In response to a new district-wide plan, the Old Saybrook Board of Education is establishing smaller, specialized “schools” or pathways within Old Saybrook High School. These new pathways were created by the Board of Education to allow students to focus better on their specific career interests in a specialized manner. According to Mrs. Scherber, a science teacher at OSHS, the main goal, “is that these pathways will build student confidence, leadership, responsibility, and give students a competitive advantage for college and future employment.”
One of the schools detailed within this plan is the RAMS School of Medical Science, which is a pathway for students that are interested in the medical field. This school is planning to implement three new courses within the next two years. These include an ECE EMT Course, a CP Allied Health Professions course, and an ECE Medical Terminology course. Both the Allied Health Professions course, and the ECE EMT Course will be implemented for the 2026-2027 school year, while the ECE Medical Terminology course will be implemented in the 2027-2028 school year. To Scherber, “these courses are crucial because they provide exposure, experience, and credentials.” Scherber also adds that , “this pathway strengthens college applications, builds real-world skills, and gives students clarity about whether medicine is truly the path they want to pursue.”
Next year, Scherber plans to teach the ECE EMT Course, a new class at OSHS that specifically focuses on teaching students how to work in emergency medicine. In this class, “students will not just learn concepts from a textbook, they will practice patient assessment, learn lifesaving skills like CPR and airway management, and how to respond to trauma and medical scenarios.” Specifically, Scherber is excited that this course involves real-world application as she describes that the type of experimental learning completed in this course is something that she only “experienced in nursing school.”
All three of these new science courses, allow students to delve deeper into their interests of medical science, of health science, medical terms, and emergency medicine. Through this, OSHS is expanding academic opportunity for its students, whilst strengthening college and career readiness, in accordance with OSHS’ new plan.
To junior Jayden Kujawski, who has “a strong passion for medical sciences”, she is “excited for what the new school of medicine has to offer”. Overall the RAMS School of Medicine pathway is more than just a few classes. To Scherber, “It is an opportunity. It allows students to challenge themselves, gain hands-on experience, and determine early on if a career in healthcare is right for them.”
