South Texas High School for Health Professions

Infobox_School
name = South Texas High School for Health Professions


imagesize = 50
motto =
established = 1984
type = Public high school
district = South Texas Independent School District
grades = 9-12
enrollment = 661 (as of 2005-06)
faculty = 48.6 (on FTE basis)
ratio = 13.6
principal = Barbara Heater
mascot = Caduceus
location = Mercedes, Texas
country = USA
information =
website = http://medhigh.stisd.net/

South Texas High School for Health Professions, also known as 'Med High', is a high school in Mercedes, Texas in the United States. The school serves as an alternative to larger municipal high schools for students interested in professing in medicine. Open enrollment has been the school's policy for many years, though application is required. South Texas High School for Health Professions is part of the South Texas Independent School District.

Med High runs on a block schedule. Students are required to take a Health Science Technology (HST) class as one of their requirements for every year they attend.

The school has notable partnerships with Harvard University, Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine. Its sister school The Science Academy of South Texas, also known as SciTech, presides on the same campus. Both schools are served by Biblioteca Las Americas, located at equal distance from both schools.

The HST classes for the first three years teach the basics. During the freshman year, students take Intro to HST and Medical Terminology.Sophomore year, they rotate between teachers every 6 weeks and learn a different aspect of the medical field in each rotation.Junior year, they pick two courses to study further: medical laboratory, radiology, contemporary medicine, growth and development, maternal health, gerontology, pharmacology, and dental, the only year-round course. The senior year HST class provides the students with the option to become either a certified dental assistant, a pharmacy technician, or a nurse's assistant. The class choices are between clinicals, dental, pharmacy, or nursing.

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 661 students and 48.6 classroom teachers (on a FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 13.6. [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=483715006033&ID=483715006033 High School For Health Professions] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 22, 2008.]

Awards and recognition

In 2006, it was placed 91st on Newsweek's Top 100 High Schools list. In 2007, it rose in the standings to 21st school in Newsweek's Top 100 High Schools list. [http://www.themonitor.com/onset?id=2609&template=article.html "Magazine ranks two South Texas ISD high schools among best in nation"] , dated May 24, 2007. Accessed July 22, 2008.]

In its November 30, 2007 issue, "U.S. News & World Report" ranked Med High at number 64 on its list of America's Best High Schools. Med High's sister schools Science Academy of South Texas (SciTech) came in at 23rd place, and South Texas Business Education & Technology Academy (BETA) was ranked 54th. [ [http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/gold-medal-schools.html?s_cid=related-links:TOP Gold Medal Schools] , "U.S. News & World Report", November 29, 2007. Accessed December 11, 2007.]

See also

* Magnet school

References

External links

* [http://medhigh.stisd.net/ South Texas High School for Health Professions]