Program Description

Surgical Technologists are allied health professionals who are an integral part of the team of medical practitioners providing surgical care to patients in a variety of settings.

The Surgical Technologist works under medical supervision to facilitate the safe and effective conduct of invasive surgical procedures. This individual works under the supervision of a surgeon to ensure that the operating room or environment is safe, the equipment functions properly and that the operative procedure is conducted under conditions that maximize patient safety. A Surgical Technologist possesses expertise in the theory and application of sterile and aseptic technique and combines the knowledge of human anatomy, surgical procedures and implementation tools and technologies to facilitate a physician's performance of invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures.

Please note: This program starts in summer. All student activities associated with the curriculum, especially while students are completing clinical rotations, will be educational in nature. Students will not be receiving any monetary remuneration or be substituted for hired staff personnel within the clinical institution, in the capacity of a Surgical Technologist.

Accreditation Information: The Surgical Technologist Technical Diploma program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA). Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, 9355 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775.

Please note: This program is subject to the Clock-to-Credit Hour Conversion and some courses listed will not be eligible for full financial aid funding based on the program’s credit hours.

Found in These Career Fields:

Approximate Cost

$6,586
Tuition: $6185 , Books: $401

Starting Salary

$35,436–$43,326
Average, based on the NTC Graduate Outcomes Report

Financial Aid

Available

Competitive Admissions

No Waitlist

This program has no waitlist, but uses a competitive admissions process.

An aerial view of NTC's Wausau Campus main entrance on a sunny summer day. Trees and greenery frame the spacious side walks that lead up to the light-brown brick building.

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The application takes just a few minutes to complete.

Availability

Courses for this program may be available at a variety of campus locations through multiple modes of delivery if you meet the admission requirements and prerequisites.

100%
at Wausau
20-30%
at Antigo
20-30%
at Medford
20-30%
at Phillips
20-30%
at Spencer
20-30%
at Wittenberg
20-30%
at Online

* Campus and online availability of courses and programs may be subject to change.

Outcomes

Graduates will be able to…

  • Function as an ethical, legal and professional member of the healthcare team as determined by governing bodies
  • Perform postoperative case management
  • Perform intraoperative case management in the scrub role
  • Prepare the patient, operating room and surgical team for the preoperative phase
  • Provide a safe, efficient and supportive environment for the patient
  • Maintain principles of sterile technique in the surgical environment
  • Apply healthcare and technological science principles to the perioperative environment

Careers

Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:

  • Surgical Technologist

Courses

The Surgical Technologist Technical Diploma is a 37–38 credit program. The following is a typical semester breakdown of the courses within the program.

Please note: This program is subject to the Clock-to-Credit Hour Conversion and some courses listed will not be eligible for full financial aid funding based on the program’s credit hours.

First Term

MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 3.00
COLLEGE 101 1.00
GEN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY 4.00
BODY, STRUCTURE & FUNCTION 3.00

Second Term

ST: INTRODUCTION 4.00
ST: FUNDAMENTALS 1 4.00
ST: FUNDAMENTALS 2 2.00
ST: CLINICAL 1 3.00
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2.00

Third Term

ORAL/INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION 3.00
ST: SURGICAL PROCEDURES 4.00
ST: CLINICAL 2 4.00
ST: CLINICAL 3 4.00

Credit for Prior Learning Available

View All Detailed Course Information

Accreditation

National Certification Exam Pass Rates

The pass rate for students testing within six months of graduation from NTC is 87.5% for 2022.

Licensure/Certification Information

NTC’s Surgical Technologist Technical Diploma is designed to meet the State of Wisconsin's licensing/certification criteria. However, NTC has not made a determination whether this program meets licensure/certification requirements in states other than Wisconsin. Students who may be seeking professional licensure or certification in states other than Wisconsin should contact the appropriate licensing board in that state to verify that the NTC program meets licensure or certification requirements.

Accrediting Agency Contact Information

Accreditation Review Council on Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA)
19751 East Mainstreet, Suite #339, Parker, CO 80138
303.694.9262
info@arcstsa.org
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
9355 - 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775
727.210.2350 (Phone)
727.210.2354 (Fax)
mail@caahep.org

Additional Information

Clock-to-Credit Hour Conversion

This program is subject to the Clock-to-Credit Hour Conversion and some courses listed will not be eligible for full financial aid funding based on the program’s credit hours.

Term Course Credit Hours Financial Aid Credit Hours
1 COLLEGE 101 1 1
1 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 3 1.8
1 GEN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY 4 3
1 or BODY, STRUCTURE & FUNCTION 3 2.4
2 ST: INTRODUCTION 4 4
2 ST: FUNDAMENTALS 1 4 4
2 ST: FUNDAMENTALS 2 2 2
2 ST: CLINICAL 1 3 3
2 APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2 2
3 ORAL/INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION 3 3
3 ST: SURGICAL PROCEDURES 4 4
3 ST: CLINICAL 2 4 4
3 ST: CLINICAL 3 4 4

For more information, please refer to our Financial Aid Policies.

Admissions Process

Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.

Before you apply, you should know

  • This program may require a Criminal Background Check and/or Health Record. Acceptance to Northcentral Technical College will not be denied based on a criminal background or health record, however, a check may be required for placement at clinical sites or field experiences.
  • Current Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification is required prior to starting program courses or within the timeframe discussed at program orientation. Accepted certifications include BLS CPR from American Heart Association or American Red Cross.
  • After admission to the college, you will be considered a pre-program student. Students are eligible to submit a financial aid application at this point and can work to complete general education courses as laid out in the program curriculum. Students interested in beginning the core clinical surgical technologist program courses will submit an online form during designated petition dates.

Fill out our application

The application can be submitted online and takes just a few minutes to complete. There is no fee to apply.

Apply Now

Then, submit one of the following

Documentation can be sent via email to admissions@ntc.edu, via mail, addressed to: Northcentral Technical College, ATTN: Admissions, 1000 W. Campus Drive, Wausau, WI 54401, or delivered in person to any NTC campus.

  • High school transcript indicating a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above. Contact the high school you attended if you do not have a copy of your transcript.
  • ACT composite score of 16 or above. Request an ACT College Report from ACT or contact the high school you graduated from if you do not have a copy on hand.
  • Accuplacer scores of 38 or above in math, 66 or above in reading, and 65 or above in sentence skills. If you did not take the Accuplacer at NTC, contact the college at which you took it to obtain a copy of your scores.
  • College transcript indicating a cumulative GPA of 2.5 over a minimum of 12 credits, earned at a single college.

If you do not meet any one of the above criteria, don’t worry, complete the application anyway and we will contact you to discuss your options.

What’s Next?

We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be mailed to you.