From November 20th to November 21st, 36 North students attended the NYS HOSA Fall Leadership Conference (FLC) in Albany. It was an engaging, and interactive experience for students excited to join the medical field in the future. Prior to the conference, students took the HOSA Achievement Test on November 12th which allowed them to become potential candidates for the HOSA Achievement Award.
The fun-filled weekend started on Friday when students took the 2-hour road trip upstate to Albany. On the first day students got to know the NYS HOSA officers and the State Advisor, Dr. Margaret Savitzky, and participated in team-building activities throughout the night. Among the activities, students made cards for nursing home residents and played medicine Kahoot. The second step to the HOSA Achievement Award was reciting the creed from memory to one of the state officers. Almost all of the attendees received both the certificate and the pin that signified their outstanding knowledge of the New York State HOSA organization, their commitment to the HOSA mission, and their attendance at the leadership conference.
When asked about the creed recitation, Jasmin Paul (class of 2028) exclaimed that “reciting the creed was really nerve-wracking.” She said, “the moment she locked eyes with the state officer, she had trouble remembering, but she was able to say it after practicing and was very relieved to have achieved the award.”
First image of the Nasal Naloxone Administration session. Second image from left to right: Bryan Rizkalla’27, Dylan Konefal’27, Alexander Poulos’27
Image courtesy of Leya Joseph’27 and Riya Jose’27, respectively.
When asked about his personal experience at the HOSA FLC, Christian Konefal (class of 2027), the HOSA Historian, said, “I thought that the conference was fun with really engaging activities.” He added, “my favorite part of the conference was receiving the Achievement Award. It made me glad that I am a part of such a transformative organization.”
On the second day, students had the opportunity to visit the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. After the session about nasal naloxone administration, students learned about monitoring blood sugar for diabetic patients using a blood glucose monitoring kit. Then students participated in a case study where they learned about the specific microorganisms that play a role in common diseases. Afterwards, students had a crash course about the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. With that, HOSA FLC came to a close. Students are now excited for the Spring Leadership Conference during March in Syracuse, where the competition will take place.
