Surgical Technology (Diploma) is a Diploma program offered by Fortis College in Houston, TX. The program takes 72 weeks to complete.
Program Overview
The Surgical Technology program is designed to prepare entry-level surgical technologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession. Graduates are provided a strong background in surgical procedures to include such areas as general, cardiac, neuro, plastic, orthopedic, vascular, genitourinary, ophthalmic, and OB/GYN surgical procedures.
Surgical Technologists are allied health professionals who are an integral part of the team of medical practitioners providing surgical care to patients. Surgical technologists work under the supervision of a surgeon to facilitate the safe and effective performance of invasive and minimally invasive surgical procedures, ensuring that the operative room environment has equipment that functions properly, and that the operative procedure is conducted under the conditions that maximize patient safety. Surgical technologists can be expected to handle surgical instruments, supplies, and equipment necessary during the surgical procedure.
Students will be provided with a background in surgical procedures in general, cardiac, neuro, plastic, orthopedic, vascular, genitourinary, ophthalmic, and OB/GYN areas of focus.
Graduates of the Fortis Surgical Technology program are prepared to seek employment as entry-level members of an operating room team, working alongside surgeons, anesthesiologists, and circulating nurses. Surgical Technicians can work in hospital operating rooms, surgical centers, delivery rooms, and medical clinics.
What sets this Program apart
- Completed in 84 instructional weeks as published in the Fortis College - Houston South catalog.
- Delivered on_campus — the mode of delivery Fortis records for this programme.
- Includes a required externship in a real workplace setting before graduation.
- Prepares you for an industry credentialing examination on completion (see Career Outcomes).
- Taught at a campus accredited by ACCSC, whose grant of accreditation covers the programmes the campus offers.
- Fortis operates 28 campuses across 14 states; this record is the Fortis College - Houston South offering, with its own schedule, price and course sequence.
Fortis describes the programme nationally like this:
- Be at least 17 years old at the start of studies
- Participate in an interview with administrative staff
- Streamlined path to earn a certificate, degree, or diploma and enter workforce
- Financial aid available for those who qualify and apply
- Earn an Associate degree in as little as 84 instructional weeks
- Learn through a hybrid form of delivery (except in Louisiana), with some courses online and others offered in a traditional on-campus environment with a mix of classroom and hands-on learning
- Participate in an off-site externship at a hospital or surgical facility, applying learned skills to real-life situations in a healthcare setting
- Learn from passionate, experienced instructors with real-world skills and a dedication to student success
Admission Requirements and Process
Entry is governed by the Fortis College - Houston South catalog. The requirements and the application steps are in the two sections below; nothing is repeated here.
General Requirements
- A high school diploma or its recognised equivalent, with documentation. Foreign credentials must be translated into English and evaluated as equivalent or higher by a NACES-member…
- You must be at least 17 years old when your programme of study starts.
- Complete an applicant information form and interview with an admissions advisor or other administrative staff.
- Achieve the campus’s published minimum score on the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam (SLE). A passing score is valid for three years; ask the campus for this programme’s minimum.
- Meet all financial obligations and complete the tuition payment requirements.
- Sign the Fortis enrollment agreement once accepted.
Application Process
- 1Speak to an admissions advisorEvery applicant is assigned an admissions advisor who explains the curriculum and policies and books the interviews you need.
- 2Submit your documentationProvide proof of high school completion and complete the applicant information form. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure Fortis receives every required document.
- 3Sit the Wonderlic SLETake the Scholastic Level Exam and reach this programme’s published minimum. Accommodations must be requested under the catalog’s policy — campus staff cannot approve them.
- 4Financial aidFortis participates in federal student aid including Pell Grants, Direct Loans, PLUS Loans and Federal Work-Study. File the FAFSA and meet the campus financial aid office.FAFSA Code for Fortis College - Houston South: 034244Complete FAFSA Application
- 5Sign the enrollment agreementAdmission decisions weigh your fulfilment of the requirements, your previous educational records and your career interests.
Program Schedule
The programme is 91 quarter credits, taught over 84 instructional weeks at the Fortis College - Houston South campus.
Mode of delivery is on_campus.
An externship course is included in this program to provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life situations in a healthcare setting. Students are required to complete the required externship hours and other related learning activities prior to graduation. Students are not paid for work performed at the externship site. All student activities associated with the curriculum, especially while students are completing clinical rotations, will be educational in nature. Students will not be substituted for hired staff personnel within the clinical institution, in the capacity of a surgical technologist. The surgical technology student must complete a minimum of 120 surgical cases while on externship. Academic Progression In addition to meeting the standards set in the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, students must complete all concentration courses and prerequisite science courses with a minimum grade of “C+” to be considered passing. Any concentration course below a grade of C+ must be retaken. A student can attempt a concentration course no more than two times. Any student who fails to pass a concentration course after two attempts will be dismissed from the program. A student can only fail one clinical/externship course. If the student should fail a second clinical/externship course, they will be dismissed from the program.
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited institution means your education has met independently reviewed quality standards designed to protect students.
This program: Fortis College - Houston South is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). ACCSC accredits the institution, and its grant of accreditation covers the programmes the campus offers.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid
- Independently reviewed against published standards
- Recognised by employers in the field
Accreditations
Student Demographics
These are demographics for all students at the Fortis College - Houston South Campus (IPEDS, 2024).
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
Fortis does not publish a tuition figure for this programme at the Fortis College - Houston South campus.
Financial aid is available to those who qualify. Fortis participates in federal student aid programmes including Pell Grants, Federal Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans for parents and Federal Work-Study, and the campus financial aid office will tell you what you are eligible for. File the FAFSA before you enrol.
Curriculum
Fortis publishes a course sequence for this programme, but its hours and credits do not reconcile against any independent figure the college also publishes — so no course table is shown here rather than one that may be wrong.
Career Outcomes
Graduates of the Surgical Technology program are prepared to seek employment as entry-level members of an operating room team, working alongside surgeons, anesthesiologists, and circulating nurses. In addition to hospital operating rooms, graduates may also seek employment opportunities in surgical centers, delivery rooms, and medical clinics.
Graduates of Surgical Technology programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) are required to sit for the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) certification exam administered by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) as a condition of graduation. Students are not required to pass the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam to graduate but some states and employers may require certification for employment.
Graduates of the Fortis Surgical Technology program are prepared to seek employment as entry-level members of an operating room team, working alongside surgeons, anesthesiologists, and circulating nurses. Surgical Technicians can work in hospital operating rooms, surgical centers, delivery rooms, and medical clinics.
Fortis states that its programmes are built for employment outcomes, and each campus runs career services support for graduates.
What to expect as a Fortis student
Expect the programme to be measured in contact hours and quarter credits rather than semesters. Fortis is a career college: the schedule is set by the programme rather than chosen course by course, and the sequence runs in a fixed order.
Expect an externship at the end of the programme. Fortis requires the externship hours and their related learning activities to be completed before graduation, and states that students are not paid for work performed at the externship site — so plan for a period of unpaid placement.
Expect a Wonderlic entrance examination before you start, and expect an admissions advisor to stay with you through the enrolment steps. Expect the campus to publish its own tuition and fee schedule — the figures on this page are Fortis College - Houston South’s, and other Fortis campuses teaching the same programme price it differently.