Tech is Precision—
Before a surgeon makes the first incision, the operating room is already in motion.
Instruments are counted, the sterile field is prepared and every member of the surgical team knows their role.
For surgical technologists, that level of precision doesn’t happen by chance. It comes from hours of hands-on practice, repetition and learning to think one step ahead.
“We need to be mind readers because we’re always trying to predict what our surgeon is going to ask for next,” Nicole Sexton, surgical technology program director at Moraine Park Technical College, said. “We also have to predict the future because we’re always anticipating the next move or what might be needed for the surgery.”
Often working just inches from the patient, surgical technologists maintain the sterile field, prepare instruments and assist the surgical team throughout each procedure. While nurses focus on patient care, surgical technologists serve as the experts in sterility, helping prevent surgical site infections and ensuring every procedure runs safely and efficiently.
“If you like to be part of what’s happening instead of hanging out in the background, then surgical technology is the place for you,” Sexton said. “It applies a lot of critical thinking. Things are always changing, and you’re always on the move.”
Inside Moraine Park’s Surgical Technology lab, students spend hours practicing the fundamentals until the skills become second nature.
“We’re training our brain to do things a certain way—to not do movements that we’re used to doing, like touching our head or adjusting our glasses,” Sexton said. “We practice those initial skills in the lab before students go into the clinical setting so they’re safe for real-life patients.”
That combination of classroom instruction, lab practice and clinical experience made all the difference for Jacob Schreiber, a 2026 graduate of the program and Moraine Park’s 2026 Student of the Year.
Schreiber entered the program looking for a more hands-on role in health care after working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in a COVID intensive care unit.
“I wanted a more direct way to help people and actually see that same impact right away,” Schreiber said.
As a student, he quickly immersed himself in both the classroom and clinical settings, applying what he learned on the job while helping classmates connect classroom lessons to real-world surgical experiences.
“I co-nominated Jacob for Student of the Year because he has always gone above and beyond,” Sexton said. “He started applying his surgical technology knowledge right away in his first year, which enabled him to become a mentor for his classmates. He helped bridge what they were learning in the classroom with what he was already applying in the field.”
While working as an OB surgical tech, Schreiber assisted during a cesarean section for a mother who was terrified after a previous difficult birth experience.
“She went from being scared and shaking before the procedure to a lot calmer,” Schreiber said. “By the end, she was hugging the staff and saying she really appreciated it. Being able to make that big of a difference confirmed that I chose the right career.”
Experiences like that are exactly what Sexton hopes every student gains before graduation.
The Surgical Technology program continues to evolve alongside the health care industry with updated curriculum, innovative teaching strategies and new learning spaces that prepare students for today’s operating rooms.
Learn more about the Surgical Technology program.
