(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Surgical Technology program partnered with Stryker Trauma on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to host an open house for a mock cadaver lab at the Harlingen campus.
The event gave the public, surgeons and healthcare professionals an opportunity to explore surgical training.
Visitors toured the facility and learned about the program’s training environment, surgical instrumentation and procedures used in orthopedic trauma care.
“Our program wanted to demonstrate how industry collaboration enhances the learning experience by connecting lab instruction with new technologies, instrumentation and surgical procedures used in today’s operating rooms,” said Yolanda Ramirez, TSTC’s Surgical Technology program team lead.
Chantelle Grant, regional program manager for Stryker Trauma, said the demonstrations focused on orthopedic trauma and common fractures.
“One of the most impactful ways we learn in healthcare is by connecting lab concepts to real clinical experiences,” Grant said. “These sessions are designed to give students and healthcare professionals a hands-on look at the technologies, instrumentation and surgical workflows they may encounter in practice.”
The open house also welcomed visitors interested in learning about the work performed by surgical professionals.
Jimena Ruiz Montemayor, a resident of Olmito taking college courses through an online university, learned about the open house by her cousin.
“I wanted to learn more about anatomy and this medical profession,” she said. “I appreciated the hands-on demonstrations from the medical experts and how they engaged with everyone.”
Ross Chapel, an orthopedic surgeon at Rio Grande Regional Hospital, said it was great to see that the open house gave students a chance to observe and understand mock surgical procedures.
“It was important that the public received early exposure to lifelike events and in a real-time setting,” Chapel said. “It is massively beneficial for them, getting hands-on practice and exposure to the different surgical tools.”
Ramirez said she hoped the event helped people better understand the role surgical technologists play in the operating room.
“This partnership demonstrates how collaboration between technical education and industry can support students and the Rio Grande Valley’s health care workforce,” she said.
For more information about TSTC, visit TSTC.edu.