A new program in Oregon will enable people living in rural areas to enter a medical apprenticeship.
Surgical technologists are in charge of the instruments in the operating room, and help with the flow of the procedure.
Currently, students who want to train for the position in Oregon are required to be in a classroom near a metro area. But Randy Hubbard, the Dean of Advanced Medical Program Partnerships at Umpqua Community College, said the new apprenticeship will be accessible in smaller communities as well.
“If you are in a county that has been approved through the state to host students," he told KLCC, "the students can apply, hopefully get hired on as an apprentice, and then complete their training right where they live, so they don’t have to leave.”
Hubbard said there are four programs for the specialty in the state, but there’s still a shortage of surgical technologists, and that Oregon has about 111 openings per year. He said six counties are cleared for the new UCC-based program: Lincoln, Linn, Benton, Douglas, Jackson and Marion. He said three more counties have applied.
To participate in the apprenticeship, students partner with a medical facility for on-the-job training, and take additional courses online. The certification takes about a year.
Applications are open for the fall. Requirements include a high school diploma or GED certificate, drug test and background check. The program includes 2,000 hours of hands-on training at a partnering facility, as well as 288 hours of related, online study. Hubbard said the average salary for a surgical technologist in Oregon is $74,000 per year.
More information about the new surgical technologist apprenticeship program is here.