A Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Surgical Technology ​student with local ties recently attended the ​Association of Surgical Technology’s 2023 National Surgical Technology Conference, held in Chicago, and returned home as a National Champion after winning the annual Scrub Bowl competition. One of the students was Ashlee Howard from Melcher-Dallas.

Each year, surgical technology students from across the country compete in the Scrub Bowl, which is played in a game-show format and tests students’ knowledge across a variety of categories that make up the national certification examination in surgical technology. 

The categories include Surgical Pharmacology, Anatomy, Microbiology, Aseptic Technique, Sterile Technique, Law and Consents, Surgical Procedures, Instrumentation, Preoperative, Intraoperative, Postoperative Technique and more. Each competing team is made up of three students, with two active participants and one alternate. The alternate is allowed to switch out with either of the other two participants between competition rounds.

Ashlee Howard is pictured on the right.