There are many professions to choose from in the medical field, and one of the more successful ones in terms of job growth is Surgical Technology.Surgical Technologists are allied medical professionals who provide assistance in surgeries, from setting-up and sterilizing the operating room and re-sterilizing it after the operation for future use, to doing minor procedures as directed by the surgeon.
As with any career and profession, it helps to educate yourself about any particular career you wish to go into. There are several considerations to make, foremost of which is the type of training and education involved in becoming a surgical tech.
The type of surgical tech education is very important since several things rely on your choice: duration of schooling, tuition fee, cost of education, and credentials. In order of duration and affordability, you have certificate or diploma courses including online surgical tech courses (9 to 15 months), associate degree (24 months), and bachelor's degree (4 years). Hospitals prefer degree-holders over diploma-holders, bachelor's degree over associate. This doesn't mean that there's no employment for certificate- and diploma-holders (in fact, there are other sources of employment in dental clinics, doctors in private practice, and out-patient centers), but the fact of the matter is, hospitals are the largest employers of surgical techs. You can increase your chances of employment by getting a degree.
There's also the license or certification to consider, since this will affect how easily you can look for work outside your state. Most professions involve a national certification, while others have additional state certification to comply with. In the case of Surgical Technology, you only have to worry about the national certification for now, but be aware that rules change and that a state licensing and regulation is the ultimate step towards professionalizing a field. At present, you need to have certification in order to have better employment opportunities and career advancement. Certified Surgical Technologists renew their certification every four years, upon which time they should have completed a continuing education program in surgical technology.
The third important consideration is the career outlook. Would there be jobs waiting for you after you graduate? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, surgical technology has a job growth that is higher than the national average, which means it's still thriving despite the economy and you have better chances of getting an employment in this profession over other professions. The trend is seen to hold until 2012 at the least. Would the salary be commensurate to your time, effort, and money spent in getting trained for this profession? That would depend on your idea of a good compensation as well as your financial goals. As of 2010, the average hourly salary of a surgical tech is $19.86, which racks up to $41,310 annual gross income.
There are other considerations to make, such as working conditions and opportunities for career advancement. Think of all these factors as a whole and you should be able to determine if this job is the one where you can attain fulfillment, reliable compensation, and professional success
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