"Plus in that field it is very competitive, you are working with the pre-medicine and pre-dental students and having an extra step ahead of the rest of the class would be very beneficial."

Being centrally located and in a newly built school with a lab crafted for the class, district leaders felt Davis High was an ideal place for the magnet program.

Mary Lou Seamons, Davis director for career and technical education, said the program provides a good foundation for students to be able to move into a number of career pathways like medicine, biomedicine, bioagriculture and forensic areas.

"So many kids just become limited in where they can go and what they can do and this helps to broaden their horizon," Seamons said. "It gives that focused exploration so that they can make a better decision and their eyes will be open to the opportunities that are available to them."

Currently the class does not offer AP credits, but negotiations are under way for a concurrent enrollment arrangement through Weber State University and Salt Lake Community College.

Similar classes are also being offered at East, Murray and Weber high schools.

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E-mail: terickson@desnews.com