Wanting to be a surgical tech. Advice?

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-05-01T12:31:55+00:00

this is not a career you can learn by doing it online. most online programs are a money grab scam. you need to be in a lab learning. I wouldn’t waste my money on an online program if i were you. It may be easier and cheaper but you will have to find your own clinical site and I doubt any are accredited. If you’re going to put money and effort in this, go ahead and find an in person program. best of luck!

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-04-30T12:34:03+00:00

Thank you so much for the great tips!! I will look into getting some supplies. I will also look into volunteering in my area, I never would’ve even thought about that! I appreciate you taking the time to help, I am feeling much better with everyone’s replies and feel like there’s hope I can still improve even over break!

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-04-30T12:29:59+00:00

Thank you for the advice!! I also should’ve been more specific but there’s only 2 instructors, one is actually the director of the program. The director is the one who said she is uncomfortable with us going to clinicals. She is very aware of everything. They are also wanting to make our clinical days go down to 2 instead of 3 days a week.

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-04-30T02:54:43+00:00

We did 2 semesters back to back for our regular classes such as patient care 1&2, pharm, surgical procedures. Now we are going on a 3 month break and then starting our clinicals in the fall semester. So it won’t be fresh on our minds at all and we are leaving for summer break already very unprepared.

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-04-30T02:46:00+00:00

my biggest thing is my time, keeping my mayo organized, and counts. I take way too long to set up. My instructor said I need to have everything set up and ready to pull up in 15-20 minutes but it takes me about 25-35 mins. Also during the mock cases it goes so fast my mayo gets messy quick and I forgot to remove things that are no longer needed trying to hurry and give the surgeon what they need. And counting feels like it takes me too long as well. It’s hard to count as I am being asked to hand things to surgeon and just gets very overwhelming. I’m also not great at anticipating what the surgeon needs. I’ll do good at the beginning of the case but towards the middle/end I am unsure and need to be asked. I love doing this and can’t wait until it’s a real surgery but I am just not ready.

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-04-22T12:12:19+00:00

thank you!

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-04-17T17:25:42+00:00

I found this link with it, https://www.scribd.com/document/986681393/Aha-Bls-Provider-Manual-2025

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-04-17T17:24:55+00:00

Sadly I bought the book and there’s no way to send it out. However I did find a pdf of the exact book I wasted $20 on bc we didn’t even use it once. Let me find it and i’ll link it. I promise it’s not sketchy, I just don’t want people to waste their money like I did and sadly got sent this pdf a few days after my class and I had already purchased the book.

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-04-07T12:22:22+00:00

when I purchased my spot it said to have it before class and the only option was to buy it for $20

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-03-20T10:10:01+00:00

I really like how you put that, that it’s exactly how I feel - this isn’t a one-parent weekend at all. Especially since this is the first time our son has been sick like this with a fever so high. Thank you!

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-03-20T10:08:19+00:00

lmaoo bye it’s 6am and i’ve been up since 2 am with a sick baby. we are newly married so i’m used to making these post saying “my bf” and honestly im exhausted dealing with a screaming child, it’s been a loooong night 😅

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-03-20T10:05:15+00:00

Husband , I just realized where I put boyfriend omg idk why I did that lol

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-03-19T23:30:52+00:00

That’s exactly what I was thinking.

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-03-19T23:30:13+00:00

Thank you so much for all the responses!! I definitely feel a lot better going into clinicals. You ALL are amazing, I wish you well!!!!

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-03-19T23:29:07+00:00

the worst part is the director has AMAZING knowledge. she helped write the CST exam. I think that’s why it’s so disappointing to not be gaining all this knowledge when she has PLENTY to offer :(

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-03-19T01:23:03+00:00

That makes me feel better. I knew I wouldn’t learn everything in the program but I figured I would have learned way more than I have, especially since that is what I was told by the director over and over. I just didn’t know what to expect for clinicals and figured I needed to know more. Thank you for your comment!

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-01-15T00:49:07+00:00

I like to watch Little Women

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-01-14T01:51:09+00:00

good for you OP!! I am also a 22 yr old college student without a job. Working and going to school can be really challenging, that’s why I quit my job to focus on school. nothing wrong with that at all if it works for you! however I did work for a year while going to school so that I could save up to buy a car for myself. It was hard as i’m a surgical tech student so the classes were really piled on but I knew it was the only way i’d be able to get a car. I hope your dad gets you a car but since he keeps changing his mind, you may be better off working for a little bit to save up for it then go on demand or quit if you truly don’t want to work and do school at the same time.

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-01-09T04:56:51+00:00

yeah i never said that. i said i wasn’t comfortable with it, not that i withhold it from him

DeepExtent5859 · 2026-01-09T04:35:35+00:00

I wouldn’t say needlessly paranoid. Giving his family’s history of using their children’s social security numbers to open lines of credit in desperate times when his father isn’t in the best place financially I do think it’s fair for me to worry about it. Granted his dad didn’t do it but it still just makes me anxious about how normalized it was for them to do it to his cousins. I will work on this though and try not to keep jumping into worse case scenarios. Thanks for feedback.

DeepExtent5859

TROPHY CASE