How to Become a Surgical Technician in Maine
Surgical techs serve an important function in a hospital operating room. They assist the surgeons by sterilizing equipment, setting up the operating room for the surgery and monitoring patients while the surgery is performed. The job requires knowledge and skill of the human body and the healthcare field as well as a pleasant personality since surgical techs work as part of a team with doctors, nurses and others in the surgical wing of a hospital.
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Instructions
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Enter an educational program for surgical technology in Maine. The Maine Medical Center School, Southern Maine Community College and Eastern Maine Community College are the three institutions in the state of Maine which offer a program for surgical techs. The program length ranges from one to two years and leads to a certificate or an applied associate’s degree depending upon where you attend. While it is not a requirement to graduate from one of these three programs in order to be certified in Maine as a surgical tech, attending an in-state college can make your education more affordable if you already are a resident of the state.
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Apply for the national certification exam. The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) offers a certification exam for both surgical techs and assistants. The state of Maine requires a passing score on this national exam to be certified in the state. You will need to submit an application and fee of $290 to become registered to take the exam.
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Submit supporting documents with application for certification to state of Maine. To become certified as a surgical technician in Main you must show proof that you have graduated from a surgical tech educational program. Providing a transcript showing the completion of a degree is considered proof. You will also need to submit your driver’s license and a recent, color photograph of yourself that measures two inches by two inches.
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Schedule an exam after receiving the authorization to test (ATT) letter. The ATT letter will be mailed to you once the NBSTSA has all the information they need and they approve you to take the exam. With your letter in hand you can contact the Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP) to actually schedule the date and time for the exam. Scheduling can be done online or over the phone by calling 888-519-9901.
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Arrive early on the day of the national test and bring required forms of identification. You will not be permitted to take the exam in the state of Maine if you arrive late, and this means you also forfeit your $290 registration fee. Not having two forms of ID will also prohibit you from taking the test, so make sure to bring your driver’s license, military ID, social security or passport. A student ID or employee ID card will not work. If you fail to take the test when scheduled, you will need to seek permission from the state of Maine to retest.
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Keep Maine certification current. After you receive your certification as a surgical tech in Maine, you will want to make sure you keep it current by maintaining continuing education. Failing to do so will result in you having to retake the national certification exam at a cost of $499 to get recertified.
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Tips & Warnings
The $290 certification exam fee is reduced to $190 if you are a member of the Association of Surgical Technologists.
The NBSTSA does offer a practice certification exam on their website.
You must take the national certification exam by the date listed on your ATT letter, or you will forfeit your exam fee and not be able to take the test.
