Moultrie Tech Surgical Technology Program Among Top 5 in U.S.
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Moultrie Technical College (MTC) opened the doors to its Surgical Technology program during the summer quarter of 2004 on the College’s Tifton Campus. In just over four years, MTC’s “Surg Tech” has developed from a fledgling program to one of the top offerings in the country as evidenced by its students’ recent scores on a national examination.
Of the 451 accredited surgical technology programs in the United States, MTC’s program ranked fifth on the 2007-2008 Program Assessment Exam (PAE) as administered through the Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology (ARCST). This ranking ushers MTC into the prestigious PAE Elite Twenty Program, which recognizes the top 20 surgical technology programs in the United States based on outstanding student achievement.
In the Technical College System of Georgia, there are 23 colleges with surgical technology programs. South Georgia was well-represented in the national rankings with both Moultrie Tech and Albany Tech (ATC) in the top 20. ATC ranked thirteenth.
MTC Surgical Technology Program Director Sherry King, RN, CST, said, “We are very proud of our students’ performance on this exam designed to assess the quality of our program. Our program mission is to provide exceptional educational training to produce competent surgical technologists who can contribute to providing quality health care in our communities. This national recognition signifies that we are successfully accomplishing our mission.”
Surgical technicians, often called scrubs, perform a variety of duties in an operating room before, during and after surgery to ensure a sterile and safe surgical environment. They are a part of the nation’s fastest growing occupational segment. With a current job placement rate of 99 percent, Moultrie Tech provides surgical technology graduates for the Southwest Georgia healthcare workforce.
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment of surgical technicians is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations as the volume of surgery increases. The number of surgical procedures is expected to rise as the population grows and ages. Technological advances, such as fiber optics and laser technology, will also permit new surgical procedures.
Hospitals continue to be the primary employer of surgical technologists, although much faster employment growth is expected in offices and clinics of physicians, including ambulatory surgical centers.
Moultrie Technical College’s Surg Tech diploma program, which begins each fall quarter, takes approximately six quarters, or one and a half years, to complete. Candidates for admission to the program are involved in a competitive selection process for a limited number of available positions.
Once in the program, students participate in hands-on clinical training at Tift Regional Medical Center and Colquitt Regional Medical Center.
For more information on the MTC Surgical Technology program, contact Sherry King at (229) 391-2638 or log on to www.moultrietech.edu.
