How To Choose The Best Surgical Technologist Schools
Finding good surgical technologist schools is a key factor if you want to build a career as an allied health professional specializing in operating room assistance. The first criteria in your choice of surgical tech schools in accreditation. You want the school that meets industry standard and that can ensure you will at least qualify and be ready for the licensure exam.
Prepare yourself
But before embarking on a search for a school, you need be sure of three things:
1. You have read up on what a surgical technician or scrub tech does and the kind of environment he works in. It would be good to interview or talk to someone currently practicing the profession so you get a fairly accurate idea of the responsibilities and experience gained from the job. Read forums on the internet to get a better insight.
2. How fast do you want to begin working? There are diploma programs and there are associate degree programs that differ in the length and extent of education and training it will provide students. A diploma course can run from 9 months to a year. You will have the basics, including practicals, but you can often benefit more from a degree program especially in terms of hands on experience. Surgical technologist schools are often community or trade schools but are colleges and universities have also been offering their own programs.
3. You cannot be faint of heart if you want to pursue this field. As an assistant to the surgeon and OR nurse, you will still be present during the entire procedure. Your training program will teach you what to expect, but it is an entirely different experience during actual procedures. You must be able to stand seeing a lot of blood, yet remain alert and focused on what you will be asked to do.
Accreditation and tuition
So as not to waste your time and resources, be sure you are enrolling with an accredited program. Whether you choose a 9 month program or two-year associate degree program, a campus or online education, what counts is the recognition of either the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools. This way, you graduate qualified to take the licensure exams, passage of which will grant you the certification for surgical technician.
Surgical technologist schools will vary in the tuition fees. Your choice of institution will determine how much it will cost you to get the training and education you need.
Public colleges can charge you as low as $1,800 to $2,500. Tuition fees in trade schools can reach $10,000 while private colleges can go as high as $22,000. Paying more does not necessarily guarantee you will emerge the best. Your dedication, willingness to learn and perseverance are still the key factors to your success.
Salary and perks
It takes a lot of training and experience to gain the confidence needed to become a reliable scrub tech. It's almost like studying to become a surgeon except that you don't actually perform the procedure. For your efforts, the average salary of surgical technicians is $13 per hour. However, with expertise and specialization, you can earn as much as $26 per hour.
If you're certified, you can earn $5 more than your non-certified counterpart. It's not uncommon to hear of scrub techs making $18 to $19.50 per hour.
Surgical technologists can have very flexible schedules. They usually work regular hours, with weekends and holidays off. They may be working 12 hour shifts or three-hour shifts, depending on the load of the operating room.
So if you're sure this is the career for you, begin your search for reputable surgical technology schools.
