How Much Do I Get Paid? | CERTIFIED SURGICAL FIRST ASSISTANT

[@__IamJazzmin]

I appreciate how transparent you are. We all need to be aware of information like this….expenses and trying to stay afloat is CRUCIAL. I appreciate you. 😊

[@alejandragalvan2086]

Thanks for the support 🥰

[@mariagaeta6026]

hey thank you so much for your guidance and for helping someone thinking about or already on this journey.you are beautiful im proud of you stay safe out there.

[@gabyc803]

I appreciate you telling us and giving us an idea of what to expect. I’ll be starting SPT online at my local college and possibly wanting to travel after a years worth of experience. In the central coast area in California there’s no schooling for first assist sadly. It’s only up north or down south which sucks.

[@alejandragalvan2086]

@@gabyc803 yeah I understand. I believe meridian college has an online first assistant program. I know a few people who have done it.

[@moxeev]

love the transparency!

[@alejandragalvan2086]

🫶🏻🫶🏻

[@yakeannarose9137]

Thanks for this I go into clinicals Aug 19th I’m excited and nervous but I can’t wait for all the thing i will see and experience 😊

[@alejandragalvan2086]

@@yakeannarose9137 that’s amazing! Good luck!

[@rikondjamarenga8084]

Thank you so much for being so transparent… I am really looking in to something like this and this was so helpful 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@alejandragalvan2086]

@@rikondjamarenga8084 thank you for watching!

[@GraceC_00]

I wanted to know how long did it take you to feel comfortable with cases before deciding to travel. Do you have to learn ALL cases or just specialize in certain ones?

[@alejandragalvan2086]

I started traveling 1.5 year of working and being certified. I felt comfortable traveling with what I knew. So travel agencies make you fill out competency checklists and you also fill out what specialties you’re comfortable doing. You have to be honest with what you know. And some job postings have the specialties listed on their like orthopedic/spine, plastics, etc. some are strictly CVOR so I will not apply to them. I’ve actually done neuro and cardiac surgery even though I have no experience. The surgeon was aware and I felt confident in my skills and it went fine. You can choose to specialize if you want.

[@GraceC_00]

@@alejandragalvan2086 Thank you so much for this information. I really appreciate you sharing your traveling experience with us!!

[@pdiggz2003]

I am a surgical tech. How do I become an STA?

[@anderZc7]

I am seriously considering this profession over nursing since it seems much less stressful, which to me is worth not making as much as a nurse. How is your work-life balance and how stressful is the OR usually? I know it’s very stressful when you are learning, but after a while can you kind of go on auto pilot for basic procedures and then will the surgeon yells at you less? 😅

[@alejandragalvan2086]

@@anderZc7 it’s way less stressful than nursing. You go in, do your job and go home. Just like with any job, there is a learning curve. But after a while, you get the hand of things and find your rhythm. Depending on the facility and location, the OR can be a little busy. Like a level 1 trauma center will be different than a hospital in a rural area. Once you start out, you will get trained and be on orientation. Then after that, you’re on your own.

[@anderZc7]

@@alejandragalvan2086 Got it. How long would you say it took you to get comfortable/confident as a surg tech after school?

[@alejandragalvan2086]

@@anderZc7 I am not a surgical tech. I only went to first assist school. It depends on the individual but for me, it took about a year to get comfortable in the OR.

[@anderZc7]

@@alejandragalvan2086 Right sorry! I meant first assist, I’ve been researching both so much I said surgical tech by mistake. But you actually just told me something I didn’t know. I didnt know you could just jump to first assist without surg tech experience first. That is helpful information.

[@alejandragalvan2086]

@@anderZc7 it’s okay! It happens all the time. The program I attended didn’t require applicants to have surgical tech experience. Although it is common to be a surgical tech first then go back to school to be a first assistant. Most first assistants can also scrub and play a dual role.

[@alvaromoncaleano7897]

Hello Alejandra, i have a question, You can work in a only one medical Center or clínic? And in a only one city? Or this type of contracts make You travel across they country? Thanks for You answer Bye 😊

[@alejandragalvan2086]

@@alvaromoncaleano7897 I can work all over the US and I can work in surgery centers and hospitals

[@Leslyp23]

Thank you 😇 I want to be a surgical tech in Houston🤗

[@mariag3470]

😊😅

[@Eaon69]

Hello, I am a new student still in theory for surgical technology. I don't start clinicals for another 6 months. Do you have any advice you can share that would have helped you when you first started please? For context I live in California and I worked as a healthcare recruiter before I decided to start surgical tech school.

[@brendajaimes101]

Hi! I’m actually a surgical tech student two weeks away from taking the national exam and if I could go back to before I first started clinicals, I would’ve tried to learn as many of the instruments as I could, as well as the anatomy of each speciality because that would’ve really really helped me when learning the cases in class and in clinical. Hope this helps! 🫶🏼

[@Eaon69]

@brendajaimes101 hello! Thank you for the advice. It's much appreciated. 😊 I hope you pass the national exam!

[@alejandragalvan2086]

@@Eaon69 I am not a surgical tech and didn’t go through a surgical tech program. I’m sure some curriculum is the same but for the most part, I would suggest showing up with a positive attitude and learning as much as you can

[@Its_asiaaa]

What sites do you use?

[@alejandragalvan2086]

American mobile, Aya and medical solutions

[@jessyrowles]

Thanks for all of the advice! I had some questions for ya if you had time to answer them. Your videos are really nice that their current and you explain up to date things and nice job making it to be a surgical tech even thought it sounds like it’s been 3 years. I was wondering if you think a for profit college that costs 42,000 would be worth going to that lasts 1.5 years? Or what other things you would suggest or thing are better certificates or schools to go to? I’m in Oregon and although the pay can be better than a lot of states the school for things are soooo expensive. Thanks for any advice I’ll watch more of your videos. Thank you!

[@alejandragalvan2086]

Are you going to school to be a surgical assistant? Or tech?

[@bahiamahmoud]

Hi! Thank you so much for your videos! Do you have any idea about agencies for non travelers?

[@CrafttKing]

Please share tips on how to get started and where to go?

[@alejandragalvan2086]

@@CrafttKing check out my first KZbin video

[@cynthiawilliams6435]

How long did you work as a certified surgical technologist, before you became a CSFA? How long have you been a CSFA ? Why would you travel in North Dakota, of all states ? Do you live in North Dakota ? What is your home state ? How exactly do you go about specializing in a certain area, like orthopedics, as a CSFA ?

[@alejandragalvan2086]

@@cynthiawilliams6435 I was not a surgical tech before. I’ve been certified since 2019. The reason I chose North Dakota is because it was a really good pay package. I got my experience in different through my full time job before starting to travel. I was able to go general, plastics, ortho and OB

[@mariag3470]

😢😮😅😊❤

[@mariag3470]

😂❤😢

[@iittybittychrissy]

As a new grad may I ask what is a reasonable starting amount ?

[@kaylamaldonado5600]

Hello, Alejandra, I've seen you for a long time in your KZbin videos and I find what you do very interesting. I would like to know if we could speak privately to ask you some questions related to your profession and if you accept, how I could contact you.