Surgical Services, A.S.

Location(s): Hardee Campus

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Program Code: 1775

This A.S. degree program prepares you to become a certified surgical technologist. As a member of the healthcare team, you will work in operating rooms, ambulatory surgery centers, central supply, labor and delivery areas, cardiac catheterization laboratories, private physician offices, and other settings where invasive procedures are performed. This program is two years in length and requires classroom, laboratory, and clinical hours. Upon completion of this program, you will be eligible to take the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting Examination.

Length: 64 credit hours

This is a limited access program. Admission to this program occurs once per year. Online applications will be accepted until the posted deadline date at 11:59 p.m. Visit southflorida.edu/healthsciences for important application information and deadlines.

Application Requirements

In addition to the admission requirements of the College, the following are requirements for admission to the Surgical Services Program:

I.	Completion of online SFSC College and Surgical Services Applications.
II.	Demonstrate competency in English, reading and Math as prescribed in the SFSC College Catalog.
III.	Submission of all official transcripts, including high school/GED^® transcript and official transcript from each college attended.
IV.	Placement test scores from any one of the following tests: ACT, SAT I ^®, or PERT.
V.	Successful completion of course prerequisites must appear on student’s transcript by the end of the first fall term of the program. The application window for the program will close at midnight after the last day of classes for the first fall flex term. Full acceptance will be awarded for the first spring term enrollment.

Fall Term

BSC 1085C - Human Anatomy and Physiology I  4 cr. hrs.
HSC 1532 - Medical Terminology  3 cr. hrs.
STS 1302 - Introduction to Surgical Technology  2 cr. hrs.

NOTE: You must earn a grade of C or higher in each of the courses listed above.

Admissions Procedures

You are responsible for following the admission procedures and for ensuring your records are complete in the Admissions, Registration, and Records Office. No application will be considered unless it is complete.

I.	Submit the following to apply to the program:
	A.	Completed online SFSC Admissions Application, select Surgical Services major/program.
	B.	Official high school transcript/GED^® transcript.
	C.	Official transcript from each postsecondary institution attended.
	D.	Submit references from the following sources may be mailed or delivered by hand if in a sealed envelope:
		^●	Current or most recent employer or instructor.
		^●	Person of your choice other than a relative.

II.	Once accepted into the program, you will receive instructions to complete the following:
	A.	Physical health exam and a record of immunizations from a licensed physician or nurse practitioner (forms will be provided after acceptance into the program).
	B.	Florida Department of Law Enforcement fingerprinting (will be scheduled prior to enrollment).
	C.	CPR Certification.
	D.	10-panel drug screen.
	E.	You will be required to submit program documentation through a third-party compliance company throughout the program.

NOTE: Failure to complete these requirements will result in loss of enrollment into the program.

Selection Criteria and Process

The higher your GPA in the three prerequisite courses, the better the chance of being selected for the program:

1.	A 2.80 GPA or higher must have been maintained in the 9 credit hours of prerequisites.
2.	Selection of the students will be based upon those with the highest GPA in the three prerequisites.
3.	In the event there are two or more applicants with identical GPAs, the following criteria will be used as a tiebreaker (If you have the highest combined GPA, including completed general education courses, you will be selected):

	BSC 1086C - Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 cr. hrs.
	CGS 1100C - Introduction to Microcomputers Using Windows 3 cr. hrs.
	PSY 2012 - Introduction to Psychology 3 cr. hrs.
	AMH 1010 - Introductory Survey to 1877 3 cr. hrs. OR
	AMH 1020 - Introductory Survey Since 1877 3 cr. hrs. OR
	POS 1041 - American Government 3 cr. hrs.
	Humanities Core 3 cr. hrs.* ^
	Mathematics Core 3 cr. hrs. * ^

	*	It is your responsibility to meet with the instructional supervisor or counselor to select the proper course to fulfill this requirement.
	^	It may be necessary to first enroll in a lower-level English, math, or reading course depending on college placement test scores.

General Information

SFSC reserves the right to deny admission to you if you lack the required qualifications for the Surgical Services Program. You must reapply if you wish to be considered for a future class. Each class is selected from a new applicant pool.

1.	Completion of all or part of the general education courses required in the degree does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
2.	Expenses (approximate) incurred upon acceptance to the program include a Level II background screening, a 10-panel drug screen, CPR certification, and online document manager.

Required Courses

Fall Term

Total Credit Hours: 13

Spring Term

Total Credit Hours: 14

Summer Term

Total Credit Hours: 11

Fall Term

Total Credit Hours: 13

Spring Term

Total Credit Hours: 13

Note:

*	It is your responsibility to meet with the instructional supervisor or counselor to select the proper course to fulfill this requirement.
^	It may be necessary to first enroll in a lower-level English, math, or reading course depending on college placement test scores.
+	Prerequisite program application requirement.
#	Computer competency skills and speech communication general education requirements are covered within the Surgical Services curriculum for the associate degree.