TOLEDO, Ohio — Beginning this fall, 72 students will be the first class to walk the halls of Toledo Public Schools' new Pre-Medical and Health Science Academy. Lance Ellis is one of them.
"It's cool. It's really cool. I feel kind of special," he said.
The school, which is a partnership between TPS and ProMedica will be within Toledo Technology Academy.
Because the academy will be near ProMedica's Toledo Hospital, medical staff will be there with the students every day. That's something that Ellis' mother, who is a nurse herself, appreciates because she knows her son will get hands-on learning.
"We know that learning can be multifaceted, so there are those who learn really well from direction and book-learning," Alyssa Ellis said. "But then, there are also those who learn really well from hands-on experience. I think this school will really give him the best of both worlds, so he can find the way that he learns best."
Principal Jack Hunter said school officials still are working through all the applications, meeting with the families to make sure they're the right fit for the pre-med academy.
So far, more than 20 students have already been accepted.
"So you got tears, you got grandparents screaming. I'm really trying to change the culture, so that parents know you and know you care," Hunter said. "That way when they come to the school, they already know that we care about your child."
While Lance Ellis said he never gave much thought to medical school, he now is considering it after meeting with Hunter and discussing potential career paths.
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"I like to learn about medical stuff. I'm excited for all the stuff they talked about."
Academy students will not only receive high school credits, but also can earn college credits that can be applied toward associate's or bachelor's degrees, as well as certification to work as medical assistants or pharmacy technicians, among other jobs.
Hunter said the academy construction is right on schedule. The next step, he said, is surprising more students with acceptance letters to the academy.