From registered nurses to medical assistants to pediatricians, Health Occupation Students of America, otherwise known as HOSA, guides students down the right path toward their futures in the medical field.

What’s HOSA all about?

If you are in the health science classes, then you are automatically part of HOSA. Junior Gisselle Granados, a health science student, said, “It gives you a perspective of how it is to work in the real world,” she said.

Senior coordinator Juan Alvarado, who is in charge of planning the events for this club, says that HOSA has given him the chance to do hands-on activities such as labs and patient care.

HOSA focuses on preparing students for real-life situations that they might encounter as health professionals. According to the official website of HOSA http://www.hosa.org/, the goals of HOSA are to develop effective leadership qualities, have responsible citizenship traits, build self-confidence and pride in your own work, and to can communicate more effectively with people.

Each year, HOSA members have the chance to enter the HOSA National Competitive Events Program that consists of 56 competitions that members can choose from. If competition is held within a state, then it will take place during spring.

This year, some of the HOSA members went to regionals to compete against other schools. According to Ms. Turner, who’s the HOSA advisor, first place went to Dayana Pineda and Mauro Echenique who were in the CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) team and to Jennifer Diaz, Leslie Larosa, and Maria Santos who were in the Medical Assistants team.

Pros and Cons

Being a member of HOSA has many benefits such as being able to apply for scholarships and recognitions, travel to conferences, serve as a local, regional, state, or national officer, and seek internships. Some of the scholarships and internships that HOSA offers are for many different career fields such as dentists, nurses, doctors, and others.

Treasurer Valentina Molina says, “You get the chance to be more involved in medical work that happens in school like the blood drives, and the organization outside of the school aid with college and experience.”

However, HOSA is not for everybody. “One of the challenges of being in HOSA is trying to stay on top of everything that you are assigned to do. However, it is not impossible,” said junior Nelly Alvarado.

Junior Karla Peña said, “When the time of competition comes around, it is always hard trying to place against other schools.”