In late October, educators came together at EdAccred’s third Better Together: Success Strategy Talk. During the session, “Certification Examination Prep Strategies,” surgical technology and surgical assisting educators shared strategies for preparing students for certification examinations and discussed how past test performances can be analyzed to improve scores.

Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting, established in 1999, is currently the only accredited surgical assisting program incorporating a porcine live-tissue training lab for students pursuing a career as a surgical first assistant. Originally located in Joelton, Tennessee, the facility moved to Nashville in 2010 to allow more students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a laboratory setting.

In the Pikes Peak Community College Surgical Technology Program, student knowledge and curriculum comprehension are measured in a few ways. The one that has become a point of interest within our department is the way we analyze students' computer-based quizzes taken in class at the end of each chapter.

In its simplest form, a community partnership is a group of people working toward the same goal. For educators, this goal is to have successful student outcomes.

Thirteen years ago, I made the decision to transition from working in the operating room to teaching full time with only a year of experience as an adjunct educator. Like most of my colleagues, I came straight out of the clinic with only a fraction of what I needed to succeed.

2020 was a challenging year for surgical technology instructors, with many having to quickly retool their courses and shift to distance education delivery. Some became Zoom experts and provided synchronous lectures while others used their college’s learning management system (LMS) to deliver course materials.

Hands-on, simulation-based training is one of the best ways to engage students and prepare them for entering the field.

One of the most important tasks at the beginning of a student cohort is assigning individuals to clinical sites. As many hospitals now require program directors to manage students’ information via online onboarding systems, staying organized and having strong processes in place is key.

Southeast Community College (SCC) in Lincoln, NE, recently launched a certificate program for students looking to become surgical first assistants (SFAs). Hear from Program Director Cynthia Kreps on what drove this decision and how launching the certificate has benefitted their college and community.

From virtual simulation to synthetic cadavers and more, surgical technology and surgical assisting programs are incorporating the very latest in innovative, hands-on training activities into their curricula. The Cut Suit is a simulation tool that is worn by a live human and replicates the look and feel of traumatic injuries.

How do we get students out of their seats and actively engaged in the classroom? Most instructors ponder this question for course content outside the laboratory setting. At Trine University’s Surgical Technology Program, flyswatters are a key to successfully helping student better engage in their learning experience.

To ensure students are provided with greater marketability when they enter the workforce, the surgical technology program at Reading Hospital has incorporated the Da Vinci Surgical Certification program into its coursework.

Since 2013, the master of surgical assisting program at Eastern Virginia Medical School has offered the minimally invasive surgery lecture and skills lab. This course is designed to give the surgical assistant student a broad look into minimally invasive surgery while introducing the techniques involved.

There are many ways to prepare students for their clinical experience. Some programs have started using SynDaver, a detailed synthetic cadaver that gives students the ability to participate in mock surgeries. ARC/STSA reached out to Stephanie Kanupp, AAS, CST, and Michelle Diaz, CST, to talk about how their programs use SynDaver and their thoughts on the investment.

At Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, CO, David Provost, MA, BS, CST, surgical technology department chair and program director, has developed a mentorship program where his first cohort of students, who are in clinicals, mentor the incoming cohort.

Advances in technology have made surgical simulation a powerful teaching tool, and there are many options that can apply to surgical technology. Terry Herring, surgical technology division chair at Fayetteville Community College, spoke to Amy Broussard, program director and lead instructor at SOWELA Technical Community College, about one such simulation technology, PeriopSim.

With winter break around the corner, it’s important to give students a sense of continuity and ensure they retain the information they have learned. Connie Bell, CST, FAST, shares tips for supporting students as they return to clinicals after an extended break. Plus, Theresa Sorgen-Burleson, MBA, CST, discusses how her program at the University of St. Francis keeps students engaged over longer summer breaks through a retest program.

The world has gone virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic, and site visits are no exception. Jennifer Lloyd, BS, CST/SFA, director of surgical technology at Trine University, Fort Wayne, IN, shares her experience and tips for preparing for her program’s very first virtual site visit.