About 200 high school and college students from across the state will gather for a hands-on exploration of careers in health care at the 2016 MassAHEC HOSA State Leadership Conference on Saturday, April 2, at UMass Medical School.
The 7th annual conference in Massachusetts will feature competitive events, networking with health professionals, hands-on stations and a panel discussion on the field of psychology.
The conference is hosted by the Massachusetts Area Health Education Center Network (MassAHEC), part of the Center for Health Policy and Research, of UMass Medical School’s Commonwealth Medicine division. HOSA, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America, is a national organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education.
“The MassAHEC HOSA State Leadership Conference connects students with health careers and professions. It provides a unique experience where students have the opportunity to interact with health care professionals who are there to answer all their questions,” said Jaime F. Vallejos, MD, MPH, Health Careers Pipeline program manager and statewide advisor of MassAHEC HOSA.
“It also helps strengthen the academic–community partnership by facilitating the development of tomorrow’s health care professionals,” Dr. Vallejos said.
The hands-on stations will provide a variety of learning—and fun—activities in areas such as veterinary medicine, dental science, prosthetics and orthotics, respiratory therapy, paramedicine, medical research, medical assisting and nursing. Students will learn how to assess patients and test reflexes, and how to use a defibrillator and electrocardiogram in a simulated coding emergency. The activities will be led by health professionals and students from UMass Memorial Health Care, UMass Medical School and the Graduate School of Nursing as well as Becker College, Quinsigamond Community College and Sunrise Prosthetics and Orthotics of Worcester.
