“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Winston Churchill

I get seriously scared when I think about this journey I am embarking on. I wish I could go back a few years and had done this then. I think it would of been less scary. However that is not possible, so I am staying positive.

I look at the benefits of completing this journey

1. The feeling of accomplishment.
2. The fact that I love science and medical things and always have.
3. When I finish I should be able to get a job.
4. Job security as the need for surgical tech’s is continuing to grow; along with that is the pay is pretty good.
5. Secure a better future for Zoe. If she wants to go to college we will be able to help her and avoid excessive student loans.
6. Work for at least 10 to 15 years.

The idea of being away from Jay and Zoe I think scares me more than the actual going back to school. But if I get into the program I want (fingers crossed) it is only one year long. A bonus is that it follows regular college semesters and I will get a holiday break which means being able to return to the west coast. The other choice is they come with me but the financial burden of that is so high I think we are better off staying here and Just me going.

This raises another question as to finding a decent place to live which is not too expensive. That may be difficult but not impossible. I would prefer to find a small one bedroom or even a studio. I want to avoid roommates if I can. I could get lucky but the last thing I will need is extra drama.

I know financially this is going to be hard. The school is not that expensive, very reasonable actually. But since it is far from where I am the coast of moving and as I previously said finding a place to live will be a hardship. I am working on that and i need to transfer all the money from my job into savings. I am still trying to find another job so I can make enough before i leave to ease that financial burden

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Walt Disney

Today I want to talk a little bit about accreditation. Whatever type of schooling you choose, whether it is a certificate program, or an associate degree it is very important that the school you attend is accredited by CAAHEP. The Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

Why is this so important you ask? Because in order to sit for the national examination the school must be accredited by CAAHEP.

What is accreditation and what does it mean? It basically is a way to determine the quality of the schools, the service, and programs as they are measured against accepted standards. Schools and institutions can be accredited but not individuals. CAAHEP has accredited over 2100 schools in 30 health science occupations.

www.caahep.org

The website is easy to use. Pick a program you are interested in from the drop down menu, and then choose a specific state, degree and it will list all the schools in the state that are accredited. It includes a link to school with contact information also being provided.

There is another accreditation board Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools. I did a quick search and found 46 schools listed for surgical technology. They mostly looked like the for profit schools not actual colleges. I won’t get into anything about these for profit schools other than I would avoid them. I know very little organization about this but here is a link:

https://www.abhes.org/

My plan is to journal about my life and becoming a surgical technologist. it is not easy for me to be in the public like this, however i feel as though it is important to keep an accurate record and maybe in doing so help others who also want to make this journey.

I hope to put an inspirational quote up everyday I blog. Right now I am researching various schools and hospitals that offer surgical technology programs. There are basically two options: 1. a certificate which is shorter usually around a year and, 2. An associate degree which encompasses two years of study. I am pretty sure of where I want to attend school but more on that later after I have applied and been accepted.

This journey I hope will be inspirational to others to pursue their dreams no matter what. As the famous saying goes : JUST DO IT!

“It’s never too late to be what you might of been”

GeorgeEliot