Ms. DeRosa received her Master’s Degree as a Pediatric Physician Assistant from the University of Colorado. She managed patients in a private family practice in Watertown until staying home with her daughters. When her youngest went to school, so did she. She obtained her certification in teaching 6-12th grade Broadfield Science, Chemistry and Biology.

Ms. DeRosa is in her fifth year teaching at Erin School. Her class, Middle School Medicine, is designed to train the student to be the medical practitioner. Students learn how doctors "think," utilizing subjective and objective techniques to gather information in order to formulate a diagnosis and plan for their "patients." A big part of Middle School Medicine is researching the problems our patients face, in order to become the medical expert in that field of medicine. Once the students have become the expert in that field, the students then teach the patient how he/she should take care of themself. This includes reactive and preventative medicine.

Within Middle School Medicine units, students learn anatomy and physiology of the body systems. We cover cardiology, pulmonology, endocrinology, neurology, infectious disease, the musculoskeletal system, gastroenterology and much more. In addition to body systems, students also some of the more technical skills of being a medical practitioner. For example, students learn how to read x-rays, apply splints and casts, suture wounds, design a prosthetic, create an insulin plan, gown and scrub up using sterile technique and the proper way to perform an injection.

So far, the students have greatly enjoyed playing medical detective! Taking on the role of expert and teacher has improved student learning as the responsibility to be able to "teach" the material has been put on the student's shoulders. Working together in groups, designating roles, brainstorming, problem-solving and sharing ideas is a huge part of our curriculum.

Bringing in medical professionals from the community has also become a fun, exciting and important part of the class. The students enjoy seeing their learned material come to life. Ms. DeRosa is ALWAYS open to medical professionals becoming involved in the delivery of material to the class. She is also open to field trips relevant to class subject material. If you are a medical professional who would like to be a part of the Erin School Middle School Medicine Class, please contact Ms. DeRosa.