Future Pinecrest health care professionals are getting an early start on their prospective profession because of Palmetto Middle School’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) club.

Palmetto’s HOSA club consists of 35 students who meet once a month and work on first aid skills, community services, and preparing for competitions in different career health events with other local, state and national HOSA clubs.

In January, six of Palmetto’s students competed in the regional health career events at Miami Lakes Technical Center, and in March, three of them won gold medals for finishing in first place for their events.

Max Nankin, Lisa Brenner and Jessica Marin each received a gold medal. Nankin won first place in medical terminology and employable skills, while Brenner and Marin each received gold medals for their health career displays.

"Most of my students are aspiring to be in the health profession, so this is a good way to introduce them to the profession," Instructor Joyce Brislawn said.

Brislawn, a former dental assistant and current president of the Miami-Dade Dental Assistant Society, is teaching full-time for the first time in her career.

"It was scary to change my whole career, but it’s like being reborn again," Brislawn said.

Brislawn and the school’s nurse, Karen Henry, run the after school club meetings, which consist of practicing for competition, listening to guest speakers, taking blood pressure, getting informed on health careers, learning CPR, and learning employable skills.

"The club has been a good experience for me," said Nankin, who aspires to be a doctor someday. "I really didn’t expect to win two out of two events at the competition, but all of us practiced very hard for it."

The three gold medal winners from Palmetto’s HOSA club will compete in the state championships in Fort Myers later this month.

Students in Palmetto’s HOSA club use computer programs and donated medical items such as a hospital bed, wheelchair, crutches, latex gloves and first aid supplies in order to practice for their competitions. They are currently trying to raise enough money to purchase a CPR Mannequin.

To learn more about Palmetto Middle School’s HOSA club, or if you would like to assist them with donations, contact Joyce Brislawn at 305-238-3911 x239.

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