Earn CE Now

As part of AST’s mission to provide you with continuing education opportunities.

The new CE Booklet that offers 18 CE credits for $30 to
AST members is now available online. It will be mailed out to all AST
certified members in mid-July.

To download the collection of 18 CE articles, please click here. (2 MB)
To dowload the exams and answer sheets, please click here.

More CE Opportunities
We offer the AST Online CE Resource Center.
Please visit the Earn CE Now page.

Recommended Standards of Practice

AST’s Recommended Standards of Practice are recommendations or guidelines that are purposefully broad, with the intent that they be serviceable in a wide variety of settings in which surgical technologists are employed.

The current AST Recommended Standards of Practice is an officially adopted statement of the House of Delegates of the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) as of May 31, 1997. This document is currently under review by the national Education and Professional Standards Committee. A new document will be presented to the House of Delegates upon completion of this review process.

To learn more about why this document is important in legal situations, read this article written by Ben Price, CST, BA, AST director of government affairs:

The Surgical Technologist, Vol 38, No 9, September 2006, Legislative Update

Continuing Education

For information about AST’s ongoing opportunities for continuing education, as well as a list of approved CE providers and an explanation of AST’s provider approval policies, please visit the Continuing Education page.

Interested in being a speaker at conference?
Or do you know someone who would be a good speaker?
Download this Speaker Profile Packet.

Scholarships

There are numerous scholarships available for students in CAAHEP-accredited programs and for experienced practitioners who want to advance their education or participate in medical mission work. Visit the Scholarships page.

National Honor Society

The AST National Honor Society honors outstanding students who strive to achieve the very best in their education and promote the profession as a whole.

Find a School

Please visit the Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology (ARC-ST) web site for a list of CAAHEP-accredited programs.

Accreditation

Click here for a list of frequently asked questions about accreditation. For additional information, please visit the ARC-ST website.

Galaxy Program

AST honors educators who want to ensure their students are successful after graduation by promoting student membership in AST. Educators and schools are awarded Amazon.com gift certificates. Read more about the Galaxy Program.

Educator Resources

AST’s Continuing Education Department is proud to offer educators its Center for Teaching Excellence.

Educator of the Year Awards

Each year, AST recognizes three outstanding educators. For award criteria, nomination forms and more information - including the new award for new educators, click on Educator of the Year Awards.

Program Assessment Exam

The Program Assessment Exam (PAE) was developed for use by programs as one component of the Outcomes Based Accreditation system as established by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology (ARC-ST). For more information, please visit the Program Assessment Exam page.

Publications

All instructors in CAAHEP-accredited programs receive three complimentary publications from AST:

• The Surgical Technologist journal;
• Instructors Newsletter; and
• ASTSA News (formerly Student Connection), the student association newsletter.

Please visit the Publications page.

Promote the Profession

The annual celebration for National Surgical Technologist Week is held the third week of September. To learn more about this and other ways surgical techs are educating their communities and celebrating the profession, visit Promote the Profession.

Career Center

Connect to job listings from throughout the country in AST’s Career Center.

Learning Products

AST can provide you with numerous educational resources, including textbooks, training DVDs, and more, to assist you in the classroom. Please visit the AST Online Store.

Online Discussion Board

Educators can share ideas and connect with colleagues across the country on one of two AST online discussion boards.