Odds of Getting In
In this growing job market, you can stand out by receiving certification at schools accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The downside is there are only eight schools in the country that are accredited by this organization. But don't let that stop you.
If you're not up for spending a couple of years in Kentucky or Idaho, take the alternate route: become a surgical technologist and work your way up to being a surgical assistant. If you're flexible and willing to start wherever you can to gain experience, your odds of working as a surgical assistant are excellent.
Accreditation troubles aside, the expected growth over the next ten years in surgical assistance is thirty percent—a very rapid increase (source). Once you're able to get credentialed, you should have no problem finding your way into a position as a surgical assistant.