Mentorship Programs


One of the best resources South Dakota HOSA offers its members is its mentoring program. The program is designed to pair a health professions student with a HOSA member. There are over nine disciplines represented in our mentorship program.

As SD HOSA evolves, it continues to meet the needs of its membership. The University of South Dakota Sanford School Health Sciences and School of Medicine offer a South Dakota HOSA R.E.A.C.H. Mentoring Program that aims to provide health career awareness and academic guidance to high school HOSA members by utilizing health science students at the University of South Dakota to help HOSA students develop their full potential; capable of making informed, responsible decisions involving their academic and career future. Scroll down to apply.

In 2020, the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society and South Dakota HOSA formed a partnership in which medical students aimed to become mentors for HOSA students. In our initial pilot, we were able to match 40 medical students with 40 HOSA students.

There was demand for more, so in 2021, we offered the mentorship opportunity via the University of South Dakota School of Health Sciences.

This year we are combining them; offering mentors in the following health science programs: Medicine, Physical Therapy, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant, Social Work, Public Health, Medical Lab Science, Addiction Counseling/Prevention, and Dental Hygiene.

If you want to participate in the program click on the the application below:

The following are the aims of the REACH Mentoring Program:

  • Relationships- REACH aims to establish and build peer relationships among students with similar interests.
  • Engagement- REACH aims to plan and develop a purposeful mentorship by getting the participants engaged.
  • Awareness- REACH aims to provide for each mentee with an awareness of medical careers and academic pathways.
  • Collaboration- REACH aims to provide opportunities for collaboration so that each mentor and mentee will benefit.
  • Help- REACH aims to offer help to high school students regardless of race, religion, gender, or creed.