Surgical Technology Progam marks 40 years with reception, open houses

To mark 40 years of providing quality training for the area's surgical technologist workforce, the Parkland College Surgical Technology Program will host a reception on Wednesday, September 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Gallery Lounge.

This free event is being held during National Surgical Technology Week; the college will thus follow the reception with Surgical Technology Open Houses on Thursday, September 22 and Friday, September 23, from 10 a.m. to noon in Room L143. During the open houses, surgical tech students will don gowns and related apparel, participating in a mock operating room display and using basic skills they have acquired. The program director will be present to answer questions.

The Surgical Technology Program at Parkland College has been recognized as one of the top 20 elite programs in the nation, based on examination scores of the graduates. "The program benefits from the support of numerous hospitals in the area, providing students with exposure to expert surgical procedures," said program director Carolyn Ragsdale. "The operating room staffs and surgeons mentor our students to independence and excellence during clinical rotations."

The only formally trained students prepared to work in the operating room upon graduation, certified surgical technologists (CST) are responsible for providing an optimal surgical environment for the patient. Primarily, in the scrub role, technologists function in a sterile capacity during the surgical procedure but may also perform certain nonsterile duties throughout the day.

There is a serious shortage of qualified surgical technologists; employment opportunities in this career field are excellent. The average salary for surgical technologists in Illinois is $18.88 per hour or approximately $39,000 per year, according to national data. The career is also a great

pathway into surgical nursing; once employed as a surgical technologist, tuition waivers may be available to pursue nursing.

National Surgical Technologist Week 2011, September 18-24, is sponsored by the Association of Surgical Technologists.