When comparing surgical technology programs, there are several things to keep in mind to help guide decision making. You may want to consider the reputation of the surgical technology school, its accreditation, and its placement rate. You should also consider what aspects of the school fit with your specific personal situation.
The reputations of surgical technology programs vary, and could play a part in the hiring process, so you want to weed out any schools which have bad reputations within the surgical tech community. One of the only ways to discover this information is to ask people who are already working in this profession. The department head of a hospital surgery unit might be a good place to start. At the very least, it is a good idea to talk with graduates of different surgical technology programs to find out their experiences and recommendations.
Of utmost importance is choosing surgical technology programs that have been accredited. This means they have passed minimum set standards for excellence in education, and ensures that a degree issued from one of these surgical technology programs will be recognized by future employers and certification bodies. Accreditation credentials should be prominently displayed by the school. For schools in the United States, this information can be verified by conducting a search on the US Department of Education website.
Schools with surgical technology programs should also freely disclose placement rates of recent graduates. This information usually reveals the percentage of graduates who have become successfully employed in the field of surgical technology, and what the starting salary range is. All surgical technology programs should have similar results. If you find a school with lower results than most others, it may be an indication something is wrong with their surgical technology training or that they offer very little help with job placement after graduation.
To find the best surgical technology programs, it is necessary to consider your personal situation. While working towards an associate degree in surgical technology may be advisable for some, for others this might not be possible due to time constraints and financial considerations. It may be easier for some students working full-time day jobs to take surgical technology training part-time during evening hours at a local vocational school, and work towards certification without a degree. Each person will need to consider the length of the training, the operational hours, and the financial burden before deciding which surgical technology programs are going to be best.