BECKLEY, West Virginia—Dressed in a white lab coat with a stethoscope dangling from her neck, the presenter explains her suspected diagnosis to a group of colleagues. Today, it might be an overweight patient in his 40s complaining of blurry vision and excessive thirst. An electronic presentation outlines the suspected diagnosis (diabetes), recommended diagnostic tests (blood chemistry analysis), and course of treatment (weight loss and exercise, for starters).

This is no hospital or medical school setting. And the "patient" never shows up to hear the discussion. Instead, this consultation takes place in a high school classroom where patients exist only in the virtual world and students act as medical consultants who are using technology to learn more about human physiology and careers in medicine.

Phyllis Newcomb teaches anatomy and physiology at Woodrow Wilson High School, a school of about 1,100 students located in rural West Virginia. Newcomb developed the "Digital Medical Consultants" project to help her students apply what they were learning about the human body.

She explains: "Groups of students are given a case study of a person with a medical disorder. Students do research on computers to help them diagnose the medical condition their patient suffers from." Each "medical consultant" needs to complete a patient chart which includes diagnosis and treatment of the patient's condition. Students must also keep a work log with references and notes about their research.

Once they make a likely diagnosis, students then investigate current treatment options and procedures used to treat the condition. Their research gives them an overview of both breakthroughs and challenges in the medical field. Finally, they share a digital presentation outlining their research to classmates, who play the role of fellow medical consultants. In their presentations, they include the patient's own information about their condition, the medical consultant's observations, a description of the symptoms and possible causes, and their plan for treatment options. They also create an educational handout, pamphlet, or brochure to inform the patient and their family about the disorder.

Newcomb enjoys watching her students apply classroom learning to their research projects, "as well as problem solving using technology. Hopefully, this will prepare them for their future careers," she adds. After teaching for 28 years, she still enjoys "giving my students new opportunities."

And students seem to enjoy the chance to role-play being medical professionals. When it's time to present their cases to "colleagues" in the classroom, Newcomb says, "students dress up like doctors to look professional."