Here to Help
Our health professions specialists are here to guide you from entering Gustavus through acceptance to graduate school.
Health Professions Specialist
Melissa Banse
507-933-7583
g-healthprofessions [at] gustavus.edu (g-healthprofessions[at]gustavus[dot]edu)
Surgical First Assistant Program
The 12-month Surgical First Assistant Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, offers the best-accredited certificate training program in the Midwest. You will gain an advanced understanding of human anatomy while refining your surgical skills. This program prepares you with the knowledge and skills needed to become an effective member of a surgical team with extensive knowledge of surgical procedures, all while learning the appropriate professional standards of the role.
Surgical first assistants, or first assists, act as a second pair of hands for surgeons during surgery. They work in the operating room, assisting the surgeon with equipment, retracting incisions, stopping bleeding, and closing the incision, among other hands-on tasks during surgery.