November 20, 2017

Surgical Technologist Training

Information Regarding Surgical Technologist Training

Surgical Technologist training can be accomplished in one of several different ways. In some areas, you can still acquire the necessary training by working and learning in a hospital, although that form of training continues to become harder to find each year. You can also go into this industry by attending a community college for at least two years, and taking classes for at least two years. Alternatively, you could also learn your craft by going to an Allied Health training school or even a technical school in some states.

Surgical technology is not the career plan for a squeamish person, but will result in a good living for you and your family. We are in demand, I would not want to see a surgeon trying to do his or her job without us there to make everything ready for them. Whereas I could never do their job, I have seen enough blood and guts over the last decade to have a much better appreciation and understanding of the human body then I did when I finished school. That means that if you are someone who is easily flustered by the sight of blood, you might want to look into another line of work.

What to Expect if You Get Your Training at a Hospital

At a hospital, you will be asked to participate in a set of classes that coincide with your physical training. This means that roughly, you can expect to be learning and practicing your new knowledge about forty hours a week, although in some cases, part time may be available as well. I’ll be honest, in a decade of working in the medical field, to the best of my knowledge, I have worked with only person who had gotten her training in this way. It’s probably the least expensive way of learning, but it’s almost unheard of now.

The Community College Experience

At community college, you have two different ways of finishing your Surgical Technologist training. If you will be earning an Associate’s degree, you will spend at least two years in school. Just as with any other degree you get from a community or junior college, you’ll have to take your core classes, like History, English, and math. In addition to that, you’ll be required to take Medical terminology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Biology. This is the route that I chose to start my career.

Another option that you have at a two year college is to earn a certificate to be a surgical tech. This will require you to spend less time in school, but your role in the medical setting after graduation might be limited. If so, you will spend less then 18 months in school, and will not have to take some of the same pre-requisites. Although you have the potential to earn a paycheck faster, it could easily take you longer to be promoted or even to get hired. The fact of the matter is that if you have a certificate, someone else has a degree, and you’re both going for the same job after graduation, you will have to work a lot harder to get that job.

An Allied Health School

At an allied health school or college, you will have much the same experience as if you were attending a community college. Becoming a surgical technician at this type of facility means that you will probably be in a smaller class, but you might pay more for your education than at a public college.

Many people that I have worked with over the years have reported that their experiences at an allied health school allowed them to mingle and learn with other students in medical training programs, so the concept of “networking” was always there, much more so then in other types of schools. It’s also my understanding that because these schools are exclusively devoted to the medical field, they are usually able to admit students at times of the years other then the traditional semesters that are favored by most colleges.

Technical Schools

Technical Colleges are very similar to other schools. However, the most common requirement allows for six semesters, which includes the training hours that are necessary. One nice part of a few of the technical schools is the availability of student housing, for both traditional and non-traditional students.

As a result, some married students, single parents, and older students have the opportunity to get their surgical technologist training at a technical school, when it would be much more difficult to do so at other schools.

I have the comfort of knowing that what I do every day at work is important. Without a technician to help in the operating room, medical costs would be higher, because nurses ( who are paid a lot more hour then I am) would have to do my job. Some people have to put off the surgery that they need each year, because they can’t afford it. If costs were even higher, more people would do without the medical care that they need, and people would suffer. I will never be independently wealthy as the result of my work, but I love what I do, and I invite you to join me if you like what you see so far.