Health care professionals are enjoying above average expansion and hiring rates despite our bottoming economy. There’s really never been a better time to transition into a health care career than now, since so many industries are cutting back and laying off workers while the medical field suffers a shortage of them. Health care jobs exist for every type of worker, and range from clerical or administrative duties to assisting doctors during complex operations. You don’t have to spend years at top surgical technician schools to obtain a career as a surgery tech either.
Because US department of labor stats predict a shortage in the field and predict hiring to increase 25% between 2010 and 2018, many surgical technician training programs can be completed in just 9 to 24 months and only require a High School diploma or a GED to enroll. Though the top surgical tech schools usually offer Health Information Technology degrees that are dynamic to many health care industries, specialized training and certification is all it takes for qualified job placement.
Surgical Technician Careers
If you’re pursuing the top surgical technician schools, you should know that surgical techs can expect an average salary of 38-46 thousand dollars per year. Surgical techs will usually make this working in hospitals, but other venues are possible as well. Just over 70 percent of surgical technicians work out of hospitals according to 2008 US Department of Labor stats, but 30 percent work in other places such as specialty clinics and even dental offices, giving the field a bit of variety.
Surgical technician career duties consist mostly of prepping surgery tables and instruments for doctors and assisting the surgeon by sterilizing and organizing surgical instruments. But the career encompasses much more, as techs are responsible for performing basic life-sustaining procedures to keep patients alive as well. It’s not uncommon for top surgical technician schools and programs to train practices like keeping patient airwaves open and ensuring blood is circulating properly. Some surgical technicians can work in multiple hospital locations or even in specialty transplant teams outside of hospitals.
Others can earn higher surgical assistant salary rates by managing other technicians within a hospital or clinic. Some surgical technicians can graduate into higher than average salaries by transitioning into administrative work for insurance companies, hospital or clinic billing industries that seek the expertise of surgery practitioners.
Top Surgical Technician Schools and Certifications
The top surgical technician schools can be as quick as 9-24 months when specialized in vocational schools or online programs. Many surgical technician programs cover general education courses like anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and other special areas of study first. Surgical equipment and specialized machinery is introduced later in the curriculum and hands-on training becomes the bulk area of study. Top surgical technician schools have relationships with hospitals and clinics and devote the bulk of their later schedules to externships and clinical work so students gain real life experience and qualification before focusing on career placement services after graduation.