Surgical technologists are a vital part of a hospital's surgical team. They are in charge of logistics during surgical procedures, preparing the operating room, the equipment, and the patient in a number of ways. Surgical technologists must ensure that everything within an operating room is clean and sterilized before, while, and after a procedure takes place.

Illinois Surgical Technologist Schools

Illinois hosts a number of schools that offer programs to help students become certified surgical technologists. Whether you plan on earning a certificate or a degree, there are many surgical technologist schools in Illinois that will help you attain your goals.

  • Elgin Community College: Elgin Community College offers a 3-semester certificate program for future surgical technologists. Class sizes are capped at 24, which is rather large for surgical tech programs. ECC's certificate program prepares students to sit for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting exam, which is required to become nationally certified.

  • John Wood Community College: John Wood Community College offers two options for prospective surgical technologists: a 3-semester certification program, or a 64-credit hour Associate of Applied Science program. Both programs offer classroom, lab, and clinical experience, with the AAS program offering a semester's worth of additional classroom education.

  • College of Lake County: The College of Lake County offers similar choices as JWCC. Students can either earn a certificate through a 49-credit program or an AAS through a 68-credit program. Choosing either program will prepare students to sit for the NBSTSA exam to become a board-certified surgical technologist.

  • Parkland College: Parkland College's accredited program earned a Merit Award from the NBSTSA in 2015 for boasting a 100% pass rate on the national board exam. Over five semesters, students will work toward their AAS degree in surgical technology.

  • John A. Logan College: John A. Logan College offers a one-year certificate program in surgical technology. The program culminates with students attending clinical sessions throughout their final semester of study - usually during the spring or summer semester.

What to Expect from Illinois Surgical Technologist Programs

Regardless of the program chosen, students can be expected to receive a well-rounded education from an Illinois surgical technology school. Students will build knowledge of the medical field during their classroom studies, focusing on both theoretical and factual aspects of:

  • The human body
  • Medical treatment
  • Medical protocol and law

Once students have gained a solid grasp of this information, they will apply what they have learned in a clinical setting while being observed by veteran medical professionals. Throughout their course of study, surgical technology students will prepare to sit for the national certification exam, which may be taken before or after earning a certificate or degree.

Surgical Technologist Schools In Illinois: Getting Your License

Prospective surgical technologists typically have two options when it comes to earning state licensure in Illinois.

  1. Pass a state exam: The most common route is through examination. This applies to those who have passed a state-sanctioned surgical technologist examination or the NBSTSA exam.

  2. Out-of-state license transfer: Individuals who have worked as surgical technologists in another state, whose licensure is still valid in said state, can apply for an endorsement license. This requires the individual to produce evidence from their previous state that their licensure not only exists, but is current as well.

Regardless of how an individual becomes licensed to practice surgical technology, they must renew their license by April 30 of every even-numbered year.

Resources for Surgical Technologists in Illinois

Metro Areas Rated for Popularity for:
Surgical Technologists

Listed below are metro areas ranked by the popularity of jobs for Surgical Technologists relative to the population of the city. Salary data was obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov

Metro Area
Jobs
Annual Median Salary
Champaign-Urbana50$49,670
Rockford110$44,060
Bloomington100$42,660
Peoria270$43,780
Carbondale-Marion80$41,520

Sources:

  1. College of Lake County - Surgical Technology, http://www.clcillinois.edu/programs/srg, accessed October 19, 2016
  2. Elgin Community College - Surgical Technology, http://elgin.edu/students.aspx?id=2834, accessed October 19, 2016
  3. John A. Logan College - Surgical Technology, https://www.jalc.edu/files/uploads/global/testing_services/pdfs/st.pdf, accessed October 19, 2016
  4. John Wood Community College - Surgical Technology, https://www.jwcc.edu/academics/degrees/surgical-technology/, accessed October 19, 2016
  5. National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, http://nbstsa.org/, accessed October 19, 2016
  6. Parkland College - Surgical Technology, http://www.parkland.edu/academics/departments/health/sur, accessed October 19, 2016
  7. US Bureau of Labor Statistics - Surgical Technologists, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/surgical-technologists.htm#tab-6, accessed October 19, 2016

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