Medical school and beyond: How HOSA's prestigious background and name is now creating opportunities at Bethel
The addition of Bethel College HOSA is creating a promising future for students hoping to enter the medical field after graduation.
Bethel College is home to students with a wide variety of career interests. However, one popular path that is taken by students is working in healthcare-related professions. In response to this, Bethel has recently become affiliated with Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and is offering students the opportunity to join this student-led organization if they have these types of interests.
HOSA is an organization that has existed since the 1970s. It has been offered to students and health professionals alike. HOSA is a global student-led organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as several state and federal agencies; demonstrating its prestige. According to their website, their mission is to “empower HOSA-Future Health Professionals to become leaders in the global health community, through education, collaboration, and experience.”
With this in mind, HOSA has the opportunity to foster student growth in the Bethel community and expand the minds and expertise of Bethel students with hopes of working in fields related to health.
Associate Professor of Chemistry Will Wiebe-Friesen is the faculty advisor of HOSA and shared his experience of fulfilling this position, “James Menard and Matthew Fleck asked me this summer if I would be willing to help with HOSA at Bethel, and I said that I would. ... I was in a club similar to this when I was in college and had a lot of fun and got good experience in it.”
James Menard, a junior from Orange, Texas is the president of the HOSA chapter at Bethel and shared his motivation for forming the club on campus. “I started HOSA at Bethel for a very simple reason: to fill a void for students passionate about healthcare,” Menard said.
Menard emphasized that the absence of a health science club on campus was negatively impacting such a large population at Bethel. By adding this organization to Bethel, he hopes that this will begin to help students build important skills essential to their success in the medical field.
“My hope is that the establishment of Bethel College HOSA will foster a sense of passion and community for students interested in healthcare and provide transformative experiences for those who seek them,” Menard added.
“My hope is that the establishment of Bethel College HOSA will foster a sense of passion and community for students interested in healthcare and provide transformative experiences for those who seek them.”
James Menard
In talking with Menard, one of the most important goals that he is hoping to accomplish with the addition of HOSA is building relationships with the community surrounding Bethel.
“I hope that HOSA is able to serve and volunteer for local businesses, schools, healthcare providers, and organizations.” Menard shared, “I believe that HOSA will further cultivate human flourishing through the selfless service of its members. One of the main focuses of HOSA is to give back to the community”.
Menard hopes that these opportunities will help students stand out to higher education institutions they might apply for in the future.
Sophomore Caleb Koontz from Newton said, “I’ve always been interested in relating to the medical field. I was part of HOSA in high school so I was excited when I saw that Bethel had also started it.”
Wiebe-Friesen highlighted a positive impact that HOSA has the potential to have on Bethel students: “Med schools are always interested to see how premed students are educating themselves on what a career in medicine can look like, and HOSA is one way to help that happen.”
Bethel College HOSA can give students more experience outside of what is taught in the classroom and has the potential to truly help students build an impressive and competitive resume when applying to medical school — and, more importantly, help develop the skills necessary to assist those in need beyond.