Surgical Technology, AAS

Surgical Technology is a profession that continues to experience growth and demand nationwide. Surgical Technologists assist the surgeon and the Operating Room team during invasive procedures and are experts in sterile technique, surgical instrumentation, equipment, and knowledgeable in surgical anatomy, pathology, and procedures.

The Associate of Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology provides the technical and educational experiences that prepare graduates for a career in Surgical Technology and to sit for the national certification examination sponsored by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education programs (CAAHEP) under the Accreditation Review Council of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA). www.caahep.org 

Additionally, the curriculum meets the national standards for all 50 states in the USA as well as the education certification, and/or registration laws required in 18 states including: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Goals

The goal of Temple College, the program, faculty, and program advisory committee is to prepare entry-level Surgical Technologists who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (behavior) learning domain to enter the profession.

Information Sessions

Details of the program and profession are presented monthly (except March, May, and December) at information sessions that are held every second Monday at 3:00 pm in the Health Science Center. No appointment is necessary and sessions last approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

Application / Testing Cycle

Temple College’s Surgical Technology program is 17 months in length (4 consecutive semesters) and a new cohort begins each spring semester.

Each cohort has one application and testing cycle per year and conditionally accepts a maximum of 18 students per cohort. If a student is not accepted in one cycle, they must start the application process over the following year to be considered.  The program does not waitlist applicants.

Application Process

Students desiring to make application to the Surgical Technology program must follow these steps:

1. Complete the Temple College admission procedure (Note: Admission to Temple College does not constitute automatic acceptance into the Surgical Technology program).
2. Submit official transcripts from ALL colleges attended to Temple College Admission and Records.
3. Attend a Temple College Surgical Technology Information Session (See details on page 1 regarding sessions).
4. Complete Prerequisite courses with a “C” or better. Must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher in all prerequisite and co-requisite courses in the SRGT program to be eligible. (Note: You may be enrolled in prerequisite courses during the semester of application, but failure to pass any courses by required grade / date will rule one ineligible).
5. Schedule to take the ATI TEAS Test of Essential Academic Skills at the Temple College testing center or another approved academic testing center. You can only take the test twice in an academic year.
   1. All sections of the exam MUST be taken.
   2. Competitive scores are a composite of 60% or higher.
   3. Window for testing is the same as outlined in the Application Cycle on page 1 and scores must be no older than 12 months by the end of the application cycle.
6. Complete the Surgical Technology program application by the end of cycle date. Applications maybe picked up the Health Science Center or downloaded from the TC SRGT webpage. All sections of the application MUST be completed to be accepted.
   1. Provide official ATI TEAS scores with the application.
   2. Applicants are encouraged to provide unofficial transcripts along with application in order to verify courses that maybe in progress.
7. Interviews with the Surgical Technology Program Director and Clinical Coordinator will be offered to the top 24 applicants based on ATI TEAS scores, completion of Pre / Co requisites, and GPA. (Note: A manual dexterity test will be administered during the interview process).

Conditional Acceptance

The top 18 applicants will be offered a conditional seat in the upcoming cohort, with 2 other applicants receiving alternate letters. All communications regarding acceptance will be in the form of an email with official offer letter attached and the applicant MUST respond by the requested date, or they will relinquish their seat.

If conditionally accepted, you will be required to attend orientation (typically held in December) and will receive instruction on completing the following requirements:

1. Completion of all in progress pre-requisites and co-requisites with a “C” or better.
2. Provide a complete History and Physical to the department within the requested time frame, including a TB test, childhood immunizations, and annual influenza vaccine.
3. Submit to criminal background check within the requested time frame. (Note: some clinical sites may perform more extensive background checks and / or fingerprinting to be eligible).
4. Submit to pre-clinical drug testing in the requested time frame. (Note: “for cause” drug testing maybe required and/or administered anytime by a healthcare facility and failure to give permission will result in immediate dismissal from the Temple College Surgical Technology program).
5. CPR Certification by the American Heart Association (Note: American Heart is the only one accepted).

Additional Information Regarding Application and Acceptance

1. All applicants MUST be TSI complete before the start of the 1^st spring semester.
2. All applicants MUST be 18 years of age by the start of the 1^st spring semester.
3. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for courses in the prescribed pathway for an AAS in Surgical Technology and no grade of a “D” or lower will be accepted.
4. Applicants denied twice will be ineligible to apply again to the Surgical Technology program (This includes dismissal).
5. If you have been dismissed or banned from a position (whether you were an employee, volunteer, student, or in any other role) at any health care facility, you may be ineligible from clinical rotations, and disclosure to the Program Director is required to verify eligibility at current clinical affiliate sites.
6. All biology courses (Anatomy & Physiology I and II) must be no older than 5 years from the first semester in the Surgical Technology pathway.

Transfer and Readmission Policy

1. Students seeking transfer to the Surgical Technology Program at Temple College from another CAAHEP accredited program must meet ALL basic admission requirements as listed above. The Surgical Technology Program will assess courses to ensure equivalency to the AST 7^th Edition Core Curriculum and verify that they count toward the AAS degree at Temple College. The Surgical Technology Program Director will indicate which courses the student must complete in order to fulfill degree requirements. Transfer students must be in good academic and clinical standing with the transferring program.  The college confers degrees to those students who complete all degree requirements according to the Surgical Technology program of study. Acceptance of transfer students from other Surgical Technology programs depends on availability of seats within the Maximum Enrollment Capacity. Transfer students will also have to complete a written exam of foundational knowledge (passing ≥75%) and a lab skills practicum (passing ≥80%) to assess their competence level and placement.
2. Students seeking readmission to the Temple College Surgical Technology program must meet all basic admission requirements as listed AND must include a documented plan of action describing how the student intends to be successful and include areas that are directly related to previous programmatic dismissal, failure, or stop-out. Acceptance of readmission students depends on availability of seats within the Maximum Enrollment Capacity and will also have to complete a written exam of foundational knowledge (passing ≥75%) and a lab skills practicum (passing ≥80%) to assess their competence level and placement. (Note: Any student dismissed for behavioral (affective domain) issues OR is no longer eligible for clinical placement will NOT be eligible for re-entry into the Temple College Surgical Technology program).
3. All Surgical Technology courses (SRGT) be must no older than 2 years from the last semester enrolled at any surgical technology program. This applies to transfers and readmissions.

Time Commitment

The Temple College Surgical Technology program is considered a full-time program and requires an on campus / at clinical commitment of Monday through Thursday as early as 6:30 am to as late as 3:00 pm. Along with class, labs, and clinical, students will need to designate time for studies, assignments, and possibly tutoring. Personal commitments and work hours must be prioritized to ensure adequate time is available to be successful.

Requirements for Graduation

In order to graduate from the Temple College Surgical Technology program, students must meet both institutional requirements as well as accreditation requirements that include, but are not limited to:

1. Complete all coursework in the curriculum with a “C” or better with an overall GPA of a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Note: passing is ≥75% in all SRGT courses.
2. Successfully complete all clinical competencies and hours.
3. Meet surgical case experiences as outlined by AST 7^th Edition Core Curriculum: Minimum of 120 cases, with 80 in the 1^st Scrub Role, spread out between a variety of services. (See Student Handbook and Clinical Syllabi for specifics of case requirements)
4. Pass the capstone Exit Exam of Surgical Technology with a 75 or greater.
5. Challenge the NBSTSA CST exam as a cohort (more information will be given at that time)

Certification

Students will take the national certification exam through NBSTA during finals week of the last semester. Those passing the exam will be conveyed the credential of Certified Surgical Technologist (CST). Certification is required in the state of Texas by legislation to practice surgical technology. More information on this provided prior to graduation.

Student Work Policy and Safeguards

The health and safety of patients/clients, students, faculty, and other participants associated with the educational activities of the students must be adequately safeguarded. Surgical Technology students must be readily identifiable as students. All activities required in the program must be educational and students must not be substituted for staff.

Occupational Safety and Hazards

The career of Surgical Technology is not without occupational safety and hazard concerns and the applicant should be aware the following potential exposures and situations: Latex allergies, ionizing radiation, chemical fumes, musculoskeletal / ergonomics, mental demands, and pathogens.