Associate in Science
Surgical Technology
Prepare to become a critical member of the operating room team.
Surgical technologists work right alongside surgeons, anesthesiologists, registered nurses and others, playing a crucial role in providing patient care before, during and after the surgical procedure.
Our streamlined program is designed so that you can enter the field more quickly. A two-step admission process includes entering your first academic quarter under a “Pre-Surgical Technology” major. The purpose of this quarter is to increase your academic success by building a solid foundation in the human sciences, introducing you to the language of medicine, and participating in a career exploration course that will require you to complete a real-world job-shadowing opportunity. After successful completion of all first quarter courses (passed with a C or better), you will be admitted to the Surgical Technology major to complete four additional quarters of coursework and two additional quarters of clinical experience.
Our Surgical Technology program will help you build the skills to earn your place—and to explore a field that offers a healthy range of opportunities. Working with experienced instructors in a surgical technology lab that replicates the operating room environment, you’ll learn skills in everything from handling surgical instruments to performing CPR.
The Surgical Technology program is also offered in the evening. Core classes are offered on campus three nights a week, while general education classes are offered online. Clinical internships for the evening program are completed during daylight hours during the last six months of the program.
Career Skills
Preoperative skills
- Preparing the operating room
- Gathering supplies and equipment
- Performing the surgical scrub
- Donning surgical gown and glove
- Establishing the sterile field and performing a surgical count
- Gowning and gloving the surgical team
- Assisting with prepping and draping the patient
Intraoperative skills
- Anticipate surgeon needs
- Handling specimens
- Handling medications
- Loading and passing sutures
- Handing instruments
- Maintain the sterile field
- Troubleshooting surgical equipment
- Cutting sutures
- Providing exposure by retracting techniques
- Suctioning and sponging the wound
- Assisting in hemostasis
Postoperative skills
- Apply dressings to surgical site
- Disassemble the surgical field
- Clean and prepare for next surgical patient
Career Opportunities
An on-site clinical rotation and internship is a great way to get real-world experience, make professional connections, and even line up your first job in the field. Just ask our Surgical Technology students who’ve completed their rotations at these facilities:
- Allegheny General Hospital
- Jefferson Regional Medical Center
- St Clair Hospital
- UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
- UPMC Mercy
- UPMC Presbyterian
- UPMC Magee Womens Hospital
- Weirton Medical Center
- VA Health System
- UPMC Shadyside
Employers of PTC Graduates*
Here’s a list of providers where our grads have found employment with the help our Career Services staff:
- Allegheny Health Network—Allegheny General Hospital
- Chambersburg Hospital
- Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital
- Hanover Hospital
- Heritage Valley Health System
- Jefferson Regional Medical Center
- Ohio Valley Hospital
- Salem Community Hospital
- St. Clair Hospital
- Trinity Health System
- United Hospital Center
- UPMC Children’s Hospital
- UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital
- UPMC Mercy Hospital
- UPMC Passavant Hospital
- UPMC Presbyterian Hospital
- UPMC Shadyside Hospital
- UPMC South Hills Surgery Center
- Valley Gastroenterology Associates
- Washington Health System
- Weirton Medical Center
- Wellspan
- West Virginia University Medicine
*Applicants must pass a required background check. Background check and drug screening are required prior to employment.
Program Courses
Quarter 1
- Steps to Career Success 1
- Medical Terminology
- Anatomy & Physiology 1
- Anatomy & Physiology 1 Lab
- Supplemental Mathematics
- College Mathematics
Quarter 2
- Surgical Instrumentation
- Foundations of Surgery
- Anatomy and Physiology 2
- Anatomy and Physiology 2 Lab
Quarter 3
- Surgical Prep/Equip and Supplies
- Principles of Writing
- English Composition 1
- Microbiology
- Microbiology Lab
- Principles of Surgery
Quarter 4
- Surgical Procedures 1
- Pharmacology – Surgical Tech
- English Composition 2
- Diseases and Diagnostic Methods
Quarter 5
- Surgical Procedures 2
- Surgical Procedures 3
- Surgical Procedures 4
Quarter 6
- Psychology (online)
- Clinical Rounds Review
- Clinical Rotation
Quarter 7
- CST Review
- Surgical Tech Internship
- Career Development
Program Highlights
Certification
After you’ve completed your internship just before graduation, you’ll sit for the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam.
Accreditation
Our Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (caahep.com), on the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC-STSA).
Program Outcomes
The annual ( 8/1/2020 – 7/31/2021) CST pass rate is 86%.
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