News about Surgical Technology
10.08.2021
Surgical technology program receives continuing accreditation
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s surgical technology program was granted continuing accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Upon recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, the commission found the college’s surgical technology program to be in compliance with all of its accreditation standards and guidelines, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur in 2031. The approval was granted during the commission’s Sept. 17 meeting.
General Information Nursing & Health Sciences Surgical Technology
09.03.2021
Nursing & Health Sciences: ‘Your path to a thriving career’
“If a career in a health care setting is your calling, your path to a thriving career starts right here at Penn College,” says dental hygiene student Dacia James, who leads a virtual tour of the School of Nursing & Health Sciences. The Williamsport resident (aided by Ally K. Swartz, a paramedic technician major from Bellefonte, and Alexia O. Zelenevskaya, a dental hygiene student from Ephrata) guides viewers through an 11-minute exploration of paramedic, physician assistant, dental hygiene, nursing, physical therapist assistant, surgical technology, radiography and applied health studies, as well as the school’s newest majors: health science and allied health.
Allied Health Applied Health Dental Hygiene Emergency Medical Services/Paramedic Faculty & Staff Health Science Nursing Nursing & Health Sciences Physical Therapist Assistant Physician Assistant Radiography Students Surgical Technology
08.16.2021
Director of College Health Services appointed
Pennsylvania College of Technology has named Wendie L. Snyder, an alumna with 25 years’ experience in a variety of roles in the health care profession, director of College Health Services.
Snyder, who began her duties Aug. 11, comes to Penn College from Geisinger Health System, where she had been an operations manager for outpatient surgery clinics including dental medicine; oral maxillofacial surgery; vascular surgery; and plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. She also has served as clinic nurse supervisor for the plastic surgery outpatient clinic at Geisinger and registered nurse manager for the general surgery outpatient clinic at Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg.
Alumni Faculty & Staff Nursing Nursing & Health Sciences Students Surgical Technology
07.02.2021
‘Tomorrow,’ the world!
Penn College’s “My Tomorrow” program (June 21-24 and June 28-July 1) opened middle-schoolers’ minds to a variety of vocational possibilities through hands-on activities and faculty-led sessions. The initiative, sponsored by the Soars Family, exposed students to a number of prospective careers – such as engineering, business and hospitality, the arts, and health sciences – as well as giving them a jump on charting their paths to success and satisfaction.
Alumni Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts Building Construction Business, Arts & Sciences Diesel & Power Generation Engineering Technologies Faculty & Staff General Information Heavy Equipment Information Technology Natural Science Nursing Nursing & Health Sciences Physical Therapist Assistant Plastics & Polymer Radiography Surgical Technology
07.02.2021
Surgical Technology student receives scholarship
The Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting recently selected Pennsylvania College of Technology student Maddie Newell as one of its 2021 scholarship recipients.
Newell, of Selinsgrove, plans to complete an associate degree in surgical technology in August and continue her Penn College education toward a bachelor’s degree in applied health studies.
Nursing & Health Sciences Students Surgical Technology
04.26.2021
Clinical director of surgical technology earns doctorate
Elizabeth S. Gizenski, clinical director of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s surgical technology program, recently earned a Doctor of Healthcare Administration degree from Walden University.
Gizenski’s dissertation, titled “Newly Licensed Registered Nurse Generation Cohorts and Retention in First Registered Nurse Positions,” evaluated the association between newly licensed registered nurses by generational cohorts and newly licensed RNs who plan to leave or have left their first nursing position.
Faculty & Staff Nursing & Health Sciences Surgical Technology
09.08.2020
Alumnus, corporate partner deliver new technology to college
A Pennsylvania College of Technology alumnus, now senior clinical engineering director for UPMC in the Susquehanna region, collaborated with a DuBois-based provider of pre-owned medical equipment to place highly valued technology into the hands of health science students.
James R. Fedele facilitated the donation of a GE Medical Systems C-Arm and workstation through a partnership with KMA Remarketing Corp. The technology will afford students the opportunity to learn through hands-on, simulated experiences in the instructional setting, which will increase their efficiency in clinical operating rooms.
Alumni Applied Health Nursing & Health Sciences Radiography Students Surgical Technology
06.25.2020
Expecting the unexpected in the OR
A “typical week” is anything but for alumna Alexis I. Ashby, a certified surgical technologist for UPMC Williamsport, whose Penn College education has prepared her well for the unpredictable ebb and flow of cases through the hospital’s operating rooms. In a newly published blog post, Ashby – who holds an associate degree in surgical technology (2018) and a bachelor’s in applied health studies: surgical technology concentration (2020) – sensitively expresses appreciation for her life and gratitude for the opportunity to improve others’ lives. “I have done tracheotomies in the ICU, emergency bowel resections at 3 in the morning and leg amputations on those too young to be without,” she writes. “As a surgical technologist, you are a part of an amazing system of saving lives and impacting those who are not always aware of your impact on their health and well-being.”
Alumni Nursing & Health Sciences Surgical Technology
09.16.2019
Students celebrate National Surgical Technologists Week
Celebrating their inner superheroes, students in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s surgical technology major are joining hospitals and colleges throughout the country in observing National Surgical Technologists Week, Sept. 15-21.
National Surgical Technologists Week is a promotional event of the Association of Surgical Technologists to celebrate those who work in the field.
Nursing & Health Sciences Students Surgical Technology
08.29.2019
Surgical technology graduates achieve 100% board pass rate
Every August 2019 graduate of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s surgical technology major has conquered yet another educational milestone: passing the Certified Surgical Technologist examination on the first attempt.
Surgical technologists are an integral part of the operating room team. They prepare operating rooms and equipment, ensure a sterile environment and patient safety, and assist doctors during surgeries. The work demands attention to detail and knowledge of surgical procedures.
Alumni Nursing & Health Sciences Surgical Technology
08.08.2019
Simulated medical cases guide students toward real-life care


Physician assistant students recently visited the surgical technology lab for the last of three simulated patient cases that allowed them to participate as care providers in the emergency room, as operating room assistants and as hospitalists. Students in the ER role encountered the patients, portrayed by nursing students. They diagnosed their patient’s malady and recommended treatment. In the surgical technology lab, Scott A. Geist, director of surgical technology, led OR students through a hands-on simulation of the recommended surgery. Students acting as hospitalists then provided follow-up care.
Faculty & Staff Nursing Nursing & Health Sciences Physician Assistant STEM Students Surgical Technology
06.24.2019
From living space to makerspace, summer visitors have their hands full
A dozen residential Pre-College Programs and a daytime Creative Art Camp brought hundreds of young women and men to Penn College’s campuses in mid-June, providing hands-on entry to the myriad career opportunities reflected in the institution’s postsecondary curriculum. Keeping campers (and PCToday photographers) busy in recent days were these fun learning opportunities, some of which involved culminating projects: Architecture Odyssey, Autism Spectrum Post-Secondary Interest Experience (ASPIE), Automotive Restoration, Aviation, Building Construction (new this year), Creative Art Camp, Engineering, Future Restaurateurs, Graphic Design Summer Studio, Grow & Design Horticulture, Health Careers, Information Technology and SMART (Science and Math in Real-world Technologies) Girls.
Alumni Architecture & Sustainable Design Art & Graphic Design Aviation Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts Building Construction Business & Hospitality Business & Hospitality Management Collision Repair & Restoration Construction & Design Technologies Dental Hygiene Electronics & Computer Engineering Technology Emergency Medical Services/Paramedic Engineering Design Technology Faculty & Staff Health Information Technology Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Information Technology Landscape/Horticulture Makerspace Nursing Nursing & Health Sciences Occupational Therapy Assistant Physical Therapist Assistant Physician Assistant Radiography Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications Surgical Technology Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies Welding
05.16.2019
College employees recognized in end-of-semester tradition
Pennsylvania College of Technology celebrated the contributions and commitment of its staff and faculty during an Employee Recognition Week gathering on May 16.
As part of an all-college meeting to end the spring semester, President Davie Jane Gilmour presented Distinguished Staff, Excellence in Academic Advising and Outstanding Assessment awards, as well as recognizing retirees, members of the Quarter Century Club, and employees hitting the 30- and 35-year plateaus during the 2018-19 academic year.
Alumni College Relations Dining Services Faculty & Staff Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Nursing & Health Sciences Plastics & Polymer Surgical Technology
04.25.2019
Mock crisis authentically adds to interdisciplinary preparedness
Students from Penn College’s School of Nursing & Health Sciences and School of Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications joined area law enforcement, emergency management and health care professionals in a recent simulation at UPMC Susquehanna Williamsport Regional Medical Center and a variety of other locations.
The college’s paramedic program has participated in the drill since its inception, and this year, the School of Nursing & Health Sciences decided to participate schoolwide to provide an interdisciplinary learning opportunity. The school had conducted its own Interdisciplinary Professional Experience on campus for several years.
Dental Hygiene Emergency Management & Homeland Security Emergency Medical Services/Paramedic Nursing Nursing & Health Sciences Occupational Therapy Assistant Physical Therapist Assistant Physician Assistant Radiography Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications STEM Students Surgical Technology
03.12.2019
Pre-College Programs to enrich participants’ summer experience
Building construction has been added to the abounding schedule of pre-college initiatives offered at Pennsylvania College of Technology, hands-on summer activities that mirror the nationally renowned opportunities afforded postsecondary students.
“Our Pre-College Programs offer living and learning experiences in which students have opportunities to explore unique academic interests in a state-of-the-art environment,” said Deborah B. Wescott, manager of conference and guest relations. “It’s a chance to work and make connections with industry leaders, meet and mingle with your peers, and establish a path that could lead to all sorts of future possibilities.”
The signup deadline is May 31 for the institution’s 12 residential programs and its one day camp.