Student Experience: Alice Madden, CST, FAST

“I’ve been a surgical technologist at Methodist Dallas Medical Center since 1985, and I really enjoy my job. My first priority is patient safety. 

“Methodist Medical Center has taught me how to be a good team player. I’m the lead surgical technologist for the cardiothoracic surgery specialty. My job includes assisting the cardiothoracic surgeons with the many procedures performed at our facility. 

“As lead tech, I’m also responsible for teaching new nurses and surgical technologists as well as surgical technology students. I enjoy the teaching and learning experience that is gained from both sharing and receiving from each other. In teaching, I also learn from those whom I am precepting. I would like to thank Belinda Allen for allowing me to come back to her classes and pass on my knowledge to the students here. 

“I’ve been active in my professional organization, the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST), for years; I’ve served on the board of directors as secretary and chapter president and as secretary of the Dallas chapter, and I’ve participated in the Texas State Assembly of the AST. During Surgical Technologist Week, we celebrated and raised awareness of the surgical technologist role. This past year I surprised our technologists by inviting the president of Methodist Medical Center to have lunch with us.

“I will continue to be involved and to encourage and motivate surgical technologists to be the best they can be in all surgical specialties. I want to encourage all surgical technologists to become certified and become members of the AST and the Texas State Assembly.” 

Alice Madden, CST, FAST, earned a Surgical Technologist certificate from El Centro in 1985 and an Associate in Arts and Sciences degree from Cedar Valley in 1997. She became a nationally certified surgical technologist in 1994 and received the designation Fellow of the Association of Surgical Technologists at the organization’s national conference in 2009.

A surgical technologist at Methodist Dallas Medical Center since 1985, Ms. Madden’s areas of experience include neurology, vascular and endovascular, plastic surgery, general surgery, gynecology, endoscopy and transplant surgery.

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