In order to become a surgical technician, you’ll need to enroll in a school that will prepare you to take a certification exam after you graduate and move on to a rewarding career. Picking a school is an important decision. In addition to learning the theory and history of your profession, it’s also where you’ll get your first taste of hands-on experience through labs and internships. Surgical technician school is designed to give you a feel of what the real-world medical situations you’ll face are like.

A surgical tech training program will instruct you in the tools and methods of surgical operations. You’ll take a wide variety of courses including biology, microbiology, pharmacology (the study of drugs and their actions in the body), anatomy, and physiology (a subcategory of biology that deals with the functions of living systems). In addition to those classes and more, you’ll also study the history of medicine and surgical technicians, as well as learn about medical ethics. On top of broader classes that cover medical areas common to other majors and careers, you’ll also take courses and practice labs specifically designed to instruct you in and simulate the requirements that surgical technicians face on a daily basis. You’ll learn how to care for and monitor a patient during surgery, how to prep them before the procedure, how to sterilize instruments and ensure they stay that way, and what every member of the surgical team, including the tech, does during an operation. By learning what you’ll need to do as well as what the other medical staff will be doing, you’ll be better able to assist the surgeon in keeping the procedure running smoothly.

Additionally, many surgical technician schools stage mock surgeries that allow students to put their new skills to the test in a trial run that simulates a realistic operating room with less actual risk. However, in addition to practice procedures, technicians in training also spend time in real operating rooms under the direct supervision of working surgeons. This is an integral part of the training process and a great way to enhance students’ skills before sending them into the medical workforce.

Many surgical technician colleges and universities also offer career placement counseling as a benefit for students. This can be done through the school itself or in partnership with the Association of Surgical Technologists. Some students are able to find jobs at the hospitals where they carried out their internships and trial surgeries, though that’s not a guarantee, so be sure to check with your school and your internship supervisors to see what their hiring process is like.

A surgical technician school is an exciting mix of study and practice that gives students a base of knowledge and theory that’s built up with hands-on experience.