The HOSA regionals and Bowl is a group of annual competitions held for students to chase their skills, and knowledge in health-care-based fields. They were held on Friday, November 1. It was an opportunity for students to see just how far their abilities can stretch in various topics of the world. HOSA is a student organization that encourages students to learn more about healthcare careers through competitions and leadership development.

 “Each of the events has guidelines, and it’ll say use this material to study so I’ll usually either purchase those from our funds or rent them so kids can use them,” said Kristen Worrell, coordinator and advisor for HOSA.

HOSA Regionals are a group of annual regional competitions offering students a chance to chase their skills, knowledge, and talents in many healthcare-related fields. HOSA Bowl is a different event within the HOSA competitions, offering a fast-paced challenge for students. 

“The great thing about them (HOSA competitions) and why I encourage kids to do it is you take it here at school during the day, and you could always put it in your academic resume to say that you are a regional participant or a top 10 finalist and that markets them really well,” said Worrell.

These competitions are ways for students to get hands-on

experience and gain knowledge directly applicable to the real world of the healthcare system. They can learn various things about how to perform medical procedures and understand the different trends in healthcare. They can build impressive resumes and increase their chances of getting funding for higher education. 

“Some students are more motivated and do that, and some are. I just want to participate, and I’ll just take the test, wing it, and see how I do,” said Worrell.

Although some students do the competitions just to see where they are at, the HOSA Regionals and the Bowl serve as a source of encouragement for students to further their knowledge and restate why they are choosing to be in the medical/health field.

“Each of the events has guidelines and it’ll say use this material to study so I’ll usually either purchase those from our funds or rent them so kids can use them”, said Whorrell

Studying for the competitions entails using quizlets and online materials provided by many experienced experts and participants of the competitions. Making a study plan would also help in effective timing for studying and knowing what needs to be worked on the most. Understanding the first of the test topics makes it easy for study to be more effective and easier before the time comes.

“Study a month before instead of a week before,” said Adam Ibrahim, a junior at Athens. 

Preparing for the HOSA Regionals, the Bowl is also a big part of the success. Making sure to study ahead with the right guides helps students succeed and have a chance to get a place. Using available materials can help students feel a lot more familiar with their topic/event and be ready for the kind of content they’ll be faced with during the competitions.

“Me and my group, Adnan, Asad, and my brother Ahmed, we all would meet in the NC State library of the local mosque, and we would just study Quizlets that would deal with the topics we were doing,” said Aimane Abdane, senior.

Along with studying guides and practice tests, ensuring students work well with their teammates is important in events like the HOSA Bowl. Regular practice together helps students understand the content and improves and strengthens their speed and accuracy when answering the questions in the competition.

“To prepare for everything, we mainly did quizlets and practice tests. We searched up past practice tests, the rules and regulations, and all that, and just studying together was important too,” said Ahmed Abdane, senior at Athens.

Students also make sure to be aware of the fact that practicing and working together, especially for events like the HOSA Bowl, is very important to succeeding as a group. Overall, the competitions bring students, educators, and professionals together and offer different opportunities to interact with like-minded people. 

“I want it to be like a smaller group where you guys get more out of it,” said Worrell.