Medical Device Reprocessing Technician

Fast Facts

• This program should be completed full-time or part-time

• Program Length:
  • Full-Time (5 Months)
  • Part-Time (Variable)

• This program is delivered in a classroom or online format

• Full-Time Intakes:
  • Fall, Winter

• Part-Time Intakes
  • Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring

• Students require access to a personal computer and Internet in order to complete the required courses

Your Career

Graduates may find employment as medical device reprocessing technicians, sterile processors, service aides, and in related capacities within a variety of healthcare settings. These include but are not limited to medical device reprocessing departments, operating rooms, doctor’s offices, dental clinics, surgical centers, and specialty areas at acute care, community care, and extended care facilities.

Graduates are often hired into casual positions initially, though these typically progress into full-time positions within one year of hire. In order to find employment, many graduates must relocate to meet demand, which can be anywhere throughout Alberta or Canada.

Student Success

Students who experience success in this program and profession:

• Possess basic computer literacy, including with word processing and communications platforms
  • Medical Device Reprocessing Technicians work with digital information management systems in hospital settings, and applicants must ensure they possess these skills prior to admission into the program
• Have higher secondary and/or post-secondary grades
  
• Are effective at communication in English
• Embody a high attentiveness to detail
• Enjoy working in team environments
• Are in good health and physically fit, including:
  • Good motor coordination and manual dexterity
  • The ability to both lift 40 lbs and push or pull 250 lbs on a frequent basis
  • Being able to stand or walk for long periods of time, including repeated bending at the knees and waist
• Are able to perform repetitive tasks in noisy and stressful environments
• Are not averse to shift-work or flexible, rotating schedules 
• Have no sensitivities to latex, disinfection and sterilization chemicals, or the sight of blood and human tissue

Credentials

Upon successful completion of this program, graduates will be awarded a SAIT Medical Device Reprocessing Technician certificate.

Professional Designations and Certifications

This program is recognized by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), and graduates are eligible to challenge the CSA Canadian certification exam to become recognized as a Certified Medical Device Reprocessing Technician (CMDRT).

This program also arranges for graduates to challenge the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM) certification exam for international recognition of their competencies as a Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST). The CRCST designation allows for international portability.

Please Note: Certification from either the CSA or IAHCSMM is required to practice as a MDRT in Alberta. Graduates must also produce both their MDRT certificate and high school diploma in order to challenge the CSA certification exam.

Accreditation