A spotlight on Allina Health’s Surgical Technologist Apprentice program

[Allina Health Newsroom, July 30, 2025] “I was just looking for a career change,” said Meng Xiong, pharmacy technician at Allina Health’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital. He considered returning to school to advance his career but wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to pursue. Working in the health care industry and being familiar with its various roles, Meng started connecting with colleagues to learn more about their careers. 

The resulting conversations helped him to pin down what he wanted to do to advance his career -Meng wanted to be a certified surgical technologist. An integral part of a surgical team, a surgical technologist ensures that the operating room (OR) environment is safe, the equipment functions properly and procedures take place under conditions that maximize patient safety.  

Meng was planning on enrolling in an external surgical technologist program at a local technical college when a colleague told him he could obtain the same certification through Allina Health’s new Surgical Technologist Apprentice (TA) program. 

Meng applied for the program’s pilot cohort at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in August 2024 and was hired along with five others.  

Allina Health Surgical Technologist Apprentice Program 

The first of its kind in Minnesota, the STA program was created due to a significant hiring gap for certified surgical technologists across Allina Health sites and throughout the nation. Certification can be earned in about 10 months through the paid, full-time, intensive training program. A certification can take up to two years through an external organization.  

To create the two-phase training model Allina Health partnered with MedCerts, an official online surgical technologist school. The first phase of Allina Health’s STA program is about 16 weeks and includes the MedCerts virtual training, lab time (including lectures, activities, in-services, hands-on skills, check-ins and more.) with educators at Allina Health Commons, and hands-on training in an Allina Health OR with preceptors.  

Upon completing the first phase of the program and passing the National Center for Competency Testing, Tech in Surgery – Certified (NCCT TS-C) exam, apprentices move to the second phase of the program as surgical technologist orientees spending roughly six months in the OR with preceptors to complete the rest of their training and orientation.  

“Monday through Friday, we're in the OR scrubbing in and doing the role of a surgical technologist,” said Meng. Allina Health’s Surgical Technologist Apprentice program allows participants to advance their career quickly, and instead of paying tuition and attending school during non-working hours, participants are paid an hourly wage for their training and hands-on work in the OR occurring during work hours.  

Meng also appreciated that he was still able to pick up hours and move to a casual role in his pharmacy technician job at Abbott Northwestern Hospital while participating in the STA Program.  

Poised for career growth, now and later 

Once certified, the apprentice is moved into an open surgical technologist position at their Allina Health site. This is where they complete the rest of their training and orientation. 

Meng was the first to complete the program in April 2025. Now a certified surgical technologist, he works at Abbott Northwestern Hospital on the spine team.  

On any given day, Meng can be found setting up the OR for a myriad of spine surgeries. “We set up the room, the table and all the tools and instruments for the surgeons,” he said of his typical day as a certified surgical technologist. “We prep the patient, make sure everything is sterile and help the surgeon and PA glove and gown to prepare for the surgery.” 

Becoming a surgical technologist makes for a well-rounded experience with opportunities to learn and grow in the role as one works with different surgeons or different specialties.   

There's always going to be a need for surgical techs,” says Meng. “There’s room to grow and learn with multiple specialties like orthopedic, OB/GYN and general surgery.”  

Meng enjoys his current work with the spine team, but he knows that if he were to switch specialties, his colleagues at Allina Health will be there for him.     

If a surgical technologist decides to join a new team with Allina Health, they’re fully trained on the new surgeries and new instruments. “They don't leave you by yourself with the surgeon, you have a preceptor in there with you, and they help train you until you’re comfortable on your own.” 

It’s worth it  

"I'm really grateful for this position. Just to be part of the team, to be part of working alongside the surgeon,” said Meng. “The opportunity has been amazing. I get to see how someone’s spine looks before surgery and I get to see how it looks afterwards, and I get to see the amazing job that the surgeon did.”

For individuals looking to advance their health care career, Meng suggests considering the STA program. “It’s hard, but if you put the time and the effort into really learning and having the mindset to take care of the patient, this is the program that allows you to do that.”

Of being part of the program, he says “It is rewarding at the end. It's hard at first, but it's worth it.”