BLINN SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

  

Innovative program prepares students for high-demand jobs as integral members of surgical teams

The Blinn College District Surgical Technology Program encourages individuals interested in playing an indispensable, high-demand role on a surgical team to apply for its Spring 2020 admission cycle. The application deadline is Nov. 16, 2019.

Surgical technologists are essential to surgical teams, assisting surgeons, anesthesiologists, and registered nurses in providing care to patients in the operating room. They ensure that the surgical team operates in a safe environment, that equipment functions properly, and that operative procedures are conducted under conditions that maximize patient safety. Blinn’s Surgical Technology Program is based at the new Academic Complex at the RELLIS Campus and features state-of-the-art simulation labs and a communal environment that supports interaction and collaboration between Blinn’s health sciences programs.

“Surgical technologists are the guardians of the operating room,” Program Director Linda Hill said. “They support and assist surgeons, while ensuring the safest possible environment for the patients under their care.”

In addition to their classes, Blinn surgical technology students undergo hands-on clinical experience at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center-College Station, CHI St. Joseph Hospital, the CHI St. Joseph Medical Center, The Physicians Centre Hospital, and St. Mark’s Medical Center-La Grange and must complete more than 200 surgical cases across a variety of surgical specialties prior to graduation. This externship-like training provides students a direct link with area hospitals and graduates have successfully obtained employment at many of the same facilities where they refined their skills. The program’s inventive classroom and clinical requirements also provide some flexibility and can support working professionals.

“Our instructors and curriculum prepare students to enter the workforce and embark on fulfilling careers,” Hill said. “Our graduates are highly sought after by employers because they are equipped with the training necessary to take up posts as soon as they complete the program.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for surgical technologists is expected to increase 9% between 2018 and 2028, creating 9,700 new jobs during that span. Nation-wide, the median wage is $47,300 per year. Texas has the nation’s highest demand for surgical technologists, and, locally, Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley projects a 30% growth in the Brazos Valley between 2014 and 2024.

Surgical technologists often are employed at hospitals but can work in any setting that conducts surgical procedures, including doctor’s offices, day surgery facilities, and dental offices. Blinn’s Surgical Technology Program also can serve as a springboard to other careers in the healthcare field.

To apply for Blinn’s Surgical Technology Program or for more information, visit www.blinn.edu/surgical-technology or contact Victoria Parnell at victoria.parnell@blinn.edu.

(COURTESY: Richard Bray, Blinn Information)