Members of UT Dallas' HOSA Future Health Professionals organization competed in events that included medical terminology and creative problem solving at the state leadership conference in San Antonio.
Nearly all of the UT Dallas pre-health students who competed in a Health Occupations Students of America state leadership conference placed in the top three in their respective events.
About 60 members from UT Dallas’ HOSA Future Health Professionals organization participated in the conference in March in San Antonio, and more than 50 earned first- through third-place spots to advance to the national competition in June.
“The competition results highlight that we have truly outstanding pre-health students here at UT Dallas,” said Dr. Karen de Olivares, director of the Health Professions Advising Center.
HOSA is a national organization with secondary and collegiate chapters across the nation. Every state holds an annual leadership conference where members compete in health-related events that include medical terminology, CPR/first aid and creative problem solving.
The UT Dallas chapter has about 300 members, and sends 50 to 60 each year to the state competition, president Devina Jagota said.
“Thanks to the rigorous coursework at UT Dallas, our members excel at knowledge-based tests in topics such as immunology, nutrition and ethics. Others perfect their leadership and collaboration skills by working as a team on parliamentary procedure and creative problem solving,” Jagota said.
In addition to attending state and national competitions, HOSA members learn about health topics from guest speakers each month, volunteer throughout the year, participate in hands-on training such as suture clinics, and enjoy social networking events.
“We are very proud of all that we have accomplished this year,” Jagota said. “It is exciting to see that our members are making UT Dallas known around the state and the country.”