Surgical Technology
Associate in Science
Career/Technical (Major Code: 02345)
Prepares the student to function in operating rooms under the direct supervision of physicians and nurses. A major portion of the learning experience will take place in hospital operating rooms.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
- Upon completion of the program, the student will demonstrate the ability to articulate professionally and competently in perioperative setting.
- Upon completion of the program, the student will demonstrate the ability to analyze patient data related to their surgical condition and adjust the patient's intraoperative plan of care according to the findings.
- Upon completion of the program, the student will analyze, compute and adjust operative equipment and instrument settings for the surgical patient in the perioperative setting.
- Upon completion of the program, the student will demonstrate collegiality and appropriate communication techniques when working with diverse healthcare providers and patients in the perioperative setting.
- Upon completion of the program, the student will demonstrate critical thinking skills and differentiation in provision of intraoperative care for patients from various cultural backgrounds.
| Prerequisites | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| The following courses must be taken as part of the General Education and Graduation requirement for Surgical Technology. 1 | ||
| COMM 174 | INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| BIOL 190 or BIOL 260 |
HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY or HUMAN ANATOMY |
4 |
| BIOL 265 | GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY | 4 |
| MEDOP 230 | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| Acceptance into the Surgical Technology program 2 | ||
| Units | 17 | |
| First Semester | ||
| ST 110 | INTRODUCTION TO SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY | 8 |
| ST 120 | SURGICAL LABORATORY | 4 |
| Units | 12 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ST 130 | ADVANCED OPERATING ROOM TECHNIQUES | 4 |
| ST 140 | PRACTICUM: MAJOR SURGICAL SPECIALTIES | 8 |
| ST 150 | CURRENT CONCEPTS IN SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY | 1 |
| Units | 13 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| ST 160 | PRACTICUM: SUBSPECIALTIES | 6 |
| Units | 6 | |
| Total Units | 48 | |
To earn an associate degree, additional general education and graduation requirements must be completed prior to acceptance into the Surgical Technology Program.
Note: Upon successful completion of the program, the student is eligible to apply to take the Surgical Technology Certification Examination, which is sponsored by the Association of Surgical Technologists. Passing this examination allows the individual to use the title Certified Surgical Technologist.
Some courses within this program may require additional coursework/prerequisites that must be completed prior to enrollment in these courses. Please consult the individual course listings for prerequisites and any other limitations on enrollment.
- 1
Or four semester units of equivalent courses from an accredited institution. Required science courses taken at Southwestern College have prerequisite courses of BIOL 100, BIOL 101, and CHEM 100 or CHEM 170 or equivalent.
- 2
Acceptance into the Surgical Technology program have special application requirements and deadlines.