HOSA Career Knowledge Test and Competitive Event

Study guides and resources to share with pre-med students

Three HOSA competitors standing under a sign reading AAFP Family Medicine Career Test.

Help students prepare for the upcoming career test or competitive event.

If you advise students who want to become a doctor trained in the only specialty that cares for patients from birth to the end of life, you want them to know about family medicine. The AAFP has worked with HOSA (formerly Health Occupations Students of America, but now known simply as HOSA) to bring you and your students this collection of videos and articles that cover the basics of medicine's most limitless specialty.

Whether they’re preparing for the AAFP Family Medicine Career Test or aiming to excel in the AAFP Family Medicine Physician Competitive Event, students will find everything they need right here.

The AAFP Family Medicine Career Test

The AAFP Family Medicine Career Test motivates aspiring doctors to learn about the opportunities that the specialty of family medicine offers.

The Family Medicine Career Test is a 50-item multiple choice written exam (plus a tie-breaker essay question) that tests knowledge in a variety of areas.

  • Primary care medicine and the medical specialties involved (20%)

  • The scope of clinical practice of family medicine (20%)

  • Family medicine career settings (14%)

  • Lifestyle of family physicians (14%)

  • The educational path to a career in family medicine (14%)

  • The importance of primary care & its contributions to health outcomes (8%)

  • The impact of innovations in healthcare on primary care (6%)

  • The AAFP’s role in supporting the family medicine profession (4%)

The AAFP has compiled videos, articles and quick-reference tables specifically for HOSA secondary and postsecondary/collegiate members preparing for the career test. These resources were used to develop the exam—so they’re your ultimate study guide.

What to watch:

"What is Family Medicine?"

"How 2020 Changed Fam Med Forever"

What to read:

Career options in family medicine

What does a doctor who's trained to do everything do for work? This article summarizes some common career paths.

Lifestyle and income in family medicine

Some of the benefits of family medicine careers are high career satisfaction, increasing salaries and flexibility in career choice.

Training requirements for family medicine

Every family physician completes at least three years of residency training, but there are several longer-term options and fellowship opportunities as well.

Choosing a medical specialty

There's a lot that goes into specialty choice once you're a medical student. Luckily, there are many ways to explore career paths early in on in training.

Primary Care in the United States: A Chartbook of Facts and Statistics

While it's a daunting task for a chartbook to paint a complete portrait of a domain as broad as primary care, readers will find the array of facts and figures collected to be helpful in understanding primary care, well-established as the ‘central’ and ‘essential’ feature of any robust health system.

More self-study resources:

Articles from the AAFP






Articles from other sources

Consult the official National Geographic Learning Academic Testing Center (NGL ATC)-AAFP-sponsored event guidelines for a complete overview of the Family Medicine Career Test.

The AAFP Family Medicine Physician Competitive Event

The AAFP Family Medicine Physician Competitive Event challenges students to showcase their knowledge and creativity through a dynamic presentation about family medicine.

This event isn’t just about memorizing facts—it’s about telling a story and demonstrating why this specialty matters. Students will research, connect with professionals and craft a presentation that reflects their understanding of the field and its impact on health care.

  • The demand and occupational outlook for family physicians
  • The educational journey and career options in family medicine
  • Career, lifestyle and financial considerations
  • The importance of primary care and preventive medicine in achieving health equity
  • The personal story of a family medicine physician or medical student
  • Your own perspective: Is family medicine right for you?

Explore the curated videos, articles and resources below—each selected to help you meet the event’s learning objectives.

Videos and social media


Data


Further information

Consult the official AAFP-sponsored event guidelines for a complete overview of the Family Medicine Physician Competitive Event.

Complete this form to connect with a family physician or a medical student in your area.

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