The Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) was established in 1969 with the mission of ensuring quality patient care. Today, AST is proud to acknowledge more than 55,000 members and represents the interests of more than 80,000 practitioners nationwide. AST actively promotes education for the profession; legislatively advocates for practitioner recognition; supports state-level constituent organizations; and has committed to students as the future of the profession. As the oldest and most widely recognized professional organizations for surgical technologists, AST's primary purpose is to ensure that surgical technologists possess the knowledge and skill sets to administer the highest quality of care for every patient. Aeger primo!