Third Year Medical Student Hannah Credits SD HOSA

Name of Alumnus
Hannah Meyer

When were you in HOSA?
My junior and senior year of high school (2017-2019)

Did you hold an officer position? If so, which one.
No

What chapter?
I was a part of both Sanford Health and CTE chapters during highschool.

Where do/did you go to college?
I attended the University of South Dakota

What is/was your major?
Neuroscience with a specialization in cognitive neuroscience and a minor in interdisciplinary sciences

What advice would you give HS students in HOSA today?
Enjoy the process, and take your time exploring all of your options. This is a great time to see what is all out there, and to start thinking about what you want your future to look like. Shadow anyone you can in careers you are interested in to get a feel for that job. Participate in the events, and have fun with it. Take some of the pressure off yourself, you don't need to know exactly what you want to do at this point, but having a general idea of the direction you want to go for your career is a great start.

How did HOSA help you get to where you are today?
HOSA was the beginning of my journey of finding my love for medicine and healthcare. HOSA introduced me to medicine, and gave me the confidence in myself to apply for scholarships and decide that I wanted to pursue medicine as a future career. The early exposure to medicine gave me a leg up over many of my classmates that hadn't had any experience with healthcare prior to college, because I knew what I wanted in my career early on. Because of HOSA, I applied for, and received the ASSP scholarship from USD allowing me to go into undergrad knowing that I had guaranteed acceptance to Sanford School of Medicine after I graduated. This alone, changed my life dramatically, and I'm forever grateful for the programs and people in my life at that time that helped me find this path.

What are you doing now?
I am currently in my third year of medical school at Sanford School of Medicine, and will graduate with my MD in May of 2026. Right now, I'm working on solidifying my specialty choice, and getting ready for residency applications in September.