HOSAEMagazineSpring2021

HOSA eMagazine SPRING 2021

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A s you look to the future, you may be excited by the warming weather, lifting COVID-19 restrictions, and a well- deserved break from school this upcoming summer. Luckily, while you are having fun in the sun, you can still find ways to get involved and make an impact in your community. Even though your HOSA chapters may not be able to meet regularly when school is not in session, there is a lot you can do individually or with a few friends to get active and give back! This can also be the perfect opportunity to branch out and try new volunteer opportunities that you wouldn’t be able to do during the school year. Volunteering and Community Service are an integral part of how HOSA chapters around the globe make an impact in their communities. It is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has created obstacles to participating in more traditional community service activities. However, with a bit of creativity and a drive to get involved, you are sure to find ways to still fulfill HOSA’s core value of service this summer. A great place to start is by reaching out to places where you have volunteered at in the past. Places such as food pantries are always in high demand of volunteers, and many do not require you to come in a group in order to get involved. Check your local nursing homes for COVID-19 safe ways to get involved: socially distant arts and craft, Zoom based programming, or more! Here are some more summer volunteer ideas that are sure to increase your involvement and engagement within your community: BACK TO SERVICE: STAYING INVOLVED DURING SUMMER

BLOOD DRIVES Host your own Blood Drive:

If you have access to a location, advertising, and a team, you can host your own blood drive! Now, more than ever, blood and platelet donations are needed to save the lives of those in critical condition. Blood Donation organizations have diligent protocols in place to ensure blood donations are as safe as possible such as sterile collection equipment and enhanced disinfection of surfaces. Click here to learn more from the American Red Cross. Find a blood drive near you: If finding the resources to host a blood drive is not feasible for you, consider donating blood. The need for blood is at an all time high, anything you can do to help will help save many lives. Click here to find a drive near you. Becoming a Red Cross Volunteer: If you want to find ways to help without donating blood or hosting a blood drive, you can sign up to be a Red Cross volunteer. Visit this website for more information! Volunteer at vaccine clinic: As COVID vaccines begin rolling out, many local institutions and organizations are looking for volunteers to help make mass vaccinations as efficient as possible. Check your local hospital, college, pharmacy, or community pop-up clinic to find opportunities to get involved in this worldwide public health initiative. MENTORING/TUTORING Over the summer, many younger students will spend time refining their skills in subjects such as math, reading, or science. If you feel strong in these areas, offer up your skills as a tutor! You can place ads on social media or through email showcasing your desire to volunteer your time as a tutor for younger kids. You can use this time to teach kids how to be innovative in their problem solving skills no matter the subject. You may even brush up on some topics you haven’t seen in a while! CLEAN UP THE PARK, RIVER, BEACH, NEIGHBORHOOD Have you noticed trash building up at your favorite park? You can fix that! As more people spend time outdoors, a buildup of trash is an unfortunate byproduct. If you notice this and want to do something about it, getting together a team to beautify your local park, beach, or neighbourhood is simple and effective! Plus, it is a perfect socially distant activity to do with a group of people! Once you have a group of friends willing to help, you all can gather common cleaning supplies such as gloves, rakes, and trash bags in order to pick up waste. With only a few hands to help and a few hours, you can truly make a difference! GO GROW! Community gardens are local, community-sustained garden plots used to grow fresh produce for

neighborhoods in food deserts, while also beautifying cities, encouraging healthy outdoor activity, and contributing to environmental sustainability. It’s a fast and fun way to give back to your community, your planet, and yourself. Bust out your green thumb and find a community garden near you! VOLUNTEER APPS There really is an app for everything! There are several downloadable apps that allow you to volunteer in a variety of different areas, many of which you can do right from your house. Be My Eyes allows you to help blind people navigate everyday tasks through video call assistance. Charity Miles donates a dollar to one of 40 charities of your choice for every mile that you run. The United Nations Volunteers website offers a variety of virtual volunteering opportunities, from outreach and advocacy to digital marketing to media production. Golden Volunteer Opportunities is a great place to find organizations to volunteer for, based on your availability, location, and interests. Not only are all of these options great ways to get involved individually, they are also great ways to get your chapter involved! No matter which volunteer opportunity you choose, know that you are making a difference while simultaneously showing the world that HOSA members care about service to others. We hope you have fun giving back to your community this summer! Happy volunteering!

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It is safe to say that COVID-19 has presented a whole world of change within the last year. Members across the world have come together to adapt to this change, despite the adversity many of them have faced. From switching to online school to taking on the role of caretakers, our members have adapted to their situations and have taken the initiative to push forward during these times. With an increase in vaccinations and everyone doing their part to stop the spread, HOSA members are looking forward to better times and to transitioning back to normalcy. Below are a few testimonies from members on how they have been affected and how they look towards the future with hope. KEEGHAN SHROPSHIRE - SOUTH CAROLINA “ The COVID-19 pandemic has been such a monumental and detrimental event in our history, and it is something that we will never forget. Personally, this pandemic has brought out more harm than good and I’m beyond ready to return back to normalcy. As a future health professional and an avant member of HOSA-FHP I have full hope that if we continue to listen to the guidelines of medical professionals then we can beat this together as a society. This HOSA year has looked different to say the least, and we had to make adjustments such as hosting virtual conferences so that we can follow the guidelines of the CDC. It is hard to believe that our lives have changed so drastically since a year ago and what used to be our “norm” is no longer our norm due to the pandemic. The pandemic has also greatly affected the mental health of myself and those around me. I’ve learned to take my mental health seriously because if I’m not well, then I cannot help others in the future which is my pride and joy. To help get through the tougher and darker days, I try to remind myself that the future is bright, and that this dark patch will eventually become brighter because there is still light at the end of the tunnel. As a society we owe it ourselves and those around us to do our parts to end this pandemic by getting vaccinated, social distancing, getting tested for COVID and wearing masks. ” SOPHIA BONFIGLI - DELAWARE “ The pandemic has been littered with challenges, but most unexpectedly has been its influence over my family dynamic. With the onset of changes in the workplace, my mom was required to alter her working hours, which then placed most of the household responsibilities on me. I found myself balancing school and extracurricular responsibilities with cooking dinner, running the wash, and driving my sister to appointments. In my local HOSA chapter, we needed to get creative with our fundraising endeavors and service project since our previous events all involved larger gatherings. We had to adapt by relying on apparel sales or writing letters to veterans to fulfill these goals for our chapter. It also made it harder to coordinate team events or get feedback from our advisor for competitive events. For Delaware HOSA as a whole, the pandemic opened the door to many wonderful virtual opportunities. With most chapters using web-conferencing applications, I could join local meetings to directly speak to and learn from members across the state. As we slowly return to normalcy, I cannot wait to meet others face-to- face again. No virtual meeting can completely replace the enjoyment of getting together with my family and friends and having heartfelt discussions. However, I can thank the pandemic for helping me hone my communication skills and move forwards as a stronger problem-solver. ” Moving Forward After Learning from the Past ´

ALEXIS GRASSO - TEXAS “ The last year has been both devastating and challenging but for me and many others this past year has solidified the decision to pursue a career in the health professions. Watching the pandemic unfold came with tons of cancellations and reschedules but it also brought movements to bridge gaps in health disparities and highlighted the importance of public health practices. More importantly, the past year has showcased the need for compassion, understanding and perseverance during unprecedented times. Traits that I have seen shine in each member of HOSA-Future Health Professionals since the beginning of this historical event. As the future of healthcare, we learned disease tracking and health education. We served our communities through collecting and donating PPE to helping COVID-19 vaccine drives. We led the charge to promote social distancing and mask- wearing. Finally, we innovated to bring all the wonderful opportunities of HOSA into the virtual world. Personally, because of the past year, I have had to use creativity to the fullest, find ways to make the virtual setting engaging and focused on my health and happiness- hooray for a consistent vitamin regimen! I have grown as both a leader and frontline worker and while I am anticipating when we can have feelings of normalcy back, I want to move forward using the same learning, service, leadership, and innovation to honor those we have lost and keep in mind the ‘why’ we are in HOSA and who we will become in the global health community. ” We share these testimonies to highlight the spirit of all HOSA members. This spirit, instilled in us from the beginning of our HOSA journey, is one that encourages us to find answers to any obstacle in our path. As humans, we thrive when we come together. If we do anything, we do it together. HOSA is not the same without our in-person interactions and if anything, it has taught us just how important these interactions are when we look outside of HOSA on the international stage in regards to healthcare. We hope that you all take time for yourselves and your loved ones coming back to normalcy, and we look forward to seeing all of your faces once it is safe again to do so. If you would like to share your COVID-19 testimony and what you look forward to in the transition back to normalcy, please contact HOSA at hosa@hosa.org or any member of the Executive Council.

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Coming Together: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN YOUR HOSA CHAPTER

In-person:

“SIGHTLESS SQUARE” This activity stresses the importance of communication and collaboration within a team. It is also fun to see what shape you end up with! Materials: Long rope (40-75 feet) Blindfolds for each participant (or just close your eyes!) How it works: Tie the rope together at each end to form a circle. Each HOSA member should stand to form a large circle and each member should have at least one hand on the rope. Once in position, each HOSA member should close their eyes or put on blindfolds. Once everyone is ready, try to form a square with the rope! Once you think the square has been formed, take off your blindfolds and see how close you were! To make things a little more challenging, try doing a couple more rounds by forming a triangle or pentagon. If you’re really good, see if you can make a star! “HAPPY LANDINGS” This simple activity requires communication and decision making to make your team successful. It also creates a fun little competition! Materials: Paper Something to serve as a finish line How it works: Your group should be divided evenly into teams. The amount of people per team and the amount of teams are up to you. Set up your finish line about 30 feet from your team’s “home base.” Once in your teams, design a paper airplane and fly it towards the finish line. After the first round, see if you can build a better airplane to get further than the competition! Work together to come up with new designs and throwing techniques to try and make your paper airplane the best!

“NAME BY NAME” This fun activity is an effective way to learn who works alongside you in your chapter. Materials: Just the HOSA members in your chapter! How it works: Have your members line up in a large circle. Once in the circle, have each member say only their first name very loudly. If another person in the circle could not hear the name, that member should yell, “REPEAT!” If a member is asked to repeat their name, they should say it again very loudly. Once all names have been said, have your members arrange themselves alphabetically. The only catch is that they cannot talk or make motions, they must do it solely from memory. After the group rearranges alphabetically, have the group go around and say their names again. If someone is out of order, have the group fix itself again without talking. The goal of this activity is to get in alphabetical order in the least amount of rounds as possible. Encourage your members to listen closely and learn from others!

For most people, summer means vacations, no school, and lots of sleep. For HOSA members, summer means we have the chance to support the HOSA service project, support our communities, and build up our teams. It is no secret that the past HOSA year has been different. However, now that we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the Executive Council wants to help you grow your chapters! With more time on our hands, what better way to strengthen our chapters than to build relationships with those around you? Here are some ways, both virtually and in person, that you can build up your chapter and foster relationship growth between each member of the HOSA family.

Virtual:

How it works: Give each member 1 minute to find something within arms reach that is meaningful to them. Once the time is up, have the members take turns explaining why that item means so much to them and how it has shaped who they are. This is a great way to learn fun facts about those around you, and can help form friendships from common interests! “VIRTUAL SCAVENGER HUNT” A classic yet fun way to learn about your team. This activity encourages your members to think fast and present and explain things that mean a lot to them. Materials: A pre-made list of 15-20 scavenger hunt items (i.e. your favorite mug, favorite book, etc.) An online meeting software How it works: Once the members join your meeting, explain that the leader of the hunt has the list of items in their possession and will announce the target item before each round begins. The leader of the hunt explains that on the “go- word,” each member will have 30 seconds to find an item in their house that matches the topic of that round. Once the members are back, the leader should have each member explain what item they bought and why they chose that item. Once all members have presented, move to the next round with a new topic.

“CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?” In this activity, one person will have to practice their outstanding communication skills while the rest of the group get to practice their listening and art skills. Materials: For the artists: just a piece of paper and a pencil For the reader: a random picture generator An online meeting software How it works: One person in the group is designated “the reader” while everyone else serve as artists.The reader will use the random picture generator to come up with a picture that the artists must try to draw. However, the reader can only use shapes as descriptions for the pictures. For example, the reader can say, “draw a large square,” but not, “put the number 3 on the paper.” The reader will keep describing the picture until the artists feel as though they have it copied on their paper. Have the artists share their artwork and see who got closest! “ARMS-REACH SHOW AND TELL” Use this activity to learn more about what your fellow HOSA members find important. This is a great way to learn something new about someone you either know or just met! Materials: One item within arms reach of each HOSA member An online meeting software

All in all, it does not matter which activity you choose (or design your own!), as long as you choose one that includes everyone and gives everyone a chance to get to know each other better. The secret to team building is spending time together, so use every opportunity to spend quality time with those in your chapter. Once you spend this quality time, there is no limit on what your chapter can do in the next HOSA year. Just as we have spent the past year unlocking our potential, effective team building is key to unlocking your chapters potential. We hope you take every opportunity to build relationships with other HOSA members, as those very same members may be a part of your care team in the future. As you build these relationships, the Executive Council wants to hear about it! Be sure to send us information on what you’re doing to better your chapters by reaching out via social media @hosafhp or by emailing hosa@hosa.org . Happy team building!

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J essica Fults Schaedel, MD, MPH, (Region II Vice President, HOSA-Future Health Professionals in 2013-2014) wasn’t considered to be a high-risk pregnancy. Other than suffering from severe morning sickness throughout her pregnancy, a condition known as hyperemesis, the 25-year-old was very healthy. When she was involved in a car accident at 26 gestational weeks, the status of Jessica’s pregnancy quickly changed. “I hydroplaned on the freeway and hit the guardrail with the front of my car going 75 miles per hour,” Jessica explains. “An 18-wheeler hit the back of my car going 65 miles per hour. The car was totaled, but I somehow walked away from that wreck. God was definitely watching out for us that morning.” Jessica was cleared at the scene of the accident by members of the EMS team, but she went to Texas Health Plano to be further examined. A KB stain test to look for fetal hemoglobin in her bloodstream showed that there was some trauma to the placenta, and Jessica experienced contractions for a few hours. Thankfully, baby Schaedel looked healthy on the monitors and Jessica’s contractions stopped. She was allowed to go home after 24 hours but was advised that, due to the traumatic nature of the car wreck, she was at an increased risk of delivering early — which would prove to be the case. FAMILY FINDS PEACE OF MIND AT TEXAS HEALTH PLANO As published in Texas Health Resources®

Baby Jackson ended up spending 40 days in the Neonatal ICU (NICU) at Texas Health Plano. Having been born early, he needed the time for his lungs to better develop and to learn how to feed. As Collin County’s only Level IV NICU, the Schaedels found peace of mind in knowing their little one was in the right place to receive the advanced care he needed to thrive. Being a fourth-year medical student, Jessica was keenly aware of the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. After talking with colleagues in the medical community, she and her husband knew Texas Health Plano, a Level IV maternal care center, the highest designation by the Texas Department of State Health Services, was where they wanted to welcome in their baby. The couple also chose the hospital because it offers a 24/7 obstetrical hospitalist on-call, which meant that if an emergency arose and Jessica needed to deliver before her OB/GYN could make it, a specialist would be available. “This was really important to us, and it’s not something you find at every hospital,” Jessica says. “Additionally, Texas Health Plano’s Level IV NICU with a full staff of neonatologists, respiratory therapists, nurses and other providers equipped to provide the highest level of neonatal care was a real plus. When Jackson came quickly in the middle of the night, we were thankful for all of these things. He needed some help breathing initially, but knowing that our care team, including NICU nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners and neonatologists on the medical staff, were prepared and that we were in capable hands made that experience much less scary for us.” HEART-FELT HOPE During their stay, the Schaedels celebrated Jackson’s first Valentine’s Day in the NICU with help from the Texas Health Plano staff. Staff members shared hand-knit baby outfits they had made along with Jackson’s heart-shaped footprints for the family to include in his first photos. The “photo shoot” provided a welcome distraction for Jessica and her husband and brought a sense of normalcy to the uncertainty of Jackson’s first days. “We were always confident that Jackson’s care team, including NICU nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners and neonatologists on the medical staff, were capable of managing anything that arose, which was a blessing,” Jessica adds. “However, the biggest differentiator for us was the staff themselves. They didn’t just tend to Jackson’s medical needs; they truly cared for and loved all three of us so well during our stay. We looked forward to going to the NICU every day not only to see Jackson, but also to hang out with his care team. We shared many laughs and made lots of great memories as all of us worked hard to get Jackson home.”

THE MOST ADVANCED MATERNAL CARE IN COLLIN COUNTY Baby Jackson was born at 32 weeks, weighing in at just over 4 pounds. The Schaedels had chosen not to learn of the baby’s sex ahead of time, so their little boy was a sweet surprise in the delivery room. “We decided not to find out what we were having because there are so few true surprises in life,” Jessica says. “Up until that point, I was pretty sure Baby S. was a girl, although we both really wanted a boy. I didn’t find much on the girl name we had picked out, but one of the meanings I found for Jackson was ‘God has been gracious’. That was an understatement for how we felt after the wreck, and it was at that point I was pretty sure Baby S. was a boy. When Jackson was born, we were both very thankful for his safe arrival and for him staying put for an extra six weeks after my wreck.”

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a Life SavEd OUR MISSION: Be The Match saves lives every day by connecting the world’s most diverse registry of donors (22 million!) with patients who are a genetic match. WITH BE THE MATCH ®

SCOTT BROCK: SURVIVOR

Natalie was a senior when her Dad, Scott, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He was so sick that sadly Scott couldn’t attend Natalie’s high school graduation. Last Fall, Natalie set up a fundraising page, raised over $12,000 and got all her friends to be swabbed for the registry in honor of her Dad’s bone marrow Birthday! Now in college, Natalie is sharing her experience and continuing to get others involved in this life-saving mission. NATALIE : SUPER-STAR STUDENT FUNDRAISER!

After finding my donor, Be the Match gave me hope to keep living…And it worked!

I would say, ‘Do it—it truly saves lives.’ I can’t think of a better cause. — Scott, blood stem cell transplant recipient, shown here with his nurse, Carrie

Scott Brock is a survivor of many things, but most importantly a survivor of three years of cancer. He has never once let this change his attitude or how he viewed life. Through his whole process he was smiling and laughing and would tell everyone that it was nothing just a little “stumble” in life. He was first diagnosed with stage 4 Non- Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2018. After initial treatment and relapse, Scott prepared for a bone marrow transplant from an anonymous donor. “This is when Be The Match was introduced to us; what a blessing!” My family and I are forever grateful to Be The Match and to this stranger that we hope to meet and thank one day. Thank you HOSA for your incredible efforts this year in both recruitment and fundraising for Be The Match. Because of the efforts of people like you, patients like Scott are able to have a cure.

—Natalie (right), with her Dad, Scott

©2021 National Marrow Donor Program. All Rights Reserved. P00403; APR 2021

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T he phenomenon dubbed the “The Fauci Effect” is attributed to Dr. Anthony Fauci as a result of the dramatic spike in premeds applying to medical school in response to the coronavirus. THE IMPACT ON PRE-MED AND MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICANTS The Fauci Effect propelled the number of medical school applicants in 2020 to jump by as much as 20%. The COVID-19 pandemic clearly has had devastating effects on humanity, with many deaths, economic distress and social isolation being just some of the effects that have been experienced. The silver lining may be that it is propelling a new generation of minds into medicine. Several MedSchoolCoach advisors and deans at various medical schools have given interviews to news outlets about the rise in medical school applicants over the last several months. There has been much discussion about why this increase happened, and what the increased number of applications means for the future of medicine. But also, what does it mean for pre-meds who are applying to medical school in 2021? The Fauci Effect and Medical School Admissions

EXTRACURRICULARS REMAIN A CRUCIAL FACTOR IN MED SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE

A staple in the evaluation of a medical school applicant is their extracurricular activities. The last year has impacted many student’s plans for volunteering, clinical observerships, research, and physician shadowing. While students may not be able to engage in the same extracurriculars as they once could, it’s still important they have solid extracurriculars to create a strong narrative that balances out their med school application. A great medical school applicant takes years to develop. Strong candidates hopefully had some solid experiences before and during the pandemic, and will have additional solid experiences after it. Virtual clinical education programs can substitute for in-person experiences while students are limited in the clinics and hospitals. Participation in these virtual programs show interest for the medical profession, can also go onto a CV, and be discussed in interviews. MedSchoolCoach offers a virtual clinical education with more than 20 of the world’s best doctors to give students a behind-the-scenes look at practically every specialty. Not only do they learn about the range of medicine, but it may also help them to determine which specialty they hope to make a career.

THE MCAT EXAM COULD BECOME EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IN THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Standardized exams like the MCAT have been an integral part of the application process for medical schools for quite some time. Schools use it to filter through candidates and eliminate weaker ones from the pool of applicants. The “Cascading Fauci Effect” may make this even more true. Schools will have to sort through a larger pool of applicants to make tough decisions. The MCAT is a great equalizer, and a student’s score will be used increasingly to compare students. The 2021/2022 application cycle may be one of the hardest years to gain admission into medical school. Therefore, applicants will need to prepare early to make their application as strong as possible.

COMPETITION TO GET INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL GOT EVEN MORE COMPETITIVE Several reasons explain why medical school spots don’t keep up with the number of medical students. Just because someone graduates as a doctor doesn’t mean that this doctor can practice medicine. Here’s why. All physicians are required to go through graduate medical education (referred to as GME). These residency and fellowship programs are what actually train doctors in their preferred specializations. Without them, an MD is just a person with two letters after their name, not a physician trained to provide medical or surgical care to patients. GME programs are government funded. A lack of government funding at accredited schools means the schools upstream cannot enroll more students. It’s a simplistic view of it, but it’s true that just because more students are interested in medicine doesn’t mean that more students can enter medicine as a career. Plus, the increased competition means schools can be even more selective with candidates. Today, medical schools reject 60% of applicants. That figure could jump to 70% next year! For 2021/2022 applicants, this means that students who tried to enroll the previous year and were denied will likely be reapplying. This could lead to a “Cascading Fauci Effect” for years as more students are interested in medicine, yet get left out from getting accepted into one of these coveted medical school spots.

MEDICINE HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE

Premed students and medical students are entering medicine at a remarkable time. Researchers developed and rolled out a vaccine in just about one year. What a wonderful feat! This is a testament to the advancement of medicine. Personalized genomics, big data, artificial intelligence and more could transform how healthcare professionals deliver health care. If we could coordinate efforts like we did with COVID, what if we did the same thing with HIV/AIDs, malaria, and other killers? What if we could enlist the best and brightest to fight cancer, or eliminate heart disease. The potential could be limitless. Medical science is poised to undergo considerable change in the next few years. Current med students should keep this in mind as they start a challenging process. I wish them the best of luck as they proceed, though hard work is the largest impactor of luck. MedSchoolCoach MCAT tutors are all 95th percentile scorers who can help students improve their MCAT score. And our admissions advisors are all physicians with experience on admission committees who know how to get students accepted. If you’re a student who could use help getting into medical school , look us up. We can help you along every step of the medical school journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, DR. SAHIL MEHTA

Dr. Mehta is the founder of MedSchoolCoach and has guided thousands of successful medical school applicants. He is also a practicing physician in Boston where he specializes in vascular and interventional radiology.

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Be The Difference

Do you know how to respond to life-threatening bleeding?

Learn from American Red Cross experts about First Aid for Severe Trauma™ (FAST™)—a Red Cross training program on responding to severe injuries.

• Recognize and stop a life- threatening bleeding emergency • Communicate effectively during an emergency

• Safeguard rescuers and the trauma victim • Safely position the trauma victim • Apply direct pressure and tourniquets

Incorporating simulation training into your Health Sciences Program can boost interest among par ticipants, ensure students receive an accurate preview of their future profession, and inspire a new generation of healthcare providers. Simulation training engages students and provides the opportunity for : • Hands-on deliberate practice Successfully Integrate Simulation Training

The FAST course and digital materials will be offered at no charge to high school students under the age of 19, thanks to a grant from the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate.

• Development of decision-making skills • Improved communication and teamwork

Visit redcross.org/FAST for more information.

Read 3 tips to Navigate Medical Simulation for Health Sciences Programs

©2021 Laerdal Medical. All rights reserved. 2104-673661193 Learn More: Laerdal.com/k-12

First Aid for Severe Trauma

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VILC: V is for Victorious! Due to the ongoing global pandemic, HOSA has decided to host its annual International Leadership Conference By Addison Soerenson & LJ Pasion With less than 100 days till HOSA’s biggest event of the year, it’s time to gear up & explore the new features available to HOSA members at the Virtual International Leadership Conference!

Virtual Patient Challenge Interested in treating patients? Do so virtually via the Virtual Patient Challenge! Members in secondary and post-secondary divisions will have the opportunity to create teams of 3-5, be exposed to a variety of patient cases, and compete against other teams to determine possible diagnoses. Teams will spend 20 minutes on Zoom and interact with patients over the Body Interact platform. There, they will be able to ask patients questions, perform an x-ray, provide interventions, and more! Registration to the challenge is available for all members registered to HOSA’s ILC. National Geographic Learning/ Cengage: Mindtap Simulations Have you ever wondered how you would react in different medical situations? Well this year National Geographic has made it available to all members who want to put their skills to the test. Get hands-on with Health Care scenarios, skills, and procedures from home with an all-new virtual experience during HOSA VILC! Explore over 190 simulations and practice real-world skills from a pharmacy externship, to setting up surgical trays, to analyzing crime scenes. All you need is a computer, laptop, or Chromebook and internet connection to participate., winners of “scavenger hunt” have a chance to win $1000 scholarship.

in a virtual format. But that doesn’t stop HOSA from providing opportunities to their members! On the newly designed HOSA website (www.hosa.org), members can find information regarding everything this VILC will offer by hovering over the “conferences” tab on the main menu and clicking “International Leadership Conference.” There, members can access information about competitive events, registration, and more! HOSA’s VILC aims to provide members with an interactive and collaborative experience similar to its in-person counterpart. Three new components are available to members this year, the Anatomage tournament, Virtual Patient Challenge, and Mindtap Simulations! Anatomage Tournament Are you and your friends anatomy geniuses? This tournament may be just the thing for you! The Anatomage Tournament, hosted by HOSA and Anatomage, is a competitive tournament between several 3-5 person teams. These teams will be split into their respective divisions: middle school, secondary & postsecondary, and advisor, and go head to head, testing their anatomy knowledge and vying for the 1st place position. Participants will also have a digital hands- on experience with the Anatomage table. The winning team will receive iPads and get bragging rights as the ANATOMY CHAMPION! The tournament will be live on the Anatomage platform and will take place Wednesday, June 23rd to Friday, June 25th. You will be Don’t miss out! Registration is available for anyone registered for HOSA’s ILC by May 15th.

So what are you waiting for? Once the links go live, sign your team up for the many events that we have available for every member. Advisors and teachers are encouraged to participate as well in these events so be ready to show off your medical skills and medical knowledge for a chance to win amazing prizes and amazing bragging rights to your teams and state. We hope that you will take advantage of the many activities and events we have planned during the week of ILC. Deciding which competition to compete in can be challenging, so why not do all of them?! Whatever you put into this experience is what you will get out of it and we hope that you will choose to make the most of this week and join in on the competition with a chance to win all the amazing prizes and to have fun with your teams! We cannot wait to see you all soon.

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