HOSA is an integral part of the Health Science Technology program and provides an enhancement to the objectives taught in the classroom.

The value of HOSA competitive events program is twofold. Teachers can use the program as a motivational and recognition tool by encouraging students to participate in local, area, state and national competitive events.

Teachers can also use the competitive events program tools to enhance classroom instruction.

The majority of this e-Learning course will focus on integrating HOSA competitive events inside the classroom. But first, let’s take a look at the origins and purpose of the National Competitive Events program – the part that happens outside the classroom.
  

Why does HOSA Sponsor a National Competitive Events Program?

• HOSA’s origins are in the curriculum - When HOSA was created as an integral part of the curriculum, it was designed to support and reinforce classroom learning outcomes – not the other way around.
    
• HOSA’s purpose is learning - What HOSA does is motivate students to learn. HOSA conferences, events, and partnerships all motivate Health Science Technology Education students to do more than would be reasonable within the classroom walls.
    
• HOSA’s learning value reaches program content and beyond - HOSA members learn HSTE goals and competencies, and they learn them well. They also learn about leadership, responsibility, teamwork, communication, and other “real world” skills.
    

The HOSA Competitive Events Program can be a powerful instructional tool. When you focus on the purpose of the competitive events program, you focus on achieving HSTE goals. The goals are achieved through the process – not the reward!

What are the REAL goals?

1. Learning
2. Fun (relationships)
3. Self-respect and personal satisfaction

These goals are achieved when students take part in the competitive events program. They are not dependent on “winning” but rather on participating in the process.
  

Guiding Thoughts about Competitive Events

• The priority is to offer the best learning experience possible through Health Science Technology Education. HOSA is a part of that process.
    
• The value of competitive events happens before the competition. It is the learning that takes place in the days, weeks and months BEFORE the competition.
    
• The competitive events program is designed to be comprehensive, challenging, and efficient, with minimal duplication of effort.
    
• The competitive events program is not just a bunch of events – it’s a comprehensive PROGRAM.

Misguided Thoughts about Competitive Events

• But that’s the way we’ve always done it
    
• But in our area, we…
    
• Since I’m right and you disagree with me, you must be wrong!
    
• We should reward everyone!
    
• Our system proves who is the best at…
    
• It’s all about winning.
    

Of particular value in connected instruction….

Participation in the HOSA National Competitive Events program can reinforce classroom learning. Quite often we see an improvement in classroom performance in students who participate in competitive events. This happens when learning becomes a “choice” for students, instead of something that is “forced” upon them.

The learning outcomes of involvement in competitive events can be summarized as follows:

Category I events (Terminology, Math, Spelling and Knowledge) reinforce and remind students of fundamental concepts of Health Science Technology Education. These events should serve as a review for students who plan to continue their education, as the terminology of medicine is central to all health professions.

Category II events (Skill events) help individualize skill instruction based on the student’s career goal. They provide the outline for individualized units of instruction in a comprehensive HSTE class, or support actual classroom goals for career-specific courses. Specifically, students who plan to pursue any health career could learn the knowledge and skills associated with the event as their individualized instructional plan for a unit on career development.

Category III events (Individual Leadership) strengthen the leadership and basic communication skills of future healthcare professionals.

Category IV events (Team Leadership) help build teamwork skills while strengthening understand of the medical community (Community Awareness, Medical Reading, Health Education), medical knowledge (HOSA Bowl, Biomedical Debate) careers (Career Health Display) and critical thinking (Parliamentary Procedure and Creative Problem Solving.)

Category V events (Recognition) provide an opportunity for community service and recognition.