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Even though the surgeon gets all the credit for a successful surgery, the life of a patient depends in a very large part on the diligence and competence of the surgical technologist. Surgical technologists, sometime referred to as surgical technicians (surgery techs or surgical techs for short), are valuable members of every team whose primary duty is to assist surgeons in the operating room (OR) during surgery. Surgical techs must possess cool heads, quick minds and iron stomachs. Their duties include prepping and sterilizing the OR for surgery, transporting patients to and from the OR, passing instruments to the attending surgeon, retracting the patient's tissues and suturing incisions. Because contamination in the OR could be life-threatening for the patient on the table, the importance of the surgical tech cannot be underestimated.  Neither the job itself nor the road to becoming a surgical tech is easy. It takes training, perseverance and dedication to learn and perform the job. However, the rewards are worth it. Currently, for every hard-working surgical technologist, there are five surgical tech job openings. In addition, surgical technologists are earning higher salaries than ever before, with median incomes in 2007 nearly $4,000 higher than in 2004. Surgical Technologist Job Description Now is the ideal time to consider a career as a surgical tech. Demand for these professionals is projected to skyrocket through the year 2014 and beyond, according to the US Department of Labor. Find out more about the duties of a surgical tech, the environments in which they work, and further info about job growth potential. Continue reading the surgical technician job description... Surgical Technologist Salary Three-quarters of surgical technologists work in hospitals, but where are they commanding the highest salaries? Learn how to boost your earning potential. Continue reading about surgical tech salaries... Surgical Technologist Certification According to the Association of Surgical Technologists, most employers prefer to hire certified surgical technologists over their non-certified peers. Certification involves graduating from a 2-year accredited degree program and passing a multiple-choice certification exam. In most accredited surgical technology programs, students receive a combination of academic and hands-on education. Programs often include courses in anatomy, medical terminology and sterilization techniques, as well as hands-on learning experiences, including internships and supervised clinical training. Continue reading about surgical tech certification... Find Surgical Tech Schools |
Surgical Tech Articles Surgical Techs vs. Surgical Assistants The titles of surgical technologist and surgical assistant are often used interchangeably. While the professions are similar in some respects, there are numerous differences that separate them. Continue reading about surgical techs and surgical assistants... Surviving Surgery—4 Phases of a Surgical Technologist Every job has its good and bad days, but a bad day in the OR can often turn into a life-or-death emergency. Find out if you have what it takes to work in the OR and how other surgical techs have reacted when things have gone terribly wrong. Continue reading the surgery tech article... Surgical Tech Career Planning 10 Tips for Surgical Techs Get professional advice on how to succeed as a surgical technologist, including how to find scholarships for surgical tech programs, looking beyond the OR for a lucrative surgical tech career, and other career advancement possibilities. Continue reading the top 10 surgical technologist tips... Surgical Technologist DataLook at the data chart for salary, job growth, and degree time and cost. Judge for yourself before investing time and money into your new career. Continue to surgical technologist data charts... |
