Every student at Liberty has heard about DECA…but what about HOSA? A new club to Liberty, HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) has been called, by some, the medical version of DECA.
“HOSA is basically an organization that allows students interested in healthcare to explore the different branches and see what it might be like to pursue a career in that area. The competition consists of two main categories: knowledge events and skills events,” junior co-president Elyssa Minton said.
And while DECA and HOSA may have a competitive aspect in common, they are both unique in their own ways.
For one, while DECA has had years at Liberty to become more established, HOSA is a new club that started part way through this year. It doesn’t have the experience or funds to go to competitions (which are held at the state, regional, and international levels). But that’s not to say HOSA isn’t planning big things this year.
“This year is primarily focused on kickstarting HOSA in preparation for future years: mock competitions, guest speakers, nearby intern opportunities, and activities,” sophomore club founder Vivian Nguyen said.
The club is working hard to make opportunities in medicine open and available for everyone, even people without connections in the field.
“I want to overcome the stigma where people think you have to be smart to go into the medical field. Really, you just have to have determination and passion for the field itself,” sophomore vice president Vivian Lam said.
And HOSA’s goal is to benefit students beyond just having fun at their Wednesday morning meetings—although the members do that. HOSA is a way to get more experience and exposure to the medical field.
“We want to bring a bigger door that people can walk through and learn more about the field before they jump into college so they know for sure what they want to do, or if they don’t know anything about the medical field and they want to learn more about it, they can learn through HOSA,” sophomore co-president Pranuti Kalidindi said.