Penn College

Penn College students celebrate Surgical Technologist Week

Penn College offers an associate degree in surgical technology. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Students in the Surgical Technology Program at Pennsylvania College of Technology gathered Sept. 16 to celebrate National Surgical Technologist week, observed annually the third week of September.Surgical technologists are an integral part of the team of medical practitioners providing surgical care to patients. Surgical technologists work under the supervision of a surgeon to facilitate the safe and effective conduct of invasive surgical procedures, ensuring that the operating room environment is safe, that equipment functions properly and that operative procedure is conducted under conditions that maximize patient safety.Surgical technologists possess expertise in the theory and application of sterile and aseptic technique and combine the knowledge of human anatomy, surgical procedures and implementation tools and technologies to facilitate a physician’s performance of invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures.Recent graduates of Penn College’s Surgical Technology Program are making a significant impact. Among them, Lauren A. Powell, who graduated in 2012, assisted with a unique ear reconstruction surgery that was featured in a news special on WGAL in Lancaster on Sept. 11. She is a certified surgical technologist for Pinnacle Health in the Harrisburg area.Rebecca A. Kayes, a 2010 Penn College graduate and a certified surgical technologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, recently completed her second overseas mission, during which she was part of a team of medical personnel who voluntarily performed surgical treatment on patients in Cambodia. Her first mission was in northern Italy.Penn College offers an associate degree in surgical technology, which helps to prepare the graduate to take the national certification exam in surgical technology. The current pass rate for Penn College students on the exam is 93 percent, which is 17.5 percent above the national average. Graduates may continue their education at Penn College to earn a bachelor’s degree in applied health studies, helping to prepare them for roles in management, administration or education, or for master’s level studies.To learn more about surgical technology majors at Penn College, call 570-327-4519 or visit www.pct.edu/HS.For general information about the college, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.

Last Updated September 19, 2013

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