Student experiences
Course sequence:
There are a total of 34 credits in the program.
Modal Curriculum Table
| Number |
Course |
Credits |
| SFA 4400 |
Applied Surgical Anatomy |
4 |
| SFA 4100 |
Operative Practices and Techniques |
2 |
| SFA 4200 |
Clinical Surgical Practice I |
3 |
| SFA 4300 |
Clinical Surgical Practice II |
3 |
| SFA 4500 |
Surgical Rotation: Clinical I |
6 |
| SFA 4600 |
Surgical Rotation: Clinical II |
6 |
| SFA 4700 |
Surgical Rotation: Clinical III Surgical Specialty Concentrations |
5 |
| SFA 4800 |
Surgical Rotation: Clinical IV Clinical Observation/Grand Rounds |
2 |
| SFA 4900 |
Advanced Topics of Surgical First Assisting |
3 |
Hands-on clinical rotations
The clinical rotations offered as part of the Surgical First Assistant Program require experience in a minimum of
-
200 cases (approximately 1,150 hours) and include these surgical areas:
- General
- Orthopedics
- Neurosurgery
- Trauma
- Gynecology
- Urology
- Plastics
- Ambulatory
- Robotics
- Vascular
- Cardiothoracic
Clinical rotations will primarily be conducted at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, with a few weeks
at
various Mayo Clinic Health System sites. These rural facilities are all located within 70 miles of
Rochester
and have on-site parking for incoming learners.
In order to take the National Commission for the Certification of Surgical Assistants (NCCSA) examination,
candidates
are required to complete a minimum of 140 cases. The program's clinical experience will exceed these
requirements.
Hours
The classroom portion of the program typically includes four or more hours per day, three to five days a week.
Days and times vary based on availability of faculty and space.
The clinical schedule can vary but you will never work above 50 hours a week. The minimum case requirement will
be discussed prior to entry of the surgical suite with the minimum hour requirement being 950 hours.
Outside work
You may hold outside employment if it does not conflict with your program responsibilities.
Facilities and faculty
Learn more about the facilities and faculty of the Surgical First Assistant Program.
Facilities
Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester is an extensive outpatient complex with substantial research and education
facilities. This Mayo Clinic site is among the largest, most advanced medical centers in the world.
You spend time in the Mayo Clinic
Multidisciplinary Simulation Centers and human anatomy lab, as well as clinical time in the
surgical suites of Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester and the same-day surgical suites in the Gonda Building.
Opportunities to rotate through Mayo Clinic Health System sites will be expected based on availability.
Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester has one of the largest surgical suites in the nation with more than 120
operating rooms. Each year, Mayo Clinic surgeons perform nearly 50,000 surgical procedures — about 200 a day —
at the hospital's two campuses. The vast number and type of surgeries, in combination with a highly educated
faculty, make Mayo Clinic an ideal educational setting for students in surgical training programs.
Teaching Faculty
Sarah Penkava, Program Director
Sarah Penkava started her nursing career in 1998 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her first experience
at Mayo Clinic (2002) was in surgery, specifically with pediatric airways in ENT, ophthalmology, plastic
surgery, and oral surgery. Ms. Penkava went on to receive her Master’s in Nursing in 2009.
In 2012, the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences approved a new program to educate and train Surgical
Assistants. Sarah Penkava is the program director and has been with the Surgical First Assistant Program since
its inception. She is a Silver Quality Fellow (Mayo Clinic Quality Academy) and received her Instructor of
Nursing in 2014. Ms. Penkava is an active member of National Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA) , the
Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), and the Association of Surgical Education (ASE).
Tatum Schulz-Fischbach
Tatum Schulz-Fischbach officially joined the faculty in 2023. In 2018, Ms. Schulz-Fischbach graduated from the
University of Massachusetts with her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. After graduation, she completed
the SFA program at Mayo Clinic and was hired in the Department of Gynecology and Urology here. For the past five
years, Ms. Schulz-Fischbach has found a passion for teaching all aspects of surgery and sharing excitement for
the surgical assisting career. A couple of her favorite surgeries are robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy and
endometriosis procedures. Ms. Schulz-Fischbach continued her education and completed a Master of Arts in Health
and Human Services Administration in 2023.
Ms. Schulz-Fischbach is very active at Mayo Clinic with involvement in the HELP program, Coordinating Councils,
CSA II Advisory Council, and initiatives promoting patient safety and quality of care. She is an active member
of the National Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA).
Austin Tretter
Austin Tretter joined the faculty in 2024. Mr. Tretter graduated from the University of Minnesota Rochester in
2019 with his B.S. in Health Sciences. Following graduation, he completed the Surgical First Assistant (SFA)
program here at Mayo Clinic and was hired into our Trauma and Critical Care General Surgery (TCGS) team.
Mr. Tretter has since enhanced his surgical skills and has excelled in the SFA role in minimally invasive
surgery. He primarily works in bariatric and abdominal wall reconstruction surgery. His love for surgery stems
from his passion for anatomy and fascination with how the human body heals itself. Mr. Tretter’s enthusiasm for
working with students and fervor for the significance of the SFA role has only grown since his own time as a
student. It excites him to see others grow and master skills and become successful in the realm of surgery
Kat Zeller
Katherine Zeller joined the faculty in 2024. Ms. Zeller graduated with a masters of surgical assisting at Eastern
Virginia Medical School in 2019 with specialties in vascular and plastic surgery. She began her career at Mayo
Clinic soon after graduation and currently works on the urology and gynecology surgical services team at the
Methodist campus. During her tenure, she has also contributed as a surgical assistant recruiter and an advocate
for the surgical assistant role. Ms. Zeller is an active member of the National Surgical Assistant Association
(NSAA) and the unit coordinating council in the urology and gynecology department. She has a keen interest in
robotic surgical procedures and newer surgical advancements. With a longstanding passion for teaching and a
commitment to providing excellent patient care, Ms. Zeller is dedicated to advancing medical education and the
surgical practice.
Clinical Support Specialists:
Kam Naseer
Kam Naseer graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology from Elmhurst University in Illinois. Following
graduation, he became a surgical technologist and worked in Chicago for 3 years at Loyola Hospital. Wanting to
do more, he enrolled in a surgical first assisting program in Michigan and upon graduation, he was hired at Mayo
Clinic in 2020 in ortho plastics, and later took a float position that included general, colorectal and
gynecology. After three years, he transferred to cardiac and vascular and has been there since. Mr. Naseer's
favorite surgeries include Coronary artery bypass graft, hemi and total arch replacements.
Ashley Obele
Ashley Obele earned her biology degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2014 and completed the Surgical First
Assistant program at Mayo School of Health Sciences. With nearly a decade of experience at Mayo Clinic, she now
serves as Robotic Coordinator for Methodist Hospital (since 2023) and holds an academic appointment as an
Instructor in Surgery (effective 2025). She's also a dedicated clinical instructor, leveraging her rich
background to advance robotic curriculum for surgical assistant students. An active member of the National
Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA), Ms. Obele previously co-chaired the Surgical Assistant Advisory Committee
and is recognized as a Bronze Quality Fellow at Mayo Clinic, demonstrating her commitment to healthcare
technology and robotic surgery advancements.
Grading and evaluation
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences uses these evaluative tools: written exams, demonstration of skills, self-assessment exercises, and faculty reviews.
Our system provides students and faculty with a complete look at individual performance. Because programs are small, faculty members are partners in learning with students and closely monitor their progress. Assistance is provided whenever necessary to keep all students on track with the program's learning goals and outcomes.
Graduation and certification
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates receive a certificate of completion from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. The program requires a grade of 70 percent or greater to pass a course. All courses and clinical work must be completed consecutively; deviation from scheduled coursework is not permitted.
During the last course of the program, you are required to take national certification exams:
These exams are offered on-site for the student upon completion of the required number of clinical cases and classroom credits.