With just under a month left until state, HOSA is focusing on their prep for the state competition at Drake University on March 3 and 4.
Even though this is the club’s second year at West, it’s their first time going to state. They couldn’t go last year due to funding and transportation issues.
This year, they’re doing a fundraiser to help them get to state and have over $800 currently raised to help with things like bussing and the professional attire required for the competition. Club leader Wesal Haroun ’24 said while she didn’t have a specific number set as a goal, she hoped to raise over $1000 to cover costs. To donate, click here.
Due to snow days and other inconsistencies, prep started later than intended. Currently, meetings are spent figuring out logistics and registering members for their events.
The events at state are formatted in three main ways: a written test, a hands-on event like wrapping an ankle or a presentation showing what they’ve learned. Some events are just one of the formats listed and some are multiple.
Haroun is competing in CPR/First Aid with Waad Dafalla ‘26. The event covers first aid and basic life support and consists of two rounds: a written test and then a skills assessment for the top-scoring teams. She is also doing cultural diversities and disparities, which covers health diversity and disparities in treatment along with how to reduce them.
Multiple HOSA members are participating in events like personal care or medical assisting. Others are doing National Geographic events over subjects like biology and chemistry; in that case, National Geographic is the main source of information to prepare for the competition.
To study, HOSA provides a list of sources for each event for the participant to use. Some sources are textbooks, which they are currently waiting to receive, and others are websites. After reading the information, they study what they’ll need to know as one would for a normal class, using things like flashcards for memorization.
After state, the top three from each event go to the national competition in Houston, June 26-29.
