There’s a reason why healthcare workers need so much training. They have big jobs — they take care of other people’s brains and bodies while having to take care of themselves and their families. It’s not an easy job, and that’s why their training needs to start in high school through organizations such as Health Occupations Students of America.
HOSA is a national student organization that focuses on preparing students for careers in health professions by developing skills such as leadership. HOSA has over 200,000 members worldwide through 51 chartered associations, with 46 of those being in Illinois.
At MCHS, HOSA is a student-led program of people who have a common interest in biomedical and health sciences. This is the first year that HOSA has been a part of the school, but HOSA has been around since Nov. 10, 1973. This opening has created a multitude of opportunities for students who wish to go into the medical field.
Junior Quetzaly Casillas was elected as MCHS’s first HOSA Secretary.
“HOSA is a community of people who want to go into the medical field,” Casillas says. “I think it’s a really great community.”
HOSA hosts competitions throughout the state. These competitions involve different categories that challenge students, some examples being biomedical debate and medical reading. They serve to deepen the knowledge of students while challenging what they already know.
This year, nine students from MCHS attended the HOSA competition in Springfield, Illinois. Out of those nine students, seven placed top 10 in the state for their categories.
“We had seven of our nine students placed in the top 10 in the state, right alongside schools like Barrington and Stevenson,” teacher and HOSA advisor Leah Pelletier says. “Seeing us place right along that — our chances of placing were much lower. The fact that we still did was one of the highlights of my school year.”
Casillas, who competed in the category medical spelling, took sixth place in her division.
“I was super nervous — we were all very nervous at the start because it’s our first year as a group,” Casillas says.
Despite the new experience, McHenry students did fantastic in the competition. Not only did many contestants take high places, they learned new things to help guide them in the future.
A lot of work was put into the HOSA competition, starting all the way back in October.
“We’ve been preparing since October. We had to study for the preliminary multiple choice tests back in December,” junior Addison Nemec says. “Once we qualified for state, we had to do a lot of book studying for the round one test that was online. Then, we had to do a lot of skill preparation for the actual competition.”
The competition brought different HOSA chapters across the state together. Many of the students who participated made new relationships and strengthened old ones with their teammates.
“My favorite thing was spending time with all the different house members,” Casillas says. “Some of them I didn’t know who they were, but getting to know them through the trip was amazing.”
Overall, the experience had many positive impacts on the students and teachers who participated. HOSA members reflected on how they will perform and prepare differently next year for the best results.
“I’m so proud of these students,” Pelletier says. “What they learn from what they do to prepare for the competition is really significant. It helps them prepare for their future and deepen their knowledge.”
Working in the medical field is a difficult commitment, and HOSA prepares these future workers as much as possible. Participating in the organization shows students are dedicated to putting in their best efforts for their future careers.
Passionate students become fantastic healthcare workers, and HOSA creates this passion and hard work. The training to become a nurse, doctor, surgeon, pharmacist or anything else in medicine starts in high school. With HOSA’s guidance, students from MCHS are set on the right course for a job to change the world by saving one life at a time.