Flanery Earns National Certification
The Surgical Technology Program at Ashland Community and Technical College is now accepting applications for the Spring 2011 class. The application deadline is October 1.
The program prepares students for the national certification exam and employment in the operating room, private or public hospitals and clinics. It has been rated one of the top 20 programs in the country by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology.
Surgical Technicians assist in preparing operating rooms for surgery, assist doctors during surgery by handing them needed instruments and counting sponges and needles before and after the operation, deliver specimens to hospital labs for analysis, and take patients to the recovery room following surgery.
The three-semester diploma program at the College Drive Campus includes basic sciences, surgical decorum and protocol, and technical skills for assisting surgeons in the operating room. Students learn on real operating room (OR) equipment, with hundreds of surgical instruments. They practice OR set-ups in class to get comfortable with procedures before going to clinicals at area hospitals.
Some graduates may also opt for an Associate in Applied Science General Occupational/ Technical Studies degree. The degree requires at least 15 additional hours of transferable general education.
The Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Committee on Allied Health Education. Program graduates take the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting certification exam which it provides a benchmark measurement of the knowledge acquired by students - and the knowledge needed for success in the field.
"The program requires a lot of study," said Jacqueline Cavins, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, "but it pays off because our graduates have a higher than average pass rate on the national certification exam.
Graduates work in health facilities throughout the region. "I regularly get calls from hospitals in the Tri-State seeking surgical technicians," Cavins said. "Many of our students have job offers before they graduate, and quite a few of those jobs are at the hospitals that serve as clinical sites," according to Cavins.
Current student Robin Tomaselli already has a job as a scrub tech at St. Claire Medical Center in Morehead, "with the understanding that I will graduate from the program in December," she said. A Grayson resident, she came back to school because "it was time for me to get my education."
"I had some fear about coming back to school, and wondered if I was smart enough for college," she said, "but I found that if you're dedicated and willing to put in a lot of study time, anything is possible. If I can go to college, take care of four children and work at the same time, other people can too."
"This is exactly what I want to do," Tomaselli said. She has worked in a doctors office and wanted a career in a medical field. "I've found something that I want to do, and its rewarding for me and for my family. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this program, and this college, to others."
Surgical Technology is a selective admissions program. Applications are available in Admissions Offices at the College Drive and Technology Drive Campuses.
Applicants must submit an ACTC application, Surgical Technology program application, scores from the ACT or COMPASS test, and transcripts from other colleges attended.
Completed applications may be mailed or returned to an Admissions Office. Application materials received after March 1 will not be considered for admission into the Spring 2011 class.
For more information, contact Professor Cavins, (606) 326-2006 or Jennifer Carroll, Dean of Allied Health Programs, 606-326-2426.
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