This past Saturday, the competition team went to Valencia High School to compete in a practice meet in preparation for HOSA. They competed with Palmdale High School and Valencia, who were the hosts of the meet this year. The meet consisted of three tests; two written tests, and a practical exam. One written exam was medical terminology, and the other one was based on the specific topic that each team member chose. In this case, it was either CPR/First Aid, Sports Medicine, and Emergency Medicine.

The morning started with a warm welcome by the Valencia team. Then, the teams were split up into groups to take their specialty written exams and practicals. Our team went in not knowing what to expect, but it ended up being better than expected. For the practical exams, members were given scenarios in which they would treat patients, based on the topic they chose to study.

After lunch, the three teams did some team bonding and icebreaker exercises before heading into the last exam on medical terminology. The teams were also able to get a taste of virtual reality and the potential uses for it in physical therapy.

Our team also had the privilege to get a glimpse of the kinds of skills it takes to be an EMT. Two trained EMTs went over all the things that are assessed within the first 5 minutes of an emergency and emphasized the quick thinking and action it takes to be in the emergency medicine field. This was a great opportunity for the team, especially those who are looking to go into emergency medicine in the future.

Overall, the team had a great experience getting familiar with what to expect for the upcoming HOSA competition in Sacramento, where they will get to meet with their new Valencia and Palmdale friends!

Group Picture!