What to Expect

Television medical dramas like ER focus on the heroics of doctors and nurses. But in real life, not everyone in the emergency or operating room is a doctor or a nurse. Surgical technology students train to become an equally valuable part of the health-care team.

Gretchen Huffaker took the surgical technology program at Delgado Community College in New Orleans. She says her days were intense -- and often 10 hours long.

Her fellow student Regina Wetzel agrees. Wetzel points out that because of those 10-hour days, "we [got] to see more surgeries being completed and [were] able to seek more information from this."

The time commitment is enormous. "It is very time-consuming," Wetzel says. "One must want to really do this in order to succeed in the program. Having the support from others really helps."

Huffaker agrees. "It takes all of your time," she says. "You have no time for yourself or anyone else."

Despite the time difficulties, Wetzel is enthusiastic about what she learned. "Being in this program gives oneself so much enthusiasm to succeed in life," she says.