Canfield signs agreement with Caribbean medical school

By Justin Wier

jwier@vindy.com

CANFIELD

In a unique arrangement, students at Canfield High School can get credit for up to two semesters of coursework if they attend Avalon University School of Medicine.

The Canfield Board of Education met Wednesday and announced an articulation agreement with Avalon University. Avalon’s main office is in Liberty Township, but the campus is on the Caribbean island of Curacao.

Canfield Superintendent Alex Geordan said this is definitely the first arrangement of its kind in Northeast Ohio and possibly in the entire state.

Robert Debiec, director of student affairs at Avalon University, said there are four- and five-year programs, which he compared with the programs at NEOMED in Rootstown.

Avalon describes the program as a pathway. Students take classes such as AP chemistry or biology, and Avalon will recognize those courses if they choose to attend the school.

John Tullio, director of curriculum and instruction at Canfield, said the district is appreciative of the opportunity.

“This really shows the quality of teachers at Canfield,” Tullio said. “For a medical school to look at our teachers and say, ‘We’re willing to accept classes taught by these teachers,’ It speaks volumes.”

Tullio said Debiec approached the school and the agreement fell into place. He added that NEOMED has a similar program, but that requires attending the Bio-Med Science Academy in Rootstown.

“Our kids get to stay here, and they get the full high-school experience,” Tullio said.

Samir Fatteh, president of Avalon University, said Canfield offers an impressive number of college-in-high-school classes.

“It allowed us to pave a path for the high-school graduates to come to our university,” Fatteh said.

He said Avalon provides an option for students who aren’t able to get into highly competitive medical schools in the U.S.

“We have had lots of students who couldn’t get into U.S. medical schools, came to us and were successful,” Fatteh said.

As the school continues to build awareness, Fatteh hopes it will be able to create similar agreements with other high schools in the area.

“This is one of the first high schools that we came to, and it worked out.” Fatteh said. “We will attempt to [reach out to other schools].”