by Lecia Bushak
On Cleveland’s west side, a new high school will blend a traditional school curriculum with a more health- and science-focused course load, all in the setting of a working hospital.
Some one-hundred ninth graders and fifty tenth graders from Lincoln West High School in Cleveland will start classes at MetroHealth Hospital’s main campus this Tuesday. The new program will serve as a platform for students to focus on health sciences and be exposed to the active, real world of medicine.
"The motivation is to provide Cleveland high school students with training in and exposure to the hundreds of jobs available in healthcare. I think a lot of times young people don’t know the opportunities available to them, particularly in a healthcare system where we have jobs, everything from the CEO to a doctor to a nurse to food service to marketing/communications, to finance. It’s like a little city within itself," says Rita Andolsen, Director of Communications at MetroHealth..
The school will provide courses in Biology, English, and Art, as well as more medical-focused courses that can be implemented in the hospital setting. Students will also be given the chance to shadow and be mentored by nurses, doctors, and engineers at MetroHealth. Cleveland Metropolitan School District officials hope that the hands-on experience will improve not only the graduation rate, but also future career opportunities in healthcare for students.