HOSA stands for Health Occupations Students of America. Although we are affiliated with National HOSA, you may find that the structure and the mission of our particular organization (University of Texas HOSA) may differ. Our mission, as we define it, is to provide a forum for the discussion of health issues, aid students in preparing for medical school, provide a social environment in which pre-health students can meet other pre-health students, and give our members the opportunity to give back to the community in the form of volunteer activities.

There are a plethora of health organizations at The University of Texas at Austin. HOSA differs from these organizations in that we are not restrictive in our membership. Many organizations cater to a particular ethnic group or specific health profession. HOSA, on the other hand, is open to students of any ethnic group or those interested in any health profession (not just Pre-Med students). Our organization places emphasis on being a very personal and close-knit group. We try to avoid the impersonal atmosphere of a large organization with stringent requirements. 

In addition, we usually have speakers at every meeting including surgeons, physical therapists, pharmacists, family doctors, internists and a variety of other specialists. We feel that it is very important to have extensive exposure to the medical environment and those associated with it so as to make an informed decision about entering the medical field.

In order to get our members involved, we have established several committees including scrapbook, advertising/PR, volunteering, and fundraising.

Dues: $55 for the entire school year or $35 per semester. A free HOSA T-shirt is included. If you have not yet paid your dues it is not too late to join. Email aguajardo@mail.utexas.edu for more information.

What about the Kaplan Scholarship?

As a HOSA member, you automatically get access to one free practice MCAT per semester.

Also, you automatically get $100 off if you sign up for the Princeton Review MCAT course. In order to be eligible for this, you need to have paid your dues by the third meeting (October 9th).

However, the real prize is that at the end of the semester we have a drawing for one full and two half-off scholarships to the Kaplan MCAT course (that's a $1600 and $800 value!). All you have to do is meet the requirements for being an active member: attend four meetings, 8 hours of volunteer events, two social events, and one football fundraiser plus one other small fundraiser. Because we are a small organization, you have a pretty good chance of winning.