Surgical Technology (AAS)

• "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 conduct of invasive surgical procedures, ensuring that the operating room environment is safe, that equipment functions properly, and that the operative procedure is conducted under conditions that maximize patient safety. Surgical technologists possess expertise in the theory and application of sterile and aseptic technique and combine the knowledge of human anatomy, surgical procedures, and implementation tools and technologies to facilitate a physician's performance of invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures," (AST, 2015).
• Program Highlights
• Lone Star College Surgical Technology program has a full lab for the students to learn proper standards of practice in a simulated learning experience.
• Credentials and Careers
• The associate degree program in surgical technology contains sixty (60) credits and includes both theory and practical clinical experience designed to prepare the student to pass the national certification examination for surgical technologists. The three domains of learning are utilized: affective, cognitive and psychomotor domains.
• Most surgical technologists are employed in hospital surgery departments, obstetric departments, and ambulatory care centers. Because of the broad educational background combined with a specialized focus, other options may be open to the experienced surgical technologist including medical sales, sterile processing, and instrument repair. These skills also include specialization in an area of interest such as robotic and minimally invasive surgery, cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, obstetric, genitourinary, gynecology, orthopedic, pediatric, plastic and reconstruction, or general surgery. Other pathways of advancement include the role of the surgical assistant, employment by military service, technical writing, illustration, and photography. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics had identified surgical technology as "growing much faster than expected." More information can be found at www. bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Surgical-technologists.htm.
• Transferability
• General education courses (Core) are designated for easy transfer to Texas public institutions and applicable to requirements at private and out-of-state institutions.
• Technical coursework may be transferrable to other institutions.
• Please Consult with a Program Advisor for more information about transferability.

• College Level Readiness in Reading, Writing, and Math.
• The Surgical Technology program takes an incoming class each fall semester. Applications for admission will be received during the spring semester before the program starts. Because admission to the program is competitive, the students who are most likely to be accepted are those who score highest on the Applicant Scoring Sheet established by the admissions committee.
• All applicants are highly encouraged to attend at least one information session prior to applying to the Surgical Technology program. The information sessions are held in the fall and spring semesters at the LSC-Tomball Health Science Building. Dates and times for the face-to-face and virtual sessions are also located on the department’s web page.
• An application packet for the Surgical Technology program must be completed and submitted to be considered for acceptance into the program. A link to the online application for the program will be available beginning in January of the same year at https://www.lonestar.edu/tomball-surgtech.htm . The following material must be included on the application, which may require document uploading prior to the deadline to be considered for admission:
• Online application signed by the student
• Castle Branch Background Check
• Castle Branch Medical Manager Shot Record and LSC Forms
• A physical exam form must be completed at the time of admission.

• This award requires 60 credit hours in total.
• Lone Star College reports 1792 contact hours for this award.
• Where the course list shows "Choose N credit hours", those courses are the options for one elective slot, not additional requirements.

• Develop the entry-level employment skills for the various roles of the Surgical Technologist in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and Effective (behavioral) learning domains.
• Practice within the legal, ethical, and professional scope of the Surgical Technologist by performing all preoperative skills and duties safely.
• Assist in surgical procedures by utilizing appropriate knowledge of anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, medical terminology, and the application of surgical aseptic technique.
• Meet the educational and clinical case requirements necessary to qualify to sit for the CST (R) Certified Surgical Technologists national exam administered by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA).

• Tuition shown is the in-district rate of $111.00 per credit hour for 60 credit hours.
• Out-of-district Texas residents pay $249.00 per credit hour ($14,940.00); international and out-of-state students pay $313.00 per credit hour ($18,780.00).
• Lab fees vary by course and liability insurance, uniforms and supplies vary by program, so Lone Star College publishes no all-in total for this award. Tuition above excludes them.
• Financial aid and payment plans are available to most students.
• Application fee: none. Lone Star College applications are free.

Completion of the program will prepare the student to take the CST (Certified Surgical Technologists) National Exam.

Students must submit at the time of application a clear background check. Some convictions will prevent the applicant from ultimate acceptance into the program. The student is responsible for all fees associated with background checks. A criminal background check is not required for licensure or certification, but is often a condition of employability with many employers.

The Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs ( caahep.org ), upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting ( arcstsa.org ).

The Student Success Course Requirement is satisfied through successful completion of both SRGT1405 - Introduction to Surgical Technology and SRGT 1409 - Fundamentals of Perioperative Concepts and Techniques.