When Heath Scott walked across the stage as part of the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine's Class of 2023, he reflected on how he decided to enter the medical field.
And those reflections carried Scott back to his days at Russellville High School, his involvement in Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA, now known as Future Health Professionals) and his biology teacher, Mrs. Nicole Watts.
Scott and his fellow graduates had their commencement exercises May 12th at the Dothan Civic Center. Without Watts' encouragement and Scott's HOSA experience, last Friday's graduation, along with his Doctor of Osteopath degree, would never have happened.
“When I was in Mrs. Watts' biology class, I asked her the week before I joined HOSA is science something people really go into? She encouraged me to get involved in HOSA, which was taught by Mrs. Lavonda Sparks,” Scott said.
A 2011 graduate of Russellville High School, Scott is the son of Bryan and Melinda Scott and Beth Miller Scott of Russellville. He earned his Bachelor's of Science in Biology and his Master's Degree in Biology/Biological Science from Auburn University.
Scott's four semesters in HOSA afforded him the opportunity to intern at Russellville Hospital and with Russellville orthopedist Dr. Lloyd Dyas.
He will soon begin a residency at Louisiana State University Health-University Hospital in Lafayette, La.
Scott plans to practice either in internal medicine or enter into a fellowship in pulmonary critical care medicine. Scott has lived in Birmingham the past two years, doing his clerkship at St. Vincent's East Hospital, and he hopes to return to Birmingham after his residency.
Regardless of where Scott's medical career takes him, he'll always remember where it began—as a HOSA student in Russellville High School's Career Tech Program.
“I don't think I would have entered health care without HOSA. I probably would have gone into a scientific field. But Mrs. Sparks was fundamental in my career choice and I can't say enough about her,” Scott said.
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