Surgical Technologist Degrees

The difficulty of becoming a practicing surgeon may put off people from pursuing a career in the surgical field. If the prospect of being in an operating room excites you, but you are leery of the amount of time it takes to become a surgeon, you might consider pursuing a career as a surgical technologist. There are many members of a surgical team including anesthesiologists and surgical technologists. Technologists are responsible for preparing equipment and operating rooms before surgery. They assist surgeons by providing equipment during surgery and they accompany patients to recovery.

Surgical technologists must pass through either a certification or degree program to ensure employability. Certificate programs can last just a few months, while an associate's degree will likely take a candidate 2 years to complete. Courses will be given in anatomy and physiology. There will also be coursework in surgical technology, sterilization techniques, and surgical procedures. Most programs will include clinical labs where students will practice with operating room procedures.

The employment forecast for surgical technologists is fairly good. Hospitals employ the lion's share of surgical technologists, but there are private practices and outpatient institutions that also employ surgical technologists. An aging population guarantees that surgeries will be more frequent in the future and the changing face of health care means that more work will be done by non-doctors in the industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics gives the average median salary for surgical technologists as $37,540 in its most recent survey in 2007.