Brett Bernhard

I always knew a job sitting at a desk wasn’t right for me, but discovering what career I was passionate about was a bit of a journey. I’ve played the violin since I was a kid, so I earned my bachelor’s degree in violin performance, but music wasn’t meant to be my full-time job. I turned my sights on medical school, thinking I would become a doctor. During that training, I had the chance to work with a cadaver, and that’s when I realized what I was meant to do: surgery. 

After researching all the options surrounding surgery, I landed on pursuing a career as a certified surgical technologist. To get the training I needed, I took a year of prerequisite college courses, then applied to my local community college’s surgical technology program. The program lasted a year and was a great blend of classroom work and clinical experience.

Today, I’m a certified surgical technologist on the heart team at Stormont Vail Health. I’m trained to help our surgeons perform heart, vascular (blood vessel) and lung procedures. My responsibilities can be summed up in three phases: before, during and after. Before the operation begins, I prepare by gathering supplies, setting up the room, sterilizing the space and prepping the patient and surgeon for the procedure. During the surgery, I anticipate the needs of the surgeon and hand over the necessary equipment. I know I’m doing my job well when I see what the surgeon needs before they have to ask me! After the operation is finished, I help transition the patient out of the operating room, clean the room and make notes about the surgeon’s preferences and style so I can better assist them next time. 

It’s very rewarding to contribute to the surgical team and help patients. Everyone at Stormont Vail gives their best effort to provide the highest level of care possible. I really enjoy my job and hope to become one of the best surgical techs in the workplace and mentor new technicians to help them improve too. 

If you’re considering this career, make sure you take anatomy and physiology! If learning about the human body captivates you, that’s a good sign this career path could be right for you.