Surgical Assistant Career
Surgical Assistant Career
The Real Poop
You knew you were different. While the other kids were outside riding dirt bikes, playing with figurines, and catching bugs, you were inside with your other wannabe doctor friends playing Operation. When your friend wiped out on her pogo stick and sprained her wrist, you made a splint that impressed even the doctor. You pretty much knew your fate was sealed when you busted your knee and tried to sew it up yourself. Yeah, surgery seemed like your only passion.
As college approached, though, you decided that you didn't have to be the person at the head of the operating table. That sounded stressful. Having all the attention in the spotlight (or surgical light) was not your cup of tea.
Well, good news: you can still get in on the medical action without actually being a surgeon. You can be the surgeon's right hand man or woman as a surgical assistant. All the intrigue of helping fix people up without such crazy-high insurance costs.
What's the payoff for passing the scalpel and dressing wounds? Once you become a surgical assistant, the average salary is about $75,000 per year (source). That said, the salary can vary based not only on the usual factors of location and experience, but also based on the surgical specialty you're assisting with and how involved you are in the technical aspects of the surgery. If you can reliably provide a top-notch skillset under pressure, your salary can reach around $45 per hour, or $93,000 per year (source).
Everyone should be very clear about why there's a drill involved, for example (source).
So, exactly what does a surgical assistant do? For starters, they confirm procedures with the head surgeon and determine what equipment is necessary for the operation. Someone's about to be cut open—there needs to be a logistical game plan, and the surgical assistant makes sure all the right pieces are in place.
When it comes to the in-surgery responsibilities, assistants position the patient on the table, assist in exposure (opening the patient), help control the flow of blood, and keep organs out of the way so that the surgeon has a clear view.
Once it's all over, assistants also move the patient off of the operating table and assist in closure. So while you're not the one calling the shots or performing the most technical portions of the surgery, you're still in there like swimwear from start to finish.
Aside from your technical skills, there are other things that are key to being a stellar surgical assistant. You must have a strong stomach—a living, beating heart is very different from the one on the front of a Valentine's Day card.
Two words: arch support (source).
While the doctor is working on that heart, you must stand for a long time. Comfortable shoes are not optional; get a pair and get well-acquainted with them. You also have to protect yourself. Patients need health insurance, and you'll need liability insurance—because mistakes happen.
Before you step into the operating room in your high-comfort kicks, you're going to need some extra training after college. Clamping vessels and controlling blood flow on real people is serious business.
Once you graduate with a bachelor's degree, you'll also need an associate's degree, diploma, or certificate in surgical technology. Look for accredited programs in community colleges, vocational schools, universities, and hospitals. In addition to coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, pharmacology, and other topics, you'll need supervised, hands-on experience in clinical settings.
Once you have your degree or certification and are officially a certified surgical technologist (CST), you can do one of two things: enter and complete an accredited surgical assistant program and then begin working as an assistant; or get busy right away as a technologist and work your way up to the assistant position.
Surgical technologists work in hospitals, private offices of physicians, surgical centers, and dental offices. Once you land a position, you can begin assisting in all kinds of surgeries and become a whiz at passing instruments and establishing the sterile field (making sure that there are no cooties anywhere). After three years, you'll be ready to take the certifying exam for surgical assistants. Passing the credentialing exam will make you a certified surgical assistant (CSA).
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in this field are expected to grow thirty percent between 2012 and 2022 (source). Someone's always bound to need a heart transplant, a wisdom tooth removed, or a facelift (okay, maybe they won't need it, but someone will always want one).
As newer technology makes most surgeries safer and easier, more jobs will open that require some expertise, but not the sort of sacrifice-your-weekends-and-social-life-for-twelve-years expertise that full-blown surgeons have.
If, through continued training and certification, you keep pace with all of these advances, there'll always be a place for you in the operating room. Who knows, you may decide to take the leap and go to medical school to become a surgeon. You'll have a good head start.