely unlikely that a randomly selected high school biology class will contain a similar amount of gore/blood to PLTW's Human Body Systems course

If you want to convince people around you that you are adult enough to make these decisions, your message is undermined by this.

At least two people in this thread believe OP is capable/deserving of making these decisions despite them using a no-no [sic] word (which is actually perfectly valid and only non-standard)

By big men pointing guns at you?

The police do tend to visit truant minors, yes.

 

[Vanadium 50]

If it's more important to sound like a drama queen or Bam-Bam Flintstone Rubble, so be it. If he wants to convince the adults to see things his way, I think he should try a different path.

 

[p3ntag0nE_hoU53]

Is this an instance, e.g., in which your parents want you to become a doctor, but you don't? So you're enrolled in a public high school, but it's a specialized school, such as a charter school, focussed on prepping future doctors?

THe only reason why i'm enrolled in this school is because it's the closest and also the only one within 30 minutes from where i live

 

[p3ntag0nE_hoU53]

Some things to consider.

(1) 46 states require high school biology. The remaining 4 leave it to the local school districts who probably require biology. While you might be able to wriggle out of this particular class, the class it is replaced with will likely be similar.

(2) "Wanna" is not even slang. It's baby talk. If you want to convince people around you that you are adult enough to make these decisions, your message is undermined by this.

(3) Drama is not your friend. "Forced to take"? Really? By big men pointing guns at you? Again, if you want to convince people around you that you are adult enough to make these decisions, your message is undermined by this.

It is late April. How much of this class is left? Four weeks? At this point, it may well be easier and simpler to finish than to start over with something else.

Ik it's april and school ends in mid-june. If I don't do anything about it, i will be thrown into hbs next year and probably will hate it.

 

[Drakkith]

I'm sorry to say, but you may have to accept that you'll simply have to take a class or two that you don't like. And it's likely to keep happening into college and even into your future career. That's life. Talk to the staff at your school, talk to your parents, but don't be surprised if there is nothing you can do.

 

[CrysPhys]

THe only reason why i'm enrolled in this school is because it's the closest and also the only one within 30 minutes from where i live

So what are your options for schools if you go further out? If you stay at your present school, you need to satisfy its requirements and live with them. Or, next school year, you need to ship out to another school with requirements more to your liking. When I went to high school (actually 6 yrs combined junior high + high school at the time), my local neighborhood public school was a ~15 min walk away. I chose to go to another public one (better academic program; required placement via entrance exam) which was ~1 hr away (bus + walk). But the better school also had the disadvantage that it required 5 yrs of Latin. Like much in life, I had to compromise.

 

[Vanadium 50]

it required 5 yrs of Latin.

Semper ubi sub ubi!

and probably will hate it.

OK, OP, so you're not enrolled. I see three options:

1. Transfer high schools. This may not be possible, and it will surely come with its own disadvantages, like a long bus ride to and from it.
2. "Dual enroll" in a community college class over the summer that will cover this requirement. You need to get an A in it, otherwise your parents may well say "It's too much for him - better he drop it and take the regular class at his regular school."
3. Fulfill the requirement.

Take your pick.

 

[berkeman]

4. Home school...

 

[Andy Resnick]

I am easily disturbed by moderate-large amounts of blood and gore, and I'm worried HBS will have tons of that disturbing stuff. [...]

Why do you think that? From what I see, there's no use of actual biological material in the course:

https://21965329.fs1.hubspotusercon...nce/CourseDocuments/HBS_CourseOutline_BMS.pdf

But this seems to be used quite a bit:

https://www.anatomyinclay.com/human-models