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Have you ever wondered how college instructors get to where they are?  Here at Swedish Institute, some of our best faculty members are actually our alums!  In a rare double-interview, two of our Surgical Tech graduates share their story and journey from Swedish Institute student to graduate to instructor. 

Meet Nathaly Cruz and Travis Smith! 

Were you two in the same class?  

Nathaly: No, I was a year ahead. I met Travis in the lab.  

Travis: Yeah, she kicked my butt in the lab. We got competitive. 

How was your time here as a student?

Nathaly: My time here was fun! It was educational. Ms. Sebastian was one of my favorite instructors, and Ms. Peralta as well.  I was a Student Ambassador for the Surgical Tech program, and [I qualified for] the Federal Work-Study program, where I got to work with Tania in Alumni Services. 

Travis: I graduated in 2018. I loved working with [my instructors] Ms. Scott, Mr. Pilarte, Ms. Sebastian, and Mr. Bailey. I also became involved as a tutor and a Student Ambassador.

Tell us about your time outside Swedish Institute in the professional world. 

Travis: I got my first job right out of school. I graduated on May 18th, and by June 6th, I was already working. I did a lot: I moved around and nourished my skillset. I started by working on small cases and felt like I began to master them. Then I moved on to more complicated cases. I worked at HSS [Hospital for Special Surgery] before getting a traveler contract to go to Alaska. I spent time there, came back, and started here right away.  

Nathaly: I graduated in 2017 and got my first job right out of school at Mt. Sinai Hospital. I started there, and I’ve been working there since! I got into transplant surgeries and primarily became a transplant surg tech at Mt. Sinai. Funnily enough, Ms. Sebastian and I kept in touch, and she asked me during those years to come back as an instructor and see if I wanted a job here. But my work at Mt. Sinai took so much time that I couldn’t do it. Sadly, after Ms. Sebastian passed, I was at her wake and met with Ms. McRae and Ms. Peralta, and they invited me to join here at Swedish starting with just one day a week. I gave it a try and ended up liking it. So here I am now! 

Fast forward a few years, and you’re both Surgical Tech alumni working here at your alma mater teaching Surgical Tech students. Is it weird to be back at your old stomping grounds? 

Travis: I never envisioned myself as being a teacher. I never thought about it. I had been working as a traveler in Alaska but wanted to return to the city. I came here to visit and was asked if I wanted a job. I always taught people how to do surgical technology, but I never envisioned myself in an educational role. 

What are you teaching? 

Nathaly: Right now, I’m doing the surgical tech boot camps, which get alums and potential grads ready for their clinicals. And in the fall, I’ll be teaching more classes and labs. And Travis basically does the same. 

What’s the difference between teaching practical education and more didactic learning? 

Nathaly: They incorporate each other.  

Travis: Right – they go hand-in-hand. This is the type of field where you always have to know WHY you’re doing something, not just what to do. It defeats the purpose of your job never to learn the rationale behind why you’re doing what you’re doing. 

Nathaly: As our co-worker Ms. Gopaul says, “you’ve got to make it make sense.” 

Since it’s National Surgical Technologists Week, tell us what you think makes the Surg Tech faculty and instructor team here at Swedish so special. 

Travis: Well, as instructors, we help each other out. We all feed each other information and fill in the gaps. Not everybody knows everything. So we chip in and make sure that we all have each other’s back.  

Nathaly: Exactly. This faculty works as a team. We all help each other and pick up the slack for one another. Everyone is willing to teach and assist. If a student needs tutoring or help, we’re here for them. That’s something very special about Swedish Institute.  

What advice would you give current and future Surgical Tech students? 

Travis: School and life are different. The AST, our certifying body, wants things by the book and in a certain way. So we teach that to you. However, hospitals can be different and use shortcuts. In a hospital, you’re under a different type of pressure. So, you need to know what you’re doing and learn the meaning behind terms and skills. Otherwise, you might fall behind in a hospital setting when things change. 

Nathaly: If you don’t want to help people and just want to work for money, this isn’t the field for you. Being a Surgical Tech takes effort, and it takes care. Because more than anything, you’re a patient advocate. It’s not about you; it’s about the patient.  And that’s what puts the care into healthcare.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and grammar.