Surg Tech schools

jelordelvn in Cathedral City, California said: hi my name is jon, been an lvn for 2 years and am going for my rn. i am interested being an RNFA but the problem is that i need 2000+ hours to get CNOR certified and then get my RNFA. my question is, if i become a surgical tech as well as my RN, would my hours working as a surgical tech fulfill the hours needed to become CNOR certified? also, if i do work as a surgical tech/rn will i get my rn wage or surgical tech wage? any info will help. thanks

you will get rn wages and still be able to scrub cases. i wk in the or and my circ nurses are able to scrub cases as well go as far as you can and don't worry your pay will increase with the letters behind your name

Angel, Huntington Beach CA in Los Angeles, California said: But its not offered at community colleges here in CA. I just checked another school American Career College. That one is 12months and costs $21,075.00. I still dont know how fast I could recoupe that money. Nobody from this site know how much surg tech make in CA.?

not sure how far you got in a the school issue, but i hope you are doing something and your age thats ok i know a nurse who went back to school in the 40's to become what he is now a RN!!! and if you r still looking for a school rop in anaheim check that out it might help u

i'm looking into the Surg tech. program and not sure what school would be the best here in los angeles anybody know?
community college help pls

I'm attending Career College of America in Los Angeles located on La Cienga. I needed an evening program. The school is accredited and on the list of schools with AST.

Karen in Los Angeles, California said: I'm also interested in this field. Did you receive any response to your question regarding an accredited school in Southern CA. I saw one in Orange County (CNI), if I recall correctly and the other was American Career College. Please let me know what you have found out. Thanks!

Roxanne, sorry for the late reply. I did check out and now attending Career College of America. Their program is accredited and they were on the list on AST. Started in December...classes begin again tonight!!! This is not easy, especially since I also work during the day. If anyone has any advice, please send me an e-mail. Averaging a "B" so far.

how much does a scrub tech make an hour?

It really depends where you live. Here in TN we start out around $15.00 an hour.

tahleetha in Stillwater, Oklahoma said: how much does a scrub tech make an hour?[/QUOTE I am a surgical tech Instructor in Drumright Oklahoma. Last years class average on pay was 13.50/hr. If you need further information on this program which is extremely close to Stillwater contact Central Technology Center In Drumright oklahoma ask for Joni.

lisa in Portland, Oregon said: you will get rn wages and still be able to scrub cases. i wk in the or and my circ nurses are able to scrub cases as well go as far as you can and don't worry your pay will increase with the letters behind your name

you will get your rn wages, well at least thats what my co-workers as rns get their wages as rns, but why would you want to become a surg tech??? get into the or as a circ and then ask if you can learn how to scrub

lisa in Portland, Oregon said: not sure how far you got in a the school issue, but i hope you are doing something and your age thats ok i know a nurse who went back to school in the 40's to become what he is now a RN!!! and if you r still looking for a school rop in anaheim check that out it might help u

at least fresh out of school when i started work as a ob tech i made 16.50 in 2003, and that was in murrieta,ca

frannel in Los Angeles, California said: i'm looking into the Surg tech. program and not sure what school would be the best here in los angeles anybody know?
community college help pls

You should try looking up www.CBD.edu College. They have a surgical program off from wilsher Bl. in Los Angeles.

Karen in Los Angeles, California said: Roxanne, sorry for the late reply. I did check out and now attending Career College of America. Their program is accredited and they were on the list on AST. Started in December...classes begin again tonight!!! This is not easy, especially since I also work during the day. If anyone has any advice, please send me an e-mail. Averaging a "B" so far.

CCA has the worst teachers I've ever seen. Most of the instructors are Filipino and can't speak English that well. I instructor is 68 years old and some times drifts away from teching. It's bad...

Check out Career Colleges of America. They are accredited. Getting ready to start the second segment (hands-on).

Ricky-rick in Inglewood, California said: CCA has the worst teachers I've ever seen. Most of the instructors are Filipino and can't speak English that well. I instructor is 68 years old and some times drifts away from teching. It's bad...

Well Ricky. I haven't had a problem there thus far. My instructor right now is africian american. I think the instructor for the next segment is Filipino, however, I've heard nothing but good things about him. Where did you attend?

J , congratulations . I have been telling prospective ST students to do just what you are doing - to ask questions BEFORE you sign into a ST school to both the hospitals and the school "placement department". There are good reasons for this....1) now , in todays economy new grads are being hired almost exclusively by their extern sites - in other words , if you are not hired by the hospital you extern at you WILL NOT GET A JOB - period. People don't believe this and you get alot of school shills saying : Just keep trying , be aggressive , network and eventually you will get a job . There are hundreds of new grads around my area , many smart people , people with bachelors degrees , business experience etc. that are new grad ST's - they work 40 hours a week trying to get a job and they don't - they try everything from volunteering to work for experience to being dental assistants....no luck . Find out which schools place their students into hospitals that actually hire them - and find out what % of those actually do get hired . I would be surprised if over 10% of the total new grads are getting hired (over the last 5-6 months) - but even if by picking the best school you have a 1 in 4 chance of becoming employed is it really worth the risk ? How do you know which school to believe ? They all say " 90% " of their recent grads are employed but they wont tell you they are selling hot pretzels at Target.

I am looking for a school near near Ventura, CA. Does anyone know of one in that area?

Chelsea in Edmond, Oklahoma said: I'm a newly single mama and am looking into going back to school to become a surg tech. I saw one lady on here, Kathy, who's from Oklahoma who has given out some great advice. Does anyone know what the best school/s in OK would be for surg tech? Oh, and one other question... maybe this is a dumb question.... but.... what's the difference between a surg tech and a scrub tech?

nothing! thwy are the same thing. Moore Norman Vo TEch has the BEST program and is under 3000 bc its goverment funded. Unlike the other schools who take 20-30 grand from you and no college credit.

ovstampco in Orange, California said: J , congratulations . I have been telling prospective ST students to do just what you are doing - to ask questions BEFORE you sign into a ST school to both the hospitals and the school "placement department". There are good reasons for this....1) now , in todays economy new grads are being hired almost exclusively by their extern sites - in other words , if you are not hired by the hospital you extern at you WILL NOT GET A JOB - period. People don't believe this and you get alot of school shills saying : Just keep trying , be aggressive , network and eventually you will get a job . There are hundreds of new grads around my area , many smart people , people with bachelors degrees , business experience etc. that are new grad ST's - they work 40 hours a week trying to get a job and they don't - they try everything from volunteering to work for experience to being dental assistants....no luck . Find out which schools place their students into hospitals that actually hire them - and find out what % of those actually do get hired . I would be surprised if over 10% of the total new grads are getting hired (over the last 5-6 months) - but even if by picking the best school you have a 1 in 4 chance of becoming employed is it really worth the risk ? How do you know which school to believe ? They all say " 90% " of their recent grads are employed but they wont tell you they are selling hot pretzels at Target.

Hi there, after reading so many of these comments ( most of them depressing and not so encouraging) I am glad I found someone close to me, I just went in today for information at a school here in Orange, CA. So I am assuming it might be the same school you went to/or are attending now? CNI? If so, can you tell me about this school? ANY info would be appreciated, or if anyone knows about this particular school and its success rate? I am very skeptical about signing up now? Any graduates please feel free to comment.

WHY ? All I can say is of the 12 grads from my school in November 2007 not one is working in the surgical tech , sterile processing, or anything closely related to the medical field. We are in debt to the tune of $350 per month for the next 10 years. We work(ed) FULL time for months trying to do ANYTHING ( we would have slept with someone if we thought it would help....) just to get any type of job in the surgical tech field.
What I want to know is who convinced you to go into this field and how did they do it ? When I went into this it was over two years ago and a few of the grads were getting hired . Now there are probably 10 st's with at least a few years experience applying for entry level jobs . There are probably 50 or more new grads applying for every opening , and none are getting hired . Are you nuts ?Unless someone has promised you a job in writing upon graduation you are going to be in a great deal of hurt in about 16 months.

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OMG, We had the TupperWare Lady and now you, Geezus.

ST school is still a good career option IF you attend a state funded program. (DON'T pay $25,000 or more for a 9 month program! My daughter is in medical school and doesn't pay that for a year's tuition!) Depending on where you are, there are still jobs, just not as many as in previous years. Also, it depends on the program you graduate from as to if you get a job sooner than later. Many of the new, high cost programs do not have a good reputaion in their communities. A well established program's graduates are much more marketable. So, check with your local hospitals and surgery centers. See which students they hire. Check out all the schools. Remember private "colleges" are "for profit". They want to make money and your employment is not their main concern. State and Federally funded programs must show good employment rates to keep getting their funding.

You make some good points...many of the posters on this thread are affiliated with schools (private) and they are very mis-informative about the success todays grads have in finding work after graduating. Here in california the truth is new grads are not finding work upon graduation even with the certificate , even with a cert. and a college degree - so few , if any , are getting hired by either hospitals or surgery centers that it is fair to say they will not get a job.
I don't blame the schools as they are in dire straights because of falling enrollment and the fact that the new grads over the last 8 months or so are out of work , out of money and losing their skills because of lack of work . The word is spreading and even though the schools are doing a good job and turning out many people that are perfectly capable of becoming good surgical techs - there are no jobs for new grads. The openings we all see on the computer and ads , even the entry level ones are being filled by st's with years of experience . They are not even considered for sterile processing jobs .
One thing you failed to mention is in the big cities the waiting list for medical programs at the public schools is running around 3 years . This was a big factor in my decision to go to a private school.
I would say do not go into this field unless you are learning this for your own personal growth , if you are doing it with the hope of actually getting a job you are probably making a huge mistake.
Beware of the school "shills" they will misdirect you they talk about "how much money you will make" and the excitement of working in the OR . But now , in todays economy with the huge glut of well trained new grads this field (along with utrasound techs, phlembologists etc. etc.)is dismal as far as employment . Only the RN's are in demand and the wait for the public schools for RN's is about 3+ years , meaning 6-7 years before you will enter the work force.

I was fortunate to have a preceptor that recommemded I apply at a ambulatory center before I graduated. Do not hesitate to get letters of recommendation from your instructors to use for your advantage. It paid off for me and I was hired 3 weeks after I was interviewed. Most employers want certified CST's. I started studying for it as soon as I graduated using two forms of study guides. I took the test's repeatedly 3 times a week for 2 months. I became nationally certified 2 months after and received a dollar raise for doing so. This July will make 2 yrs. of working at the same facility. Yes, it is hard work but also very rewarding. There is a definate ongoing learning curve. There is no school that can prepare you completley for on hand experience. You will be expected to learn quickly. Each surgeon does the same procedure differantly and thier preferances vary. With the state of the economy as it is, I am extremely lucky to be in this field. If I didn't pursue this line of work, I don't know how I would be supporting myself today. Good luck to those that are trying to get into it. Be aware, it is by no means a glorified cake walk of a job, but we all have to survive somehow and it is a profession you can be proud of.

Im starting a surg tech program at Americare school of nursing here in orlando!! Does anyone have any reccomendations?? Im very interested in this career and want to pursue it!! Maybe go to nursing school after I graduate and get a job!! Is it easier to get into nursing school with this degree??

DO NOT go to Americare!! They r not accredited. Orlando Tech is the only accredited school in the Orlando area and tuition is reasonable

I have a Bachelors degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and I screwed everything up after I graduated. Due to but choices and not deciding to go to grad school or not.
My Aunt was a ST for nearly 20+ years and I have always been interested in medical things. Hence the Biology degree.
It has been 10 years since I have graduated and now I am thinking about becoming a Surgical Tech. Does anybody here no anything about Audry Technology Center in Enid, OK? This is where I would go to take the courses.

That's good!!! I misspelled bad. LOL

Autry Tech has an excellent Surgical Technology program! It is a state funded program so the tuition is low which is another plus. The program director is wonderful and I think you would be happy there.

There are 3 ST schools in my area. They are Everest, Concorde, and Glendale Career College. Does anyone have any information, good or bad about any of these? Also, did you have a hard time getting a job, and how effective are the teachers? Any information is welcomed! Thank you

frannel in Los Angeles, California said: i'm looking into the Surg tech. program and not sure what school would be the best here in los angeles anybody know?
community college help pls

Hi,
A little off the subject. I am about to start school for a 2 year degree from an acreditted school for sonography. But, in the meantime before I do that, I was just wondering if anyone knew if there was anything in the medical or any other area, that I could possible earn something qick (certificate etc) that will help me get a decent job in any particular area?

Any help would be appreciated. I currently do not have any experience in the medical field except for working in the admission dept of an ER.

Im just wondering if I could earn something quick in the meantime. Thanks in advance for any advice you may have. :) Jaime

My name is Sabrina, I am a recently graduated as a surgical technician in august and became certified in september. I can not find a job as a tech. Does anyone have any ideas of a good way to be noticed as a tech and what I can do to get an interview ( besides just applying for a jobs, in which i've probably applied to 50 places.)?

Hello, I am interested in becoming a ST and have been reading through these message boards for a little while, but finally decided to post something. ST careers seems to be pretty popular, and here in the OKC area there seem to be quite a few options as far as schools are concerned. I have read a lot of good things about Moore-Norman Tech center and it is not too far from my house. I plan to talk to some representatives from some schools in the area as soon as they are open from winter break. What I am wondering the most is, since the classes seem to be quite small, (15 is what I have been reading) what is the application process like and are there typically waiting lists for the programs? I am going to graduate with my Associate's degree in May (in a field not related to health science) and am unsure whether to continue on to my Bachelor's or if I have a chance to get into a ST program starting in the fall. Thanks in advance for your help.

Please call Moore Norman Tech Center (this forum will not allow phone numbers, but you can look it up). Ask for an operator and tell them you would like an admissions packet for Surgical Technology mailed to you, or come by Moore Norman Tech center and pick one up. You need to schedule yourself for one of our information sessions ASAP so you can find out if we are right for you. Hope to see you here!

Kim,
Thanks so much for your input. I have an appointment next week and picked up the application packet today. I know the program is very competitive, but do you know about how many applicants apply each year? Since twenty are accepted, I was wondering what I would be up against.

There is no average...just depends on the year. Since you already have college that will help your chances because you will not have to take the compass. You will need to take a dexterity test and an abstract reasoning test...we will go over all of that at our meeting. Be sure to identify yourself to me at the info session. Good luck to you!

I look forward to seeing you at the end of the month!

If you have a latex allergy or think you might be developing one, ask your facility purchasing dept to order non latex glove. If they can't/won't order for you it is worth the investment to buy them for yourself! They are fairly inexpensive and come in a big box.
These gloves are actually resistant to chemicals and work alot better for some people in the medical field.....

If you have a latex allergy and have to wear gloves, you can find a substitute glove at:
www.twinmeddirect.com/gloves_nitrile.html">nitrile

The latex-free gloves are ok to wear but remember you have to be careful of your co-worker who are wearing the latex gloves its air-borne.

Kathy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma said: No...starting pay is usually about 12.00 to 13.00. With exp. it will increase dramatically.

how much can payrate reach as far as working in the field for a couple years

How much can payrate reach as far as working in the field for a couple of years

I've been a tech for a year now and I started as a PRN making $17 an hour. Once I went full time I got dropped down to $14.25 an hour but I get great insurance benefits as well as paid vacation. I'm about to switch back to PRN though, because I'm hating the on call time. With PRN our hours are more flexible and there is no required call time.

hey I am graduating from a surgical Tech program here in Louisville Ky and I was want to know is there any postion avaible in the Atl GA

Brian in Drumright, Oklahoma said:

ALL THIS THE MONEY PER HR I SEE HERE IS STARTING I HAVE BEEN A TECH 19 YR I MAKE 32.0 PER HR IT IS WHAT YOU PUT IN TO IT AND WERE YOU LIVE BE THE BEST AND THEY WILL PAY YOU THE BEST!!!

iam attending glendale career for st should i switch to a nursing program??

jovany in Los Angeles, California said: iam attending glendale career for st should i switch to a nursing program??

no i would finish st school get a job most hopitals will pay for you to go back to school for nursing so you would be farther ahead $$$ wise to do it that way.
pete.a

Hello everyone,

I too am inquiring about schools for ST programs here in CA. There are not too schools in Orange County besides the expensive private schools. Has anyone taken the program at American Career College or CNI in Orange?? I read good and bad reviews. Im here trying to get helpful info before making a drastic decision myself.

Thanks in advance,

AngelC

i have been a tech for 20 im making 28 per hr now and have seen starting pay as high as$ 20. so i think it depends on were you live i know we need a tech now and will be hiring one as soon as we can if anyone out there would like to look in to this call me @ two zero eight seven five six four six two seven...... ask for pete.a.. and if you want any info on the job call:)
pete.a

is anyone looking for a job we need a scrub tech.. let me know if you need a # to call and get more info.