Every surgery in Bakersfield depends on work that happens before the first incision: instruments cleaned, inspected, sterilized, and tracked by sterile processing technicians. It's one of healthcare's most essential — and most overlooked — career paths.

Kern County's surgical footprint keeps growing, with Adventist Health Bakersfield, Kern Medical, Dignity Health's Memorial and Mercy hospitals, and a rising number of outpatient surgery centers all operating sterile processing departments.

For students who want a healthcare career without direct patient care, sterile processing offers hospital employment in under a year of training.

Imagine America has partnered with High Desert Medical College (HDMC) in Bakersfield, CA, whose Sterile Processing Technician program prepares students for the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) exam through HSPA — the credential hospital sterile processing departments look for.

About Imagine America Foundation (IAF)

The Imagine America Foundation (IAF) is a nonprofit organization supporting students pursuing career-oriented education at recognized trade schools and career colleges across the U.S. Since 1982, the Foundation has helped students navigate the financial aspects of technical and vocational training.

IAF provides scholarship programs including the Imagine America High School Scholarship for graduating seniors, the Adult Skills Education Program (ASEP) for adult learners, and the Military Award Program (MAP) for veterans. The Foundation also offers financial literacy guidance, career exploration tools, and resources for choosing the right program.

Over $10 million in tuition assistance is provided annually to students attending career and technical colleges nationwide.

Start Your Sterile Processing Career with High Desert Medical College

HDMC's Sterile Processing Technician program runs 32 weeks and 830 clock hours — including a 400-hour clinical externship inside a working sterile processing department. The hybrid format pairs online theory with on-campus labs.

• 32-week program — 830 clock hours with a 400-hour clinical externship
• CRCST exam preparation through HSPA
• Hybrid format: online theory plus hands-on campus labs
• No prior healthcare experience required

What You'll Learn

Students learn decontamination, instrument inspection and assembly, sterilization methods, surgical instrumentation identification, inventory management, and infection control standards — then apply it all during a 400-hour externship in a real central sterile department.

Certification and Credentials

Graduates earn a Certificate of Completion and are prepared to take the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) exam through the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA) — the industry's recognized credential.

Where Sterile Processing Techs Work

Sterile processing technicians work in hospital central sterile departments, outpatient surgery centers, and dental and specialty clinics. Experienced techs advance into lead, supervisor, and instrument coordinator roles — or use the field as a stepping stone toward surgical technology.

Career Outlook in Kern County

With multiple hospital systems and a growing ambulatory surgery market, Bakersfield offers steady demand for certified sterile processing technicians — a field where certification meaningfully raises both hiring odds and pay.

Training Services

• Decontamination Procedures
• Surgical Instrument Identification & Assembly
• Sterilization Methods & Monitoring
• Infection Control Standards
• Inventory & Supply Chain Management
• Sterile Storage & Distribution
• Clinical Externship (400 hours)
• CRCST Exam Preparation (HSPA)

Frequently Asked Questions

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