Saturday, 15 June 2013

Surgical Technologist: Making The Right Decisions

By Stacey Desantiago


Surgical procedures must always be conducted in a sterile and in the safest environment possible for the patient, and surgeons and other health care providers work alongside surgical technicians to ensure that everything goes well during surgery. If you are looking to become a surgical technician, you will need to receive proper training and education, and surgical technician schools are among the best places you get one.

The duties and responsibilities of a surgical technician require both sharp technical skills and exceptional proficiency since people's lives are involved. This is where surgical technician schools can help by providing students with education and training to prepare them for such vital tasks. You can expect to study basic courses such as chemistry, biology, anatomy and medical terminologies, as well as advanced medical courses such as surgical anatomy, microbiology, pharmacology, and surgical assisting training.

Surgical technician schools generally have some prerequisites such as high school diploma or a GED equivalent before accepting any applicants. Some may require applicants to have a background in subjects such as Science, Mathematics and English, while some require successful completion of an entrance exam. It is highly recommended that you visit the school or their website to receive further details on their admission requirements.

There are basically 3 surgical assisting programs offered by surgical technician schools - these are certificate, diploma, and associate's degree programs. Certificate programs are a fast lane towards becoming a surgical technician as it only takes 6 months to complete. Diploma programs take a little longer to complete at 12 months, but offers more advanced training. Associate's degree programs are more comprehensive and in-depth, and offers better employment opportunities, but will take 2 years to complete.

In your search for surgical technician schools, you must consider important factors such as tuition fees, school location, class schedules, reputation of the school, quality of instruction, and the programs they offer. You might want to check with the Commission on Accreditation on Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) for a list of schools which have accredited surgical technician programs as this is a good indication of their instruction quality.

Once you complete your surgical assisting training program, the next step for you is to receive certification by passing a certification exam issued by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). Besides providing you with surgical assisting instruction and training, surgical technician schools can also help prepare you for the certification exam.




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