Surgical technicians are an integral part of operating rooms and assist throughout operations. Their duties range from preparing surgical equipment and the patient to sterilizing the operating room. Many colleges in Pennsylvania offer programs in surgical technology.
Southern Pennsylvania
Harrisburg Area Community College, located in Harrisburg in southern Pennsylvania, emphasizes workforce skills and experience, and its surgical technology program leads to a career certificate with the option to earn an associate science degree. Students are taught theoretical knowledge of patient care and identify surgery team members. They are given extensive practical experience in a surgery setting and become employable as surgical technologists in hospitals and outpatient clinics.
Southeastern Pennsylvania
With four colleges offering surgical technology, the southeastern part of Pennsylvania provides plenty of choices. Close to Philadelphia, Lancaster is home to the General College of Nursing and Health Sciences, which offers a program to train students to become members of a surgical team. The program includes a mixture of theory and laboratory-based teaching. Students need a grade C or higher in human anatomy and physiology to enroll.
Northampton County Area Community College in Bethlehem offers a surgical technology program that emphasizes patient care and the psychological stress on patients and surgery teams.
Montgomery County Community College in Bluebell, north of Philadelphia, offers an associate of applied science degree and a surgical technology certificate. The program for each provides education for employment as an entry-level surgical technician.
The main campus of Delaware County Community College is in Media, west of Philadelphia. The college's program in surgical technology provides a select number of practical experiences in hospitals.
Central Pennsylvania
Central Pennsylvania's schools with surgical technology programs include Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport. Its program aims to prepare students for the national certification in surgical technology examination so they can seek employment or further education.
Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke offers a similar two-year degree program. A grade C in each course module is necessary in order to proceed to the next semester. The program offers practical clinical experience, which may be reserved for the most qualified students.
Southwestern Pennsylvania
The state's southwestern portion includes the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, which offers an associate's degree in surgical technology. While it provides students with the necessary experience, graduates are encouraged to earn a bachelor of science in health care. The surgical technology program teaches operating room techniques and pharmacology.
In nearby Pittsburgh, the Community College of Allegheny County offers an associate's degree in surgical technology. Places are limited in the program, and the college advises prospective students to take science in high school.
In suburban Cresson, Mount Aloysius College's surgical technology program is ranked among the top 10 such programs in the United States. The college has two on-campus mock operating rooms, allowing students a full clinical experience, and the college also runs a surgical technology club.
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