With NVD already halfway through the 2023-2024 school year, students are meeting with their guidance counselors to select classes for the upcoming year. More elective options open up the creativity of students’ minds, and Biomedical Technology is certainly a considerable option.  

Biomedical Technology is one of the many electives offered at NVD, becoming available for students to take during their sophomore year. Both Biomedical Technology 1 and 2 are offered to students with the option of completing a capstone course their senior year to earn a CTE completion. Biomedical Technology teachers Mrs. Dunn and Mrs. Mitlitski explain the Career and Technical Education program. 

“There are four CTE programs in the STEM area: Biomedical Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, and Architecture. CTE programs are approved by the NJ Department of Education and provide students with a competitive advantage for their postsecondary and career plans,” Dunn and Mitlitski said. “As a senior, students will receive CTE designation on their transcript when sent to colleges during the application process, as well as graduation recognition.” 

However, the CTE completion credit is not the only reason to take the class. Students interested in biology, medicine, or engineering should take this class, according to Mrs. Dunn and Mrs. Mitlitski. 

“We discuss diseases, perform labs, and complete hands-on engineering design challenges. Northern Valley students who take this class are exposed to college-level technical skills while in high school, putting them at an advantage over others applying to internships and summer programs,” Dunn and Mitlitski said.

Sophomore Rafi Sibony, a student currently enrolled in Biomedical Technology 1, feels the class has pros and cons. 

“A pro of Biomed is that it’s a class that teaches you to use critical thinking skills and to be independent since most of the projects are done on your own terms throughout each class period,” Sibony said. “A con would be that if you struggle with one aspect of the class, such as the engineering component, it has the ability to jeopardize your ability to do the biology component even if you’re good at biology.”

Sibony has learned a lot of new, valuable skills from being enrolled in the class for around five months. 

“I learned how to use engineering programs to create my designs digitally,” Sibony said. 

Similarly, another student currently taking the Biomedical Technology class is sophomore Christopher Stamataky, who has gained quite a few skills himself over the duration of the first and second marking periods. 

“I have learned a variety of topics from the inner workings of genetics, to different medical tools and methods to help those with various inabilties [sic],” Stamataky said. 

One unique aspect of the class is having two teachers as opposed to the standard classroom with one teacher and a room full of students. Stamataky, for one, appreciates this unique opportunity. 

“It is very unique but I actually think that it is better than just having one teacher. In Biomed, having both Mrs. Dunn and Mrs. Mitlitski, it allows for any questions to be answered immediately and it makes the overall class better,” Stamataky said. 

The Biomedical Technology class offers much room for students to express their creativity and collaborate with others when doing so. 

“I enjoy my class very much whether it be due to the creativity involved or my classmates,” Stamataky said. 

Mrs. Dunn and Mrs. Mitlitski agree that the nature of the class is one of their favorite parts. 

“The best part of this class is the hands-on, collaborative culture,” Dunn and Mitlitski said. 

Other than being part of the CTE program, fulfilling medicine, biology,

or engineering and technology interests, having two teachers, and involving lots of creativity and collaboration, Biomedical Technology helps students in the real world as well. 

“​​The skills learned in this class are transferable to numerous careers in the real world. Students who have taken this class in the past have gone on to major in pre-med disciplines, scientific research, and various engineering specialties (mechanical, biomedical, chemical),” Dunn and Mitlitski said.