Some 32 members of the MTHS Future Health Professionals club, more commonly known as “HOSA,” competed in their first state conference hosted in the Spokane Convention Center from March 9-11.
HOSA aims to promote interest in the healthcare field, teaching technical skills while developing leadership, communication and teamwork abilities. Members can compete in a wide variety of events from Public Health to Biomedical Debate.
For their first competition, HOSA brought home several awards. Chengxuan Li won first place in Biotechnology and third in Medical Math. Angela Grachev got third place in Health Career Photography. Ahna Elsberry, Jade Lim and Aubrey Swenson all won fifth in Public Health. Other members also took top 10 placements in Sports Medicine, CPR/First Aid and Public Health.
Club historian AJ Pidlaoan reflected on his experience as both exhilarating and “quite mentally tiring.” In preparation for competing in CPR/First Aid with his partner Tim Cho, he reported spending weeks “reading BLS (basic life support) manuals. Readying myself for the multiple choice with a 200-term Quizlet. Reading the event rubric for hours. Practicing CPR on dummies and stuffed animals.”
After completing the qualifying 50-question multiple choice exam a few weeks before state, he was informed that he passed and moved onto round two which consisted of translating his learning into performing in an unknown, simulated situation.
“We were tasked with saving a firefighter that was suffering from heat exhaustion, and a bystander who had fainted,” Pidlaoan said. “At first, I was nervous, but when it came time to act, adrenaline took over.”
They ended up taking sixth place in the event.
Attendees, beyond just their competitions, were also kept busy throughout the conference attending various workshops and events.
While the club was established last school year in 2021, it was mostly focused on fundraisers and recruiting members. This year however, HOSA experienced explosive growth with dozens of members and an active Instagram account.
The club is now led by President Jade Lim, Vice President Tyler Pham, Secretary Khai Nguyen, Treasurers Daryl Tran and Ahna Elsberry, Reporter Angela Grachev and aforementioned Historian AJ Pidaloan. Biotechnology teacher Jami Wollan is the club’s adviser.
The club is now planning on sending students to the international competition held this year in Dallas, Texas from June 21-24.
They are planning on hosting another blood drive and bringing in medical guest speakers. On April 25 from 2-3 p.m., HOSA will host an ACT first aid class – “antidote (narcan) for suspected opioid overdoses, CPR and AED for cardiac arrest and tourniquet for severe bleeding,” Pidlaoan explained.
“I would recommend others to join HOSA,” Pidlaoan said. “Come by for a couple of meetings and see if the club is the right fit for you! We have a very welcoming and beginner-friendly community. Like you, we’ve just started and would love to help each other grow. Going to state and competing is not required but also recommended. Although it was rather daunting at first, afterward we collectively were like ‘yeah, this is pretty awesome.’”
HOSA meets every Tuesday after school in room 127.
