HOSA, a student organization focused on health sciences, is ramping up its activities at West Chicago Community High School after being reinstated this fall. Led by teachers Kylie Bosco and Tyler Huber, along with science division head Scott Albright, the club is eager to provide students with opportunities to explore careers in healthcare and medical fields.
HOSA, also known as Health Occupation Students of America, is a student-led organization aimed at students wanting to become future healthcare professionals. It offers hands-on experience in various healthcare professions.
The club initially started in 2015 and ran for around five years before it was shut down because of the pandemic. It is now being reinstated after a four-year hiatus, and the hope is to bring more student opportunities. Their future looks bright as over 20 students attended the first meeting.
“We thought it would be beneficial for the students at WEGO to dip their toes in the healthcare fields and community, especially for those who are considering going into healthcare,” Bosco said.
Bosco is also heading up a new pathway program at WCCHS geared towards healthcare. The program combines different health sciences, like biology, chemistry, and anatomy. The goal is to eventually include internships with hospitals or clinics for students so they can get more hands-on work and see what their future in the medical industry might be like – up close and personal.
HOSA also aims to compete nationally. Students can become regular members, or, with a $20 fee, national membership will be granted, and thus, students can choose what healthcare-related events they want to compete in within the HOSA Competitive Events Program. Competition season starts with preliminary rounds primarily online; clinicians review what students submit, decide who goes to the next round, and so forth. Categories include healthcare professions such as Medical assistant, nursing, and physical therapy, as well as presentational-based categories like critical problem-solving. There are also leadership and teamwork-based activities and niche subjects like medical law and photography—there is something for everyone!
“Main thing we want is to help people develop and understand all the different options for healthcare,” Huber said.
While some believe those who study medicine have to become doctors or surgeons, there are even broader fields, like respiratory therapists or occupational therapy. Exposure to these areas of healthcare is less common.
There is no “one path” to a career, and the sponsors of HOSA hope to help people gain an understanding of their path, the different people they will meet along the way, and what the view from the top might look like at the end of their journey.
“You’ll find different ages, some people might be right out of colleges….some might have been a teacher…some were musicians,” Huber said.
This club will hopefully bridge that gap and give students a chance to learn more about the industry during high school.
“You know we’re all kind of learning as we go with this first year. So as students learn, we’re going to be learning along with them, but also excited for that and excited for the opportunity for them to compete,” Bosco said.
Despite being a new club, the advisers already have ideas for upcoming projects, but they wish to keep their plans a secret for now.
The club also emphasizes leadership, with roles such as president, class representatives, secretary, and treasurer. These positions allow students to gain leadership experience and take responsibility for the club’s activities. Though staff members Bosco, Albright, and Huber provide support, student leadership is a key focus of HOSA.
“One thing they’ll realize once they get into healthcare is you’re no longer the patient coming in. You’re the person in charge that’s running everything,” Bosco said.
Being familiar with ‘being in charge’ is essential in the healthcare industry, but this does not mean the club is not welcome to all. Those who are curious should come to the upcoming meetings held every other Thursday morning at 7:15 in room 2424.
“Just hoping that students build some confidence with their skill and knowledge in health, and think it should be a really beneficial club for our students,” Bosco said.
