Health care students demonstrate their skills
By By Georgia E. Frye / staff writer
Feb. 20, 2003
Health care students will show their skills when Meridian Community College and its Health Occupations Students of America chapter hosts a day of competition on Saturday.
Students from 23 high schools will participate with more than 428 competitors. The competition is for the Central District of Mississippi.
Students will compete in four categories.
Categories 1 through 3 are individual competitions that include prepared speaking, medical math, cardiopulmonary resuscitation/first aid, dental assisting, nursing assisting and job seeking skills.
Category four, a group competition, includes creative problem solving and medical reading.
Individuals who place in the top five will advance to the state competition March 24-26 in Biloxi. The state winners will advance to the national competition June 17-21 in Atlanta.
First place winners in the Central District will receive a tuition scholarship for MCC. If they are from Lauderdale County and are already eligible for the scholarship, they will receive a $150 credit at the MCC bookstore.
The current cost of MCC is $600 per semester.
This marks the eighth year for the competition sponsored by Health Occupations Students of America, a national student organization more commonly called HOSA.
Its mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people.
HOSA began in 1976. Since then, it has reached 67,469 students through 36 affiliated state associations, three unaffiliated state associations and 2,086 chapters during the 2001-2002 membership year.
The competition is open and the public is invited to attend. Visitors are encouraged to register in the Health Center, room 400. There is no charge for the competition.
Registration is at 7:45 a.m., opening session begins at 8:30 a.m., competitions begin at 9:15 p.m., lunch is served at noon and the awards ceremony begins at 1:15 p.m.
There will also be a slide show of the day's events at the awards ceremony.
