Students practice on state-of-the-art equipment for competition

Mansfield, OH – Four Northwestern High School students (who have all taken College Credit Plus courses with North Central State College) are gearing up for the Ohio HOSA State Leadership Conference, where they will compete in the Anatomage Table competition. This event tests students’ knowledge and skills in human anatomy using the cutting-edge Anatomage Table, a 3D visualization tool designed for medical education.

At the Ohio HOSA State Leadership Conference, the students will compete in teams of four in a series of identification rounds that will progressively increase in difficulty. The competition not only challenges participants academically but also prepares them for potential future opportunities in health careers. Students who perform well in the state competition may even advance to the International Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in June.

HOSA, which stands for Health Occupations Students of America, is a student organization aimed at preparing future health professionals. The students are required to participate in various HOSA events, and they selected the Anatomage Table competition to showcase their anatomical knowledge and skills. Kelly McMillan, the students’ BioMed teacher, explained the significance of the event: “These are all members of HOSA, which is a career tech student organization. They have over 60 competitions for students to choose from, and this Anatomage event is a fun addition.”

The participants, Harmony, Jule, McKensie, and Alexandra, have been using the Anatomage table to practice for the upcoming competition. As part of their preparation, the students have been working together to identify various anatomical structures and understand the intricacies of the human body. For McKensie, the competition is a perfect fit for her interest in the biomedical pathway: “It’s an anatomy competition visualized on the table. We are all in the biomedical pathway, and if you’re in that pathway, you have to compete in HOSA. We chose the Anatomage event,” she explained.

Fellow student Alexandra echoed McKenzie’s sentiment, emphasizing the excitement and relevance of the competition: “I thought it would be something fun to do since everyone here has to do HOSA with the classes that we take at the high school.”

McMillan also mentioned that the team’s involvement in other HOSA events provides them with a well-rounded experience in health-related competitions. “These students are competing in medical reading, extemporaneous writing, health policy, and health career display,” McMillan said, referring to one of the students’ broad involvement in HOSA.

The Ohio HOSA Anatomage competition is just one of many events designed to immerse students in hands-on experiences that reinforce their academic knowledge. It is part of the larger mission of HOSA to develop the next generation of healthcare professionals through a blend of competition, collaboration, and real-world learning.

As the April conference date approaches, the team is ready to put their skills to the test. “We’ve put together a great team here,” McMillan said, highlighting the students’ dedication and preparation. For these future health professionals, the Anatomage Table competition is just the beginning of an exciting journey in the world of healthcare.