Doctors, nurses, dentists, EMT’s, surgeons, billers and coders, lab techs the list of potential health care jobs is almost never-ending. The industry can be hard to manage, but one organization, HOSA, is helping students make friends with similar interests and navigate the medical field. 

HOSA or Health Occupations Students of America is a national organization whose mission is to “empower future health professionals to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration, and experience”. 

“I would describe HOSA as a club that is geared especially for students that want to be in the medical field,” HOSA adviser Leigh Castillo said. “We do competitions, fundraisers, and community service events.”

The nationally known organization has student held positions such as president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and communications coordinator.

“My job as president is to monitor my campus, and have meetings with the students,” student president Natasha Kataw said. “Tell them what is coming up and make sure they are informed. As a president, I am representing HOSA, whether inside of school or outside.”

The HOSA club is involved in school events all year and all around McKinney,including the district’s annual first aid kit fundraiser 

“You can get a lot out of it,” Natasha said. “We do our blood drives, and we also make a lot of donations whether its clothes or school supplies, We go to Six Flags, we have lots of fun.”

HOSA also hosts competitions aimed at many different jobs in the medical field. “We have various competitions from anything to EMT, CPR, to medical terminology,” Mrs.Castillo said. “It lets students get their feet wet and see if they want to do something like that career or even if they like the medical field.”

HOSA also aims to help its members with real-world skills such as “effective leadership qualities and skills” and “self-confidence and pride in one’s work.”

“HOSA gave me a kind of a view of what I wanted to do in the future,” Natasha said. “And it will also stay with me throughout my years, not just in high school.”

The club offers students a thorough view of what a career in the medical field could look like.

“HOSA helps you to branch out and make connections in the medical field before you even graduate high school,” Mrs.Castillo said. “And those connections can often lead to a future job when you get out of school.”