Surgical Technology A.A.S.

Contact Information

Program Requirements

Typical Program

Degree/Certificate:    Associate in Applied Science
HEGIS Code:            5211
SUNY Code:             1355
Major Code:             SURT

The Career

A certified surgical technologist is a highly respected, vital professional in contemporary health care. Certified surgical technologists assist with every type of surgical procedure. They prepare instruments, supplies and equipment as well as perform scrub and circulatory duties.

As a qualified certified surgical technologist (CST), the graduate will find employment opportunities in many aspects of health care. Hospitals employ the CST in surgery, emergency rooms, central supply rooms and purchasing. Because of their broad-based educational preparation and their knowledge of instruments, certified surgical technologists are often employed as purchasing agents, sterile supply supervisors, surgery schedulers and materials managers.

The SUNY Niagara Approach

The Surgical Technology (ST) program, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 35 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601, (312) 553-9355 and Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA), 6 West Dry Creek Circle, Suite 110, Littleton, CO 80120, (303) 694-9262, combines classroom and on-campus laboratory experience with off campus clinical experience at area hospitals. The on-campus laboratory has a full array of surgical instruments, supplies and equipment to realistically simulate an operating room.

The ST program consists of one prerequisite semester prior to acceptance into the ST program and three full-time core course semesters. 

The off-campus clinical education sites are Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Kaleida Health System, Catholic Health System, and Erie County Medical Center. Students are responsible for their own transportation to all off-campus clinical experiences and for parking fees associated with the facility.

Admission & Curriculum Change Requirements

Students are admitted in fall semester in the Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) Program. If eligible, students are admitted in the spring semester Surgical Technology (ST) Program, following completion of the pre-requisite courses (offered in the fall semester).  It is advisable to apply as early as possible.

All applicants must meet the following admission requirements:

1. High school diploma or equivalency diploma.
2. Applicants will be tested for Academic Foundations in reading and mathematics. To be accepted into the program, applicants must earn the minimum required score on these tests or pass the Academic Foundations course listed below. 

	If below the required score in:		Will need to pass:
	Reading		AAC 042 or ENG 099 or ENG 088*
	Mathematics		MAT 012*
*These academic foundation courses do not count toward the degree.

3. Pre-requisite semester: 
   
   The following pre-requisite courses that may be met concurrently are:
   • Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 213 E/L - both lecture and laboratory)
   • Allied Health Perioperative I (AHP 100 E/L)
   • HED elective
   • Medical Terminology (MED 134)
     • ONLY students who successfully earn a C grade or higher in the Allied Health Perioperative I (AHP 100E/L) and Anatomy and Physiology I BIO 213 E/L (both lecture and laboratory) at the end of the fall prerequisite semester, will be considered for the ST Program.
     • Acceptance into the Surgical Technology (ST) Program will occur at the end of the fall prerequisite semester for the spring semester. 
     • ONLY 50 slots will be available for the students entering the ST core courses in the Spring semester. This is determined according to the student’s successful completion of AHP 100 E/L and BIO 213 E/L (both lecture and laboratory) and the documented AHP 100 registration date.
4. If college-level courses were completed prior to the student starting in the ST program and the courses are to be used to fulfill degree requirements, a minimum ST program grade-point average of 2.0 is required.  Applicants who have questions regarding their qualifications should contact the ST Program Coordinator at Fournier@niagaracc.suny.edu.

Requirements to Remain in the Program:

Once accepted into the Surgical Technology program, continued matriculation is contingent upon:

1. An acceptable student physical examination report. Health records including a physical exam, immunizations and blood work must remain current for the entire period of enrollment in the Surgical Technology program. The student is responsible for all costs related to the physical examination report.
2. Certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) for health care providers is required prior to entering the off-campus clinical education experience in SUR 104 and must remain current throughout the program.

Policies

Grading Policy for Surgical Technology Courses: The Surgical Technology courses have two components: lecture (theory) and clinical education. A student must earn a minimum C grade in lecture (theory) and a passing grade in the clinical education component. If a student is not successful in each component, the resulting grade will be an F for the course.

Minimum Grade in Anatomy & Physiology and Microbiology Courses for Surgical Technology Students: A minimum grade of C in BIO 213 E/L (both lecture and laboratory), Anatomy and Physiology I;
BIO 214 E/L (both lecture and laboratory), Anatomy and Physiology II; and BIO 221 E/L, Microbiology, must be earned to progress in the Surgical Technology curriculum.

Repeat Policy: In the sequence of Surgical Technology lecture/clinical courses, a student who fails (F grade) may repeat only one lecture/clinical in the sequence. A student who is failing at the time of withdrawal from a lecture/clinical course (W grade) or withdrawal from the College (X grade) may repeat only one clinical course in the sequence. This policy does not affect a student who is passing a lecture/clinical course at the time of withdrawing from the course or the College.

For example:

If a student fails the first Surgical Technology course (SUR 104) on the first attempt and then passes it on the second attempt, he/she must pass all subsequent Surgical Technology courses (SUR 200 and SUR 204) on the first attempt.

If a student is failing the first Surgical Technology course (SUR 104) at the time the student withdraws from the first Surgical Technology course or from the College and then passes it on the second attempt, he/she must pass all subsequent Surgical Technology courses (SUR 200 and SUR 204).

All prerequisite Surgical Technology courses must be successfully completed before progressing to the next sequential Surgical Technology course.

All BIO courses: students have 2 attempts to be successful. Otherwise they are considered ineligible to return to Surgical Technology.

Matriculated Status: All students matriculated in the Surgical Technology program must begin the first Surgical Technology course (SUR 104) in the first semester of matriculated status. If students do not begin the first Surgical Technology course in the first semester of matriculated status, they will lose matriculated status and must reapply to the program.

Students must maintain continuous registration in Surgical Technology prerequisite and co-requisite courses to remain matriculated in the Surgical Technology program.

1. Any student who fails or withdraws from any Surgical Technology course or any prerequisite courses or co-requisite courses that are necessary for continuing in the Surgical Technology program will lose matriculated status in the Surgical Technology program.
2. Any student who does not register the following consecutive semester for the next Surgical Technology course(s) or any co-requisite courses that are necessary for continuing in the Surgical Technology program will lose matriculated status in the Surgical Technology program.

Students will be advised of their options if they lose matriculated status.

Students re-entering ANY Surgical Technology course are required to take a readmission written exam dependent upon the level they are entering, along with a skills reassessment evaluation in the Lab. They must pass the readmission written exam with a minimum of 80% and pass the skills with a satisfactory grade, otherwise they are ineligible to return to the Surgical Technology program.

Students seeking re-admission into the Surgical Technology program must contact the Surgical Technology program coordinator by October 1 to readmit into the second or fourth semester or March 1 to readmit into the first or third semester in order to begin the re-admission process.

Standard of Ethics Policy: When a student is unable to provide safe patient care and/or does not meet the ethical standards of the Surgical Technology profession, the program coordinator, upon recommendation from the Surgical Technology clinical faculty, will remove said student from the clinical education component of the Surgical Technology course. Unsafe care is defined as “placing the patient/family in clear and present danger.” The student is not eligible for re-admission into the Surgical Technology program.

Three-Year-Course Policy: If a student has taken any course with a SUR or BIO prefix three or more years before enrolling in a subsequent SUR or BIO course, the SUR or BIO course (s) must be repeated.

Surgical Technology Program Mission

The Mission of the SUNY Niagara Surgical Technology program is to give students the educational means to become academically and clinically competent as a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).

Program Goals

The goals of the Surgical Technology program is to provide students the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to function safely and efficiently in the clinical setting and gain knowledge to become employed as a surgical technologist. This will be accomplished by (1) preparing competent graduates in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains, and (2) meeting or exceeding the criteria set forth in the current CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Surgical Technology.

1. Graduate quality entry-level professionals into the field of Surgical Technology
2. Prepare competent entry-level surgical technologist in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains
3. Prepare students to sit for a nationally recognized National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) examination and become a CST as per accreditation standards
4. Prepare and provide students the opportunity to take the NBSTSA Certified Surgical Technology (CST) examination at the SUNY Niagara Sanborn campus

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Surgical Technology Program, the graduate will be able to:

• Perform as a competent entry-level surgical technologist in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective learning domains
• Demonstrate a safe level of practice and knowledge in their role as a surgical technologist
• Demonstrate and integrate the principles of asepsis into practice to protect the patient, self and the other health-care team members in the perioperative stages
• Acquire and maintain ethical, legal, moral and medical standards related to the patient and surgical team members
• Value the professional characteristics of the surgical technologist
• Integrate the knowledge of anatomy and physiology and microbiology into their role as a surgical technologist
• Apply knowledge and skills as a professional surgical technologist in the area of biopsychosocial needs of the surgical patient