AARC Members Network with Health Occupations Students at HOSA

July 17, 2007

The respiratory care profession was ably represented at the recent Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) meeting in Orlando, FL, by a group led by AARC member Jeffery Ludy, EdD, RRT, program director of cardiopulmonary sciences at the University of Central Florida.

Along with Melanie McDonough, MSHS, RRT, the program’s director of clinical education, and six senior students—Alisha Augustine, Bruno Giannella, Antonio Vicens, Sejal Patel, Sheri Lorenzo, and Anais Gomez—Dr. Ludy staffed the AARC booth, handing out information to students and health education teachers who gathered for the bi-annual conference.

“The event itself was interesting to watch as so many students and their instructors from all over the U.S. were busy at educational events and health-centered competitions similar to our Sputum Bowl,” reports Dr. Ludy. “The kids seemed to have an endless amount of energy.”

Teachers who came by the booth were particularly interested in handouts on pulmonary diseases, continues the educator. “The materials dealing with pulmonary disease were very popular because these teachers were looking for new stuff to support their existing in-class teaching,” he says.

The group had lots of fun give-aways on hand as well, which were a hit with the crowd. The fans and pencils were especially popular, Dr. Ludy reports.

The HOSA meeting provided a great opportunity to raise awareness of the profession among students already interested in health careers, and most especially, among their instructors, who have the ability to promote the profession all year long during classroom instruction.

Many of the teachers who came by the AARC booth, for example, were unaware of the profession, says Dr. Ludy, and came away with lots of great information about the field and its career potential for their students.