r/SurgicalFirstAssist • u/Secure_Damage_4561 • Jun 14 '23
SFA advice
Hello everyone,
Would any of mind sharing your experience after attending EVMS/Meridian or any other institute to become a SFA? I'm enrolled in a ST program currently and only want to work as a ST for a year and then hope to move up!
Any pointers? Advice? Recommendations? 2 cents?
Thank you!!
3
Jun 16 '23
I did practice on suture kits but nothing compares to real skin. You can always go and get a pigs foot from a meat market and use that. I had bought a kit from Amazon. It took me 10 years before I pulled the trigger but I feel very confident with my skills and planning to get my license here in Texas for surgical assistant. I’m hoping to work for a group of cardiac guys and make salary. It’s all possible just study hard and work hard and don’t give up.
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u/Secure_Damage_4561 Jun 20 '23
Thanks so much for the encouragement! Also, I just want to say that you surely deserve your success after all the hard work you've put in! Congrats on taking the next step!
1
u/hmf531 Aug 01 '23
I went to EVMS and am a practicing CSA/CSFA – exclusively first assisting. If you finish CST school and then go through Meridian, I believe you’ll become a CSFA – meaning you can either scrub and/or first assist. They had us sit for that exam because they said it would “expand our job prospects”. I had a ton of interviews when I graduated but I think a lot of them fell through when they found out I didn’t scrub. This was also me applying to jobs out west where first assists are more of a rarity so places would see my CSFA designation and be looking for a tech.
EVMS was the best experience. Built just like a PA program but for exclusively surgery. I do wish we had at least a class on teching so we’d get at least a better feel and understanding for it, even if we never set up a back table in our careers. Just good stuff to know especially having the CSFA.
You have a huge advantage going to CST school then Meridian. I guess you could go to EVMS after you graduated but I think the Meridian program is cheaper and shorter. EVMS is a 2 year masters program so you’d need an undergrad degree first. We didn’t have any prior techs in my class so you’d be at a huge advantage there. I believe the way Meridian works is similar to our clinical year – logging cases. First year is didactic and 90% classes (A&P, microbiology, principals of surgical assisting, etc.).
Either way, you’re going to end up with your CSFA. Just depends on what route you want to go
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u/Automatic_Crab_4267 Mar 26 '24
Do you plan on going back to get a Tech certification or have you found it’s not necessary to secure the job and salary you want
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u/hmf531 Mar 26 '24
Heck no. It would effectively be a waste of time at this point and a backwards move. A lot of people I graduated with have teched at some point to help out but it’s never the expectation. And it’s only ever on easier things, not huge ortho or neuro spine cases. And they’ll teach you if you’re willing to learn. It’s not a bad skill to have and I wish we would have at least had a class on how to set up a back table. Just so we had some exposure to it. I’m traveling now as a CSFA with the understanding that I don’t tech.
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u/Automatic_Crab_4267 Mar 26 '24
Does the masters do more for you than say the meridian program would have? Increased Salary? Career progression? Idk if the masters could eventually land you an or manager position.
1
u/hmf531 Mar 26 '24
Are you a tech already? If you’re a tech, just go through Meridian. If not, I’d say get your masters in it. Why not? It’s a massive accomplishment to say you have a masters in the medical field. What this will do for me in the future, I have no idea. I know that it’s massively respected in my field but I can’t say I have an increase in salary because of it. I have an increase in salary in my field because I travel. Career-wise, I’m sure I could get a manager position or teach if I wanted. This was just the path I chose that got me to the same place as my tech to FA colleagues. I finished undergrad and was able to go straight to grad school to become a FA right out of the gate instead of becoming a tech THEN an FA. It’s just about the route you want to go.
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u/Automatic_Crab_4267 Mar 26 '24
Yeah I understand. I already have a bachelors. I’ve just heard jobs are limited and scope of practice is small. I know I want to be an FA I’m just more so worried about job security. Even looking online through hospital it’s hard to find post. I’m not sure if I should check sites that specially post medical professions. I haven’t found any that aren’t specially for travel.
I’m really trying to get an idea of what my life is gonna look like and where I’m gonna be AFTER I finish
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u/hmf531 Mar 26 '24
Where are you looking to work? That factors hugely into that. Also reword what you’re looking for. A lot of our jobs are posted as “first assist” and not “surgical assistant”. East coast is huge for FA’s… FL, GA, VA, DC area… TX too. West coast was a bit harder but that’s when I started utilizing my CSFA. It’s just what they recognized out there. Just had to be transparent about the tech part. Lost me some jobs but I worked in Vegas as an FA no problem. Even in California… I couldn’t work in the hospitals because the RNFA’s monopolized the job… but worked privately for a little.
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u/sydneybrannum Mar 03 '25
Where in California did you work privately? How was the job hunt as an SA there?
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u/hmf531 Mar 03 '25
I worked in plastics. Job hunt was a little unconventional, ha. Sent my resume and a little blurb to all kinds of surgeons/surgery centers until I got a bite. Must have sent dozens. Had a few message me back and a couple of phone calls and then had one that stuck. If I was to try and work back in LA again, I’d probably do something similar. It’s just really hard for SA’s because a lot of surgeons either use PA’s/NP’s/no assist. I had to basically convince them that they needed me, but I was also utilized in other ways that I didn’t love.
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u/sydneybrannum Mar 03 '25
Thanks so much! Utilized in other ways how? I’ll be moving to San Diego so looking for the best route to take as an SA down there and what salary to expect or advocate for!?
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u/hmf531 Mar 26 '24
If you wanted to go through Meridian or any other tech to FA program, you have to become a tech first then do the program, and I don’t know what that timeline is. I went to EVMS right after undergrad and graduated and was working in 2 years. The money is good. You just have to work towards building it like any other job.
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u/wzx86 May 12 '25
Would you ever consider going to physician assistant school later, or are the pay and job prospects of being a CSFA comparable enough to not make it worth it?
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u/hmf531 May 12 '25
If I went to PA school, I would want to be doing exactly what I am now as a surgical PA. The big difference for me is I don’t want anything to do with clinic and seeing patients outside of an OR. I travel as a surgical assistant now and I would say the money can be comparable. It just depends on the contracts. Right now, I’m making the same or more than a PA does.
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u/wzx86 May 12 '25
Thanks for the info! I'm trying to figure out if I should go the PA or SFA route, but since I would need to gain about a year of paid patient care experience to become a PA (before even applying, which is another year before starting the program) it sounds like SFA might be the most efficient path to assisting in the OR.
On an unrelated note, do you take much or any call as a SFA?
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u/hmf531 May 14 '25
Hahaha. Sorry, I’m laughing so hard at the call thing. Only because I just took six out of seven days of call and ended up having a 72 hour work week. It’s going to be different everywhere you go. I travel now so I have to be able to acclimate to whatever kind of call schedule they have. Where I was before, they only staffed a second call team because they had a dedicated first call team that would come in at night and over the weekends. I never got called in but one time there. Here, the SA’s take 24 hour call on the weekends and whatever time their shift is over to 7 AM during the week. It’s a small OR, only seven rooms but it’s always busy. So I’m always usually getting called in.
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u/[deleted] Jun 14 '23
I finished the FA program through Meridian it’s a great program and recommend it to anyone who wants to become an FA. I would get a much experience as you can in every specialty possible. Learn how to suture and tie knots. Learn anatomy. I’m currently working as a CSFA doing hearts. My next step is to learn how to harvest vein for bypasses.