MCC Touting Success of Surgical Tech Program

MANCHESTER, CT — All alumni of the first Manchester Community College/Hartford Hospital surgical technology graduating class passed their National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting Certified Surgical Technologist exams recently, according to MCC officials.

"The 100-percent certification rate for the program’s inaugural cohort is made more impressive by the fact that they all have accepted jobs in the field," MCC officials said.

Jennifer Foster ’18, of Middletown, and Cristina Mendoza ’18, of Hartford, are now employed at Hartford Hospital; Joshua Lopez ’18, of Hartford, is at St. Francis Medical Center; and Lisa Regan ’18, of Berlin, is at Middlesex Hospital.

In addition, Foster and Regan were inducted into the Association of Surgical Technologists National Honor Society. Members must complete 85 percent of the graduation requirements at a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs-accredited surgical technology program, maintain a cumulative 3.75 GPA (based on a 4.0 grading scale) and have at least a 95 percent overall attendance rate.

The CAAHEP-accredited surgical technology program is a partnership between Manchester Community College and Hartford Hospital. In addition to completing general education degree requirements at MCC, students prepare to sit for the certification exam. Upon passing the exam, they earn the nationally recognized credential from CAAHEP as a Certified Surgical Technologist.

The collaboration provides clinical coursework and rotations on the Hartford Hospital campus, offering a true real-world teaching environment. In addition, because students must also complete MCC’s rigorous liberal arts and science degree requirements, they learn more than just technical skills for the operating theater.

“Upon completion, students have developed a surgical conscience, the foundation on which all decision making occurs,” according to Janice Hahn, who serves as nurse educator, perioperative services, at Hartford Hospital. “It is an ethical commitment necessary to protect our patients from harm and a joy to witness growth in competence and confidence within our students.”

Surgical technologists are trained to work primarily in an operating room in cooperation with surgeons and nurses, handing instruments to the surgeon, maintaining a sterile environment and records, and assisting with patient care.

Lopez added, “The MCC associate degree in surgical technology provides the opportunity to advance my healthcare career and, as a Certified Surgical Technologist, I can work anywhere in the United States.”

Photo Credit: MCC

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