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.

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.