The contests are part of the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) career conference involving 17 O'ahu and Neighbor Island high schools and post-secondary schools.

Students are taking part in 24 health career development events that test their knowledge and skills in areas such as CPR/first aid, medical terminology, community health awareness and nutrition.

A total of 275 students will be competing at the state HOSA event earn the chance to represent Hawai'i at the National HOSA Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla., in June.

The conference is sponsored by the state Department of Education, University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine and Hawaii Pacific Health Corp.

This is the second year that HOSA has been active in the state. Since then, it has grown to become the largest Career and Technical Service Organization in Hawai'i.

This national student organization provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation and recognition exclusively for secondary and post-secondary students pursuing careers in the health and medical professions.

The UH Medical School's Hawaii/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center is an active sponsor of HOSA as part of its mission to "grow our own healers." AHEC encourages and supports students who seek to join the healthcare workforce in Hawai'i.

Hawaii Pacific Health Corp. is also a HOSA partner, and has provided travel support for the winning CPR/First Aid team to attend the national HOSA conference.