School Type: Public	School Setting: Urban
Level: High	School Design: Magnet
Content Presented By:
RMC Research Corporation

Background Context

Demographics

With an enrollment of 752 in the 1997-1998 academic year, the Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions (DHSHP) serves a diverse range of students.

Student Racial/Ethnic Composition:

39% African American
25% Hispanic
23% Asian or Pacific Islander
0.1% Native American
13% White

Number of languages: 30
Qualify for free/reduced lunch: 19%

Background

Located in an urban area, DHSHP was established in 1972 by the Houston Independent School District and Baylor College of Medicine to address a critical shortage of health care providers. The school was envisioned as an institution that would provide learning opportunities for inner-city youth, particularly minority students, and prepare them for careers in the health professions.

Today, DeBakey is a magnet school that attracts students from throughout the Houston school district. Each year, nearly nine hundred students apply for admission to only two hundred available places. DHSHP's students receive the best of both worlds: a strong academic education augmented by "real-world" exposure to the day-to-day activities of health care providers in the Texas Medical Center. DHSHP's close proximity to the Center contributes to the success of its greatest asset, its health science program.

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