HOSA – Future Health Professionals, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), a global career and technical student organization (CTSO) supported by the United States. Department of Education and the ACTE’s Health Science Technology Education Division.
Along with professionals, alumni, and honorary members, HOSA is made up of middle school, secondary, and post-secondary/collegiate students.
It has members all over the United States and has its headquarters in Southlake, Texas. It is the largest student organization that trains students to work in the healthcare industry. Mexico, U.S. territories, Canada, China, and South Korea.
For more information, continue reading.
Table of Contents
What Is HOSA?
The United States has officially recognized the international student organization HOSA. Education Department and the ACTE’s Health Science Education (HSE) Division. The dual goals of HOSA are to advance career opportunities in the healthcare sector and to improve the provision of high-quality healthcare to all people. The mission of HOSA is to inspire all health science educators and students to join and take an active part in the HSE-HOSA Partnership.
HOSA offers an exceptional program of leadership development, inspiration, and recognition exclusively for secondary, postsecondary, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in health science education and biomedical science programs or who have an interest in pursuing careers in the health professions. 100% of HOSA is devoted to healthcare!
Through 51 HOSA Associations that have been granted charters, including ones in American Samoa, Canada, the District of Columbia, Germany, Italy, and Puerto Rico, HOSA has steadily expanded since its founding in 1976 and now has over 200,000 members.
Who Can Join HOSA?
HOSA has three levels of student membership that it refers to as “divisions”:
- Middle School Division
- Secondary Division
- Postsecondary/Collegiate Division
A student must fulfill two requirements in order to join one of the divisions. The first requirement is that the student must be in the proper grade level (as indicated by the division names).
The student must also be enrolled in a health science program or have a career in healthcare as one of their goals. It’s important to take note of this because it’s possible for interested students to join HOSA even if they aren’t enrolled in a CTE health science program.
The third division, which is postsecondary/collegiate, is the only exception. A student must be enrolled in a health science program at the college or university level to be eligible to join.
Students who want to join HOSA must meet these specific requirements as well as join an official HOSA chapter by contacting the chapter advisor at their school.
If students want to join HOSA but their school doesn’t have a chapter, they should talk to their health science teachers about starting their own HOSA chapter!
How Does HOSA Help Students In The Health Sciences?
Like any CTSO, HOSA gives its members the chance to develop their skills so they can have prosperous careers.
Participating in a group like HOSA helps students develop soft skills like communication and teamwork quickly. Students can also assume leadership positions as officers at the local, state, or federal levels.
Through the HOSA Competitive Events Program, students can develop their practical healthcare skills in addition to their interpersonal skills.
The regional level is where competitions are first held, and students who place well there can move on to compete at the state or international levels.
The activities allow students to showcase a variety of professional and healthcare skills, including:
- Health Career Exploration
- Medical Math
- Nutrition
- Speaking Skills
- Cultural Diversities & Disparities
- Human Growth & Development
- Public Health
- Medical Law & Ethics
- Medical Terminology
- Behavioral Health
- Clinical Nursing
- Medical Assisting
- Nursing Assistant
- Pharmacology
- Sports Medicine
- CPR/First Aid
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Interviewing Skills
- Job Seeking Skills
- And more!
The HOSA organization emphasizes that there is more to the programs and events than just winning an award, even though it can be a highlight for students.
In general, HOSA members strive to improve their abilities and knowledge in order to get ready for a lucrative career in healthcare!
How Can A Teacher Help HOSA?
You have a significant impact on helping students get ready for the workforce as a health science teacher.
This is also accurate when it comes to helping students participate in HOSA, as the group states: “Just as HOSA wouldn’t exist without students, HOSA Advisors are the foundation of the organization.”
How can you then support HOSA in your school and provide your students with these incredible opportunities?
In order to assist you, HOSA has a Chapter Advisor Resource Guide with details, recommendations, and advice. This guide is divided into 11 sections to help you progress from a beginner to a fully qualified HOSA advisor:
- Get to know HOSA
- Get connected
- Recruit students
- Affiliate
- Develop bylaws
- Role of the HOSA advisor
- Elect officers
- Hold chapter meetings
- Plan activities
- HOSA in the classroom through competitive events
- Attend conferences
Even though there is a lot of information here, the key to supporting your students through HOSA is to effectively help them develop the skills they need to succeed in the health care industry.
The Bottom Line
The mission of HOSA is particularly important in light of the severe lack of qualified workers in the healthcare sector. The HSE-HOSA Partnership must continue to build momentum and inspire all HSE instructors to incorporate HOSA into their curricula and classrooms.
Please post your inquiries as comments if you have any.
Thank you so much for reading.
