By Hannah Lee
ROGERS, ARK. — Marlies Dolan, a current freshman at Haas Hall Academy Rogers, recently claimed second place at HOSA’s International Leadership Conference after showcasing her skills in life-threatening situations.
HOSA (Healthcare Occupations Students of America) is an international student organization that teaches essential skills to future healthcare professionals. At a HOSA event, there are two rounds to each competition.
Before an event, participants must independently study and prepare for an event. Ashley Sanders, the HOSA advisor, has experienced this firsthand.
“Scholars prepare for HOSA events by studying materials related to that event. There are books, online articles, Quizlet flashcards, and other materials that can be used to study the material,” Sanders explained.
According to the guidelines published by HOSA, the initial round involves a multiple-choice test that covers topics of the chosen event. Dolan explained that questions for life-threatening situations covered basic emergency and medical facts. The results from this round are used to qualify the competitors for the second round.
“I was nervous,” Dolan said, “I was worried I would screw something up and not make it to the second round.”
The second round is a practical exam where each participant is presented with a written scenario and must perform certain skills. HOSA publishes all possible skills ahead of time. In life-threatening situations, each participant had to be prepared to perform any of the four skills in response to a given scenario.
At the International Leadership Conference, Dolan faced a scenario involving a tornado at her high school.
“There was a lady and she had a fake wound on her arm, and I had to put a tourniquet on and put her in the recovery position. And then I had to call 911. I had gloves on, and I had to take them off properly then wash my hands,” Dolan explained.
Dolan’s experience extended further than basic medical facts, including approaches to treatment and valuable life lessons. Additionally, she attended workshops that taught the misconceptions of college and how to become unbreakable.
Dolan has not only learned new information and skills for herself, but has also aided HOSA as a club member.
“Marlies is a very intelligent scholar. She offers many good insights and opinions during meetings,” Sanders stated.
Reflecting on the past year, Dolan was happy with her decision to join and compete in HOSA. Her past and future includes medicine.
“I just wanted to further explore medicine to see if it was something I was interested in,” Dolan explained. “I’ve just always been interested in medicine. I was the kid that always wanted a band-aid and my stethoscope.”
