Curriculum Guide
Surgical Technology
- Updated: 9.12.18
The Surgical Technologists is a crucial member of the operative team whose primary
focus is on surgical procedures. The Surgical Tech is responsible for the layout and
opening of operating room equipment and surgical instrumentation, including maintaining
the sterile field during surgery. Surgical Tech’s anticipate the needs of the surgeon,
handle instrumentation, and control the sterile environment, as well as assist by
handling tissue, maintaining counts, and providing wound exposure within the operating
field. The curriculum will include course work in the supporting sciences, general
education areas, and core course requirements.
This curriculum guide will assist those interested in a career in Surgical Technology.
It includes information about the college, Surgical Technology program application
requirements, a sample academic program plan, specifics to getting started, and contact
information. The Jefferson Surgical Technology Program is offered at the Downtown
Campus near the heart of the Louisville Medical Center, at the Health Sciences Hall
Building (HSH).
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email is the preferred form of contact. The majority of faculty and staff hours involve clinical rotation, meaning phone conversations are limited or restricted. Email ensures the program not only receives your request, but also will allow the program to respond in a timely manner.
- John Brickey
- Program & Clinical Coordinator
- Email: john.brickey@kctcs.edu
- Advisor Information/Appointment Scheduling:
- Advising Center
- Library, 2nd floor
- Email: jf-advising-center@kctcs.edu
- Allied Health Division Office
- Phone: 502.213.4200 or 502.213.4296
- Program Web Site:
- College Web Site:
- Mailing Address:
Surgical Technology Program /Allied Health Division
Jefferson Community and Technical College
109 E. Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202
Pre-admission Conference Dates
View the information about the pre-admission conference dates, times and locations.
Admission, Policies, & Procedures
Information for college admission & how to begin the process of applying to the program
- College Admission
- It is important to remember that applying to the Surgical Technology program, is NOT the same as applying to the college.
- Before you can apply to the Surgical Technology program, you must first become a student here at Jefferson. This is a simple process, it is free to apply, and can be done in person at our registrar’s office (2nd and Broadway), or online at www.Jefferson.kctcs.edu.
- Your first step after becoming a student here at Jefferson is to make sure you are
on the correct path to completing the courses you need for the field you wish to pursue.
This means there are few things you should do:
- Apply to the college to become a student
- Make sure your information is up to date with the college- including high school and/
or ALL other official college transcripts have been forward to the college for review.
This includes prior testing scores such as ACT/ SAT, or college level testing.
- Schedule an appointment with an advisor If you are not sure of the program you may wish to pursue, start with a general advisor.
- If you are interested in a particular program, Surgical Technology for example, a general advisor can still assist you, but it is always a good idea to reach out to the program director of that program for an introduction.
- The director can often assist you with a bit more program specific information.
- Make sure your classes match the Surgical Technology APP
- After meeting with an advisor, you should have an Academic Program Plan, or APP, specific to your program of study.
- This outline will give you a list of all courses required for the program you wish to take.
- This will include pre-requisite courses (those you will take before starting a program), and co-requisite courses (classes you will take once you are in the program of your choosing).
- Program Admission
- Once you are a student at Jefferson and have completed your pre-requisite courses,
you can then begin the process of applying to the Surgical Technology program.
- Review this curriculum guide in its entirety
- Remember to take a look at the curriculum guide of every program you may be interested in.
- Some programs require special courses; other programs have the same or similar pre-requisite courses, and every specialty will have specific requirements when applying to that specific program.
- This curriculum guide contains important information regarding the Surgical Technology program admission requirements, the application and selective admission processes, required coursework, conference schedules, and other advising information.
- Complete your pre-requisite courses outlined in your APP
- Attend a pre-admissions conference
- Any student that is interested in more information, would like a basic introduction, or those wishing to apply to the Surgical Technology Program should visit one of the pre-admission conferences.
- These conferences are open to everyone, no appointment required, and covers many common questions not found in this guide.
- Once you are a student at Jefferson and have completed your pre-requisite courses,
you can then begin the process of applying to the Surgical Technology program.
- If you are seeking information outside of the pre-admission conference timeline, no problem, reach out to the director of the program and request a meeting. (The program often holds four or more advising meetings during the summer and fall semesters to assist student with information).
*IMPORTANT* for any student wishing to apply to the Surgical Technology Program for that year, you must attend at least one pre-admissions conference. Pre-admission conferences for Surgical Technology include the application packets and information regarding how to complete the application process. Pre-admission conferences are the only place to collect an application packet for the Surgical Technology program, and is a requirement.
Surgical Technology Application Process
Senate rule requirements, application process & deadlines, selection process, post-admission requirements & deadlines
- A. The Application Process
- The following information will describe the requirements to apply to the Surgical
Technology program. It is important to remember the program is selective admission,
meaning all of the application requirements must be completed properly in order for
your application to be considered by the Surgical Technology selective committee.
The application, and its accompanying requirements and documents are handed out during
the Surgical Technology preadmissions conferences.
- Make sure you are currently enrolled as a student with Jefferson
- Make sure you have attended at least one Surgical Technology Pre-admission conference - Preadmission conferences are normally held the first Friday of each month during the spring semester (February thru May). Specific days and times including location, can be found at the bottom of this guide, and also on our Surgical Technology Webpage. All applicants to the program MUST attend one pre-admissions conference.
- Complete in its entirety, the Surgical Technology Application packet (available at
a pre-admissions conference)
- A one page application cover page- Completed in full, applications missing information will not be accepted
- A letter of intent- This is your way of introducing yourself to the selective committee, and explaining why you would like to be a Surgical Technologist
- * For NEW Jefferson college students & program applicants
- (New college applicants are those that have NOT completed at least one full semester, with at least ONE Jefferson course, at the college).
- Proof of High School graduation or GED, (High school transcript indicating the applicant has or will have completed a high school course of study or a passing GED report), AND / OR, Official transcripts of all post-secondary education; and a list of all current classes at all post-secondary schools. ACT/ SAT, or comparable test score reports such as COMPASS, KYOTE, etc.
- ALL transcript information included in this packet MUST be official documents, NO Copies, and must be sealed.
- ALL new Jefferson College students MUST also forward all official transcripts to the registrar and record offices in order to process transferable credits prior to applying to the program.
- * For CURRENT Jefferson college students & program applicants
- (Current college applicants are those that have completed at least one full semester, with at least ONE Jefferson course, at the college)
- Unofficial copies of transcripts of all post-secondary education; and a list of all current classes at all post-secondary schools are sufficient, including copies of your ACT/SAT and or placement exams.
- Professional letter of recommendation (three are suggested)
- Turn in a completed application packet by the due date
- Students must submit, to the Academic Program Coordinator, a completed Surgical Technology Application for Admission. To include all appropriate credentials, no later than the first day of May of that year (3pm EST) in which the student is applying for admission, in order to be considered by the Surgical Technology Selective Admissions Committee.
- In the event May 1st falls on a weekend, the student has until 3:00 pm the next business day to submit the required documentations.
- The application and appropriate credentials are to be submitted in the envelope provided
at the pre-admissions conference, with your NAME, ADDRESS, SCHOOL EMAIL, STUDENT ID
#, & PHONE #, clearly written in the upper left corner of the envelope.
- All required paperwork must be submitted at the same time. In the event of an incomplete application packet, student applications will not be reviewed for admittance into the program.
- Any Student wishing to apply to the program must complete all prerequisite courses outlined in the APP for Surgical Technology, prior to the fall semester start of the program.
- DO NOT mail your application unless otherwise instructed to do so (you live out of state for example, and have made arrangements with the program director); the college is NOT responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced applications, no matter the postmark date. It is strongly advised you make arrangements with the program director to hand deliver your application to confirm delivery.
- The following information will describe the requirements to apply to the Surgical
Technology program. It is important to remember the program is selective admission,
meaning all of the application requirements must be completed properly in order for
your application to be considered by the Surgical Technology selective committee.
The application, and its accompanying requirements and documents are handed out during
the Surgical Technology preadmissions conferences.
- B. The Selection Process
- All applications received by May 1st 3pm deadline will be reviewed for appropriate credentialing. The Surgical Technology Admissions Committee will assemble and determine the qualified applicant pool based on the minimum requirements for admission established by the Senate Rules of the Community and Technical College System. Enrollment in the Surgical Technology Program is limited, because of available faculty, financial, and/or clinical resources at the college.
- The Surgical Technology Admissions Committee gives preference to:
- Candidates who demonstrate above average standing in college, high school or on the GED examination.
- Applicants with an ACT composite score of 19 or higher.
- Applicants who have completed 12 or more credit hours in the approved curriculum with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher from any accredited college.
- Kentuckiana residents, and/ or current Jefferson students
- Preference may be given to applicants who are veterans, active duty personnel, their spouses and also displaced workers who qualify under the Trade Adjustment Act.
- Persons who have previously applied to the program.
- Students whom have pre-college courses and or college credits in addition to pre-requisite courses, currently held degrees, and or work experience related to surgical technology.
- Selecting Surgical Technology Students
- After the qualified applicant pool has been established, students will earn points based on certain levels of performance as outlined in the POINT SYSTEM FOR ADMISSION. (See Sample Curriculum & Course Sequence of this guide) The Admissions Committee will recommend for acceptance the students who have earned the highest total number of points and or preference to the above stated. In the event of a tie, GPA will be used to rank ordered. The president of the college or the president’s designee will select students for the Surgical Technology Program after considering recommendations from the Surgical Technology Admissions Committee. Late applications will be reviewed at the discretion of the Surgical Technology Program Director & Admissions Committee, and only in the event that less than 12 students are admitted to the program prior. A new program class begins each fall semester. All packets must be picked up by the students whom are not admitted by June 5 before 3:00pm, after this date all packets will be destroyed.
- The Surgical Technology Admissions Committee normally assembles within two weeks after the deadline date (May 1st), and selects the program applicants for the fall semester of that year. Students are now notified via Email, and or phone call to inform them of the acceptance status. Accepted students will receive a meeting date for an admissions conference, normally help the third or fourth week of June.
- Student applicants that are not selected during the initial selection process, due to scoring, late application, and or summer course requirements, may be contacted for invitation in the event a selected student from that year denies admittance or chooses another path. Conditions may apply to this acceptance that will be outlined be the program director.
- C. Post Admission Requirements
- Students accepted into the Surgical Technology Program are required to attend a program admissions/ orientation session prior to the beginning of the fall semester. At that time, students will receive a Surgical Technology Program Student Handbook and will be informed of all program policies and procedures.
- Brief summaries of post admission health/immunity, financial, and academic requirements
are listed below:
- Criminal background check & drug screening / completed before the Fall Semester Start date
- Obtaining/maintaining CPR Certification during the entire program (Health Care provider by the American Heart Association only).
- Provide documentation of an annual TB Skin Test, immunity to measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) or vaccination against MMR, & vaccination against Hepatitis B or an executed Hepatitis B Vaccine Declination Form
- Annual Flu vaccine, completed prior to clinical rotation (normally in September)
- Students are required to maintain liability insurance coverage through the college.
- Purchase all the required books, supplies, & Lab Kit for Surgical Technology program courses.
- Purchase appropriate uniform attire, including shoes
- Cost of National Certification Exam at the end of this program, around $260.00.
- Students will incur all costs related to Clinical Education, including transportation, housing, and meals.
- All pre-admission requirements must be completed with a “C” or better prior to official acceptance into the Surgical Technology program. Students must earn a minimum grade of “C” in each surgical technology program course to continue in the program.
Program Technical Standards
Career requirements to consider when working as a Surgical Technologist
Surgical Technology Students, and career graduates, work in a very fast paced, demanding,
hands-on environment. In order to ensure the success of our graduates, all applicants
must possess and be able to demonstrate the following:
- Sufficient visual acuity - such as observation necessary for administering patient care and reading equipment, gauges, and settings used in the perioperative suite, suture selection, and color acuity.
- Sufficient auditory perception - to receive verbal communication and to execute patient care through the use of monitoring devices.
- Sufficient physical strength - including fine motor coordination to respond promptly to surgical needs, including standing for long periods of time, and proper lifting of 25-30 pounds consistently.
- Sufficient communication skills - (speech, reading, & writing) to interact with individuals and to communicate their needs promptly and effectively, as may be necessary in the patient’s interest
- Sufficient intellectual and emotional functions - to implement patient care, including the ability to work with doctors, hospital staff, and patients in high stress situations.
Additional College and Program Information
- Criminal Background Checks and Drug Testing
- All Allied Health majors with a clinical component must submit to a criminal background
check and drug screening. This is to ensure a safe clinical environment for both students
and the public and to meet the contractual requirements of area healthcare facilities.
Situations in which a student does not have a satisfactory background check or drug
test, will be reviewed by the Dean of Allied Health on a case-by-case basis. Convictions
involving the following crimes may serve to disqualify a person from participating
in required clinical learning experiences:
- Any felony, whether listed below or not
- Crimes of physical violence to include any type of abuse (child, spousal, or of the elderly), abduction such as kidnapping, manslaughter, murder, robbery, sexual crimes, possession of a restricted fire arm or any related weapons offenses, assault and battery or
- Conviction of a misdemeanor related to abuse, neglect or exploitation.
- Drug screening may be required of a student at any time throughout the course of study if there is reasonable suspicion on the part of the program faculty that the student may be using a controlled substance not prescribed by a health care provider. Positive findings on a drug screen or refusal to submit to a requested drug screen will result in immediate administrative withdrawal of the student from the program.
- Each student will be given the designated facility and time once they are accepted into the program. The cost of background checks and drug testing is the responsibility of the student.
- All Allied Health majors with a clinical component must submit to a criminal background
check and drug screening. This is to ensure a safe clinical environment for both students
and the public and to meet the contractual requirements of area healthcare facilities.
Situations in which a student does not have a satisfactory background check or drug
test, will be reviewed by the Dean of Allied Health on a case-by-case basis. Convictions
involving the following crimes may serve to disqualify a person from participating
in required clinical learning experiences:
- Accreditation
- Jefferson Community and Technical College is a public, comprehensive, postsecondary institution accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate degree. The Surgical Technology program is accredited by ARC/ STSA Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.
- Credentialing Exam(s)/Licensure
- Upon successful completion of this program, the graduate is eligible to sit for the National Certification Exam examination. All graduating students MUST take the AST/CST exam at least once prior to graduation. At this time, the state of Kentucky does not require certification for Surgical Technologist to work in state.
- Financial Information/Expenses
- Fee schedules may be found in the college catalog or on-line at http://www.jefferson.kctcs.edu. Specific questions concerning financial assistance should be directed to the Downtown Campus Financial Aid Office located on the 4th Floor of the Jefferson Education Center, or by calling 502.213.2146 or the Technical Campus Financial Aid Office located in room 109 Building B, 800 W. Chestnut Street, Louisville, KY 40202 or by calling 502.213.4275
- Incoming freshmen
- New to college students must take the following college introduction course - FYE 105 within the first two (2) semesters of college. Students transferring college course work into Jefferson Community and Technical College are exempt from this requirement.
- Developmental Course Work
- Students needing developmental math courses cannot take collegiate math and/or science courses until they successfully complete their development courses. Students needing developmental English or Reading can only take a computer class once they successfully complete their developmental courses.
- Placement/Assessment Testing
- The ACT and associated math scores are only good for two (2) years and the English scores are only good for five (5) years. If they are older, Compass or comparable testing may be recommended for that section.
- Pre-requisite courses
- Prior to submitting an application to the Surgical Technology Program, students must complete all required prerequisite courses outlined in the APP with a grade “C” or higher. Courses listed below are an example of the required prerequisite courses for surgical technology outlined in the APP.
- Academic Advising
- Individual academic advising is available to all students. The advising center is on the second floor of the learning center next to the Health Sciences Hall Building. Students may also contact the Surgical Technology Program director to schedule an appointment for academic advising. Faculty offices are located in the Health Science Hall Building, Room 475 on the downtown campus. We request that students use e-mail communication to establish an initial contact. Students requiring developmental coursework should contact the Advising Center for academic advising.
- Transcript Evaluation
- A transcript evaluation is available for any student desiring to transfer credit into Jefferson Community and Technical College from other accredited institutions of higher learning. Formal transcript evaluation occurs upon the official receipt of transcripts by the Registrar and concurrent with the admissions process. However, for advising purposes, the Surgical Technology program can provide the student an informal assessment of status relative to the general education requirements specific to the Surgical Technology Program. Students may request such evaluation be contacting the Academic Program Coordinator and/or bringing a copy of the transcript(s) to be evaluated to the pre-admission conference.
Surgical Technology APP Course List
Required Pre-requites Courses
| Course list | Course Details or Suggestions | Credit Hours |
| College & Academic success |
|
3 |
| Computer Digital Literacy | CIT105 or DLC100 Will meet this requirement/ or an IC3 Exam of 80% or higher | 3 |
| Written Communication | ENG101 or ENG105 Will meet this requirement | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | MAT110 or Higher Will meet this requirement | 3 |
| Heritage/Humanities | Any Heritage/Humanities course listed on the KCTCS catalog Will meet this requirement | 3 |
| Social/Behavioral Sciences | Any Social/Behavioral Sciences course listed on the KCTCS catalog Will meet this requirement | 3 |
| Human Anatomy & Physiology I | BIO137 Anatomy & Physiology I Will meet this requirement | 4-5 |
| Human Anatomy & Physiology II | BIO139 Anatomy & Physiology II Will meet this requirement | 3 |
| Medical Terminology | CLA131 or AHS115 or MIT105 Medical Terminology Will meet this requirement | 0-3 |
| Microbiology | BIO118 or BIO225 or BIO226 or BIO227 Microbiology Will meet this requirement HST122 may course substitute for this requirement at Jefferson only | 3 |
Required Core Courses Post acceptance
| Course list | Course Details or Suggestions | Credit Hours |
| Pharmacology |
|
2 |
| Surgical Technology Fundamentals/Theory | SUR100 | 12 |
| Surgical Technology Fundamentals Lab | SUR101 | 1 |
| Surgical Technology Skills Practicum I | SUR125 | 2 |
| Surgical Technology Advanced Theory | SUR200 | 9 |
| Surgical Technology Skills Practicum II | SUR201 | 6 |
| Surgical Technology Advanced Clinical Practicum | SUR275 | 2 |
SAMPLE CURRICULUM PLAN FOR SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY
POINT SYSTEM FOR ADMISSION
Jefferson Community & Technical College is an Equal Opportunity Institution. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is committed to a policy of providing educational opportunities to all qualified students regardless of economic or social status, and will not discriminate based on race, color, sex, marital status, beliefs, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical or mental disability. Educational programs or activities as set forth in Title IX of the Educational Amendment of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
