Sowela Boosts Surgical Skills with Big Lab Upgrade

Sowela’s Technical Community College‑Morgan Smith campus has spent $350, 000 on new surgical technology and sterile processing labs. The investment creates more space for hands‑on learning, giving students a chance to practice in settings that look like real hospitals. The surgical technology lab now has six simulation rooms and ten stations with mannequins that feel like real tissue. Each station is fitted with 4K cameras so students can record their work and review it later. This helps them spot mistakes, think critically, and get better at each task.

Students say the simulations feel real. One trainee explained that the training shows how a day in an operating room really looks, with all its pressures and teamwork. Another student noted that the labs teach them to stay calm under stress and communicate clearly when a doctor is watching. The sterile processing lab gives technicians practice in cleaning, inspecting, assembling and storing instruments the way hospitals do. It has sinks, a pass‑through window and six packing stations. Students learn to anticipate which tools doctors will need and make sure they are ready. Both programs grow fast because more people want health jobs after the pandemic and as many older adults retire. Graduates from Sowela’s allied‑health courses are entering fields where demand is high in the region.

Actions