Toledo Public Schools officials announced it will open a new magnet school that offers high school students an opportunity to earn associate degrees in the medical field — giving them college credits toward earning a four-year pre-med diploma as well as certificates to work in hospitals immediately after their high school graduation.
The Toledo Pre-Medical and Health Science Academy will launch next fall inside the Toledo Technology Academy with 72 freshmen students, TPS Superintendent Romules Durant said Thursday during a news conference at the technology academy. Plans are for the academy to then add another grade level each academic year as next year’s freshmen progress through the academy, with all grades represented at the high school by fall of 2025.
Work is currently being performed to renovate the school campus to create lab space as well as additional classrooms at a cost of roughly $5 million.
Once complete, students can take classes and gain certification upon graduation for jobs such as pharmacy technicians as well as nursing and medical assistants. They will also have college credits that can be applied to health-care fields such as biomedical science, pre-medicine, and pre-nursing.
“Students going for medical degrees see going anywhere between a quarter to a half-million dollars in debt. But going through this program — a half to three-quarters of that debt can be eliminated by going through TPS for free,” Mr. Durant said. “Through this, we are able to educate kids here so they can work here and we can ultimately keep them here.”
The school is being launched in partnership with ProMedica, which will offer internships to students, work with TPS in creating the curriculum, and periodically make its executives available at the school. The University of Toledo is providing college credits toward the degree programs.
Kate Sommerfeld, ProMedica’s president of social determinants of health, said Thursday that the not-for-profit hospital group will provide health professionals on-site and at times bring students to the nearby ProMedica Toledo Hospital to provide them with some hands-on experience. Students will also be offered internships as they progress through the programs.
Talks began roughly five years ago between the hospital system and TPS to expand medical careers for high school students, which was seen as an economic benefit for young workers and for the hospital as it would create a pipeline of potential hires, Ms. Sommerfeld said.
That pipeline is needed now more than ever, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Ms. Sommerfeld said the area’s largest health provider currently has hundreds of openings for nursing assistants, as well as other positions in the health field.
“Health care is rapidly changing, and I think every day we’re seeing different technology and innovation,” she said. “This school is going to be an opportunity to create innovation, but also start to inspire our future work force as well.”
Dr. Durant said those interested in applying for the program can do so at tps.org. For more information about the program, they can call 419-671-3400.
First Published November 4, 2021, 6:25 p.m.
