Jun. 21, 2025
South College welcomed top high school and collegiate competitors from around the globe to its Nashville campus for skills competitions as part of the 2025 HOSA-Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference held June 18-21.
Student competitors were challenged to exhibit practical skills in Clinical Nursing, Sports Medicine, Medical Assisting, Dental Science, and Nursing Assisting. During the two-day skills assessment at the Nashville campus, approximately 150 students demonstrated tasks for judges in each category, from obtaining and recording patient health history to sterile gloving and taping an injured ankle.
“We’re proud to host this competition and showcase the clinical capabilities of our modern campus that help prepare the next generation of healthcare providers,” said Nick South, campus president for South College Nashville. “These partnerships allow us to offer students opportunities to explore a potential future in healthcare and get a glimpse of what that education and profession may entail.”
The 48th International Leadership Conference in Nashville included more than 13,000 health and biomedical HOSA advisors and student members for the healthcare-focused competition, workshops, and expo that took place at both the South College campus and the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.
“At HOSA we are working to prepare a pipeline for young people to overcome the expected shortage in global healthcare providers,” HOSA Interim Executive Director Karen Koeninger said. “Projections indicate that by 2040 we’ll need more than a million new healthcare providers to combat a staffing shortage among physicians, nurses, counselors, dentists, pharmacists, and therapists.”
The first round of the competition included a written assessment, with the top scorers advancing to the skills demonstrations. The conference culminated with a formal ceremony to announce student winners and scholarship awards.
The high school and collegiate finalists advanced through a series of regional and/or state evaluations to participate in the international competition. The event included more than 12,000 students from 49 states and as far away as China.
The 2026 conference will take place in Indianapolis, where South College also has a campus, which could be the site of the skills assessment competition next year.
“We always look for high-quality facilities like South College where our student competitors can demonstrate practical skills in clinical settings and modern labs,” Karen Koeninger said.
South College Nashville opened in 2017. The campus is located at 616 Marriott Drive, near Interstate 40, and features classrooms, laboratories and other conveniences for students and faculty, including a Barnes & Noble bookstore, and large student centers. The institution offers a variety of programs and concentrations in the areas of dental, business, healthcare, education, legal studies, technology and more.
For more information about South College Nashville, visit south.edu/location/nashville.
About South College
South College serves more than 15,000 students and is proud of its more than 20,000 graduates. The institution offers academic programs at multiple levels, including professional certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degree programs via campuses in Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee; Asheville, North Carolina; Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia; Indianapolis, Indiana; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Dallas, Texas; and Orlando, Florida, as well as Online and CBE. South College focuses on ensuring high standards and quality educational offerings, maintaining multiple authorizations and accreditations.
South College’s programs span diverse fields such as business, criminal justice, dental hygiene/assisting, diagnostic medical sonography, nursing, occupational therapy, paralegal studies, physical therapy, radiography, respiratory therapy, physician assistant studies, pharmacy and surgical technology. The institution is dedicated to preparing students with the skills and knowledge needed for the professional opportunities ahead of them. For more information, visit south.edu.
About HOSA Future Health Professionals
HOSA is a global student-led organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to empower HOSA-Future Health Professionals to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration and experience. HOSA actively promotes career opportunities in the health industry to enhance the delivery of quality healthcare to all people. Since its inception in 1976, HOSA has grown to over 320,000 members across the world, including the United States, Canada, China and American Samoa. Learn more about HOSA at hosa.org.
