America’s future generation of healthcare professionals come together to participate in competitions based on skills required in the field of medicine while learning more about their respective interests in this industry. HOSA- Future Healthcare Professionals is a nationally recognized organization with chapters at high schools all over the country. This organization focuses on giving students the opportunity to explore the career they are interested in while gaining real world experience in the healthcare industry.
The HOSA Area competition brought students from across the Frisco together and allowed them to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a variety of healthcare-related events. State-qualifiers in one such team event are Seniors Aditi Diwakar and Sadhika Mandula. Diwakar shares her experience in the event.
“[My HOSA event for this year is] Health Career Display. For this competition you describe a specific field using a display board and give a quick presentation describing all the parts of the career,” Diwakar said. “[My teammate and I] chose cardiology and then we chose what parts of being a cardiologist we wanted to show, how we could show it, and what models we could use.”
Many students spent weeks preparing for the competition by studying complex medical topics and practicing their event materials. For many competitors, the experience was both challenging and rewarding.
“I was in a team event called CERT Skills, it stands for Community Emergency Response Team and whenever there’s natural disasters, a team of community members who are trained in emergency response come out to help people,” Senior HOSA member Diya Kumar said. “[To prepare] Aiswharyaa met up two-three times a week, practiced the skills on each other and called some of our friends over to practice the skill on; so it was a lot of hands on preparation.”
Junior Mrudla Pondicherry encourages students in HOSA to continue pursuing the fields they are passionate about, no matter the outcome and remain persistent.
“If you lose just know that its not the end of the world because we definitely thought it was. You’re worth more [than your mistakes] and it’s just a minor set back and you will improve yourself next time and just take it as a learning experience.”
Competitors also emphasized how the event allowed them to connect with other students who share similar career interests.
“It was really cool because we had the opportunity to see people we don’t usually interact with on a daily basis. I feel like this school and the district is kind of like a bubble,” Senior Aiswharyaa Nagarajan said. “So when we go to these other districts with different demographics of students, different teachers doing things they’re interested in, it really improves your perspective on life.”
In addition to the academic challenges, students gained valuable experience in communication, professionalism, and teamwork. These skills are essential for success in healthcare careers.
“It definitely prepared me [for my career] because it taught me patience and teamwork skills,” Senior Sadhika Mandula said. “It taught me that the experience is not the outcome, it’s the work you put in.”
The students who qualified will now continue preparing for the Texas HOSA State Leadership Conference, where top competitors from across the state will gather to compete at a higher level. Their success at the Area Competition reflects not only their hard work but also their passion for pursuing careers in the healthcare field.
