SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM Admission Packet Criteria A GUIDED PATHWAY TO SUCCESS CENTRAL GEORGIA TECHNICAL COLLEGE Warner Robins Campus 80 Cohen Walker Drive, Warner Robins, GA 31088 (478)988-6850 Macon Campus 3300 Macon Tech Drive, Macon, GA 31206 478-757-3403 www.centralgatech.edu Effective for Fall Semester 2015 Selection / Revised March 2015

SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCTION Welcome to the Central Georgia Technical College Surgical Technology Program. This packet was prepared by the Surgical Technology faculty to provide the student with a resource for information regarding the policies and procedures of the Surgical Technology department. This packet does not replace the policies and procedures for the general student population of Central Georgia Technical College; therefore, students are expected to be knowledgeable regarding the contents of each. This Guided Pathway To Success program acknowledges individual student needs and provides an opportunity for the student to choose a block of time during the day in which to attend their core classes, as well as a mapped sequence of program specific courses. The Surgical Technology program prepares students for positions in surgical departments, clinics, ancillary health care facilities and related businesses and industries. Learning opportunities develop academic, technical and professional knowledge and skills required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. The program emphasizes a combination of didactic and clinical instruction to develop skills necessary for successful employment. Program graduates receive a Surgical Technology diploma and have the qualifications of an entry level surgical technologist. Senior students will sit for the Surgical Technologist National Certification Examination administered by the National Board of Surgical Technologists and Surgical Assistants at Central Georgia Technical College in their final semester. This program is a part of the Guided Pathway to Success and is designed to be three semesters in length following the completion of the core courses. The sequence of the required courses are mapped out to be completed in 16 months and includes technical and clinical courses. Clinical rotations will be assigned at local hospital and clinical sites. The staff and administration of the clinical affiliates provide support and assistance in maintaining the quality of the educational program. The program has received accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The curriculum is based on the Surgical Technology Program Guide developed by the Office of Technical College System of Georgia, and the 6 th edition of the AST Core Curriculum for Surgical Technology. A copy of these documents may be found in the Surgical Technology Program Chairperson s Office. Log on to the Central Georgia Technical College website at www.centralgatech.edu or contact Admission at 988-6850, Warner Robins Campus or 757-3403, Macon Campus, for more information about the college and the Surgical Technology Program.

PURPOSE Surgical Technology is a program of study, which is compatible with the policies of the Technical College System of Georgia, encourages each Surgical Technology program student to benefit and contribute as a partner in the economic development and stability of Georgia. The philosophy of the Surgical Technology program is founded on the value attributed to individual students, the surgical technology profession, and technical education. The Surgical Technology program of study is consistent with the philosophy and mission of the institution. The program provides academic foundations in communications, mathematics, and human relations, as well as technical fundamentals. Program graduates are trained in the underlying fundamentals of surgical technology and are well prepared for employment and subsequent upward mobility. The Surgical Technology program is a technical program that provides the knowledge and skills to qualify participants as entry level surgical technologists. Upon completion of the Surgical Technology program, and receiving a passing score on the CST exam, students will have the ability and skills to achieve professional employment in the field. The program does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, physical or mental handicap, disability or academic disadvantage or economic disadvantage. To assist each student to attain his or her respective potential within the program, both the instructor and the student incur an obligation in the learning process. The instructor is a manager of instructional resources and organizes instruction in a manner that promotes learning. The student assumes responsibility for learning by actively participating in the learning process. Important attributes for success of program graduates are analytical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to apply technology as the job requires. Surgical Technology is a dynamic profession, requiring careful attention to current curriculum and up-to-date instructional equipment. The program promotes the concept of change as the profession evolves and nurtures the spirit of involvement in lifelong professional learning.

Surgical Technology Program Selection Admission to the college and selection into the Surgical Technology program are two distinct processes. Students are responsible for understanding both processes. Questions regarding admission to the college should be directed to the Office of Admissions. Macon Campus: (478) 757-3403 Warner Robins Campus: (478) 988-6850 Questions regarding Surgical Technology program selection should be directed to: Macon Campus: Donna Dorn, AAS, CST, Program Chairperson (478) 757-3560, ddorn@centralgatech.edu Warner Robins Campus: Lorna Cox, AAS, CST, Health Science Success Coach (478) 218-3226, lcox@centralgatech.edu As set forth in its Student Catalog, Central Georgia Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, political affiliation or belief, disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam Era, or citizenship status (except in those special circumstances permitted or mandated by law). The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the administration of the College nondiscrimination policies: Linda Hampton Executive Director of Conduct, Appeals and Compliance 3300 Macon Tech Drive Macon, GA 31206 Building J, Room 133 478-757-3408 FAX-478-471-5197

CGTC ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM Applicants must be at least 17 years old and have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Submit an application for college admission, along with a $20 non-refundable application fee. Schedule to take the COMPASS placement exam (offered in the Testing Center) in order to be admitted to the college. There is no charge for initial administration of the COMPASS exam. (Other placement exam scores may be acceptable, for example, SAT or ACT.) Request transfer credit for courses completed at accredited college(s) or other educational institutes, if applicable. Complete a Request for Transfer Credit prior to admission, and submit official transcripts to the Registrar s Office. ADMISSION FILE CHECKLIST An applicant s official student record must contain the following items in order to be accepted for admission: Application for admission High School/GED or College Transcript Proof of age Placement Exam Scores (COMPASS, SAT, ACT) PSB Health Aptitude Examination, 3 rd Edition *The PSB exam is not required for admission to CGTC; however, it is required prior to selection into the Surgical Technology Program. This exam should be taken by mid-semester prior to the semester of program start. The highest score will be used for calculation. More information about the PSB exam may be obtained in the college Testing Centers or Media Centers or on-line at http://www.psbtests.com/web/guest

CGTC SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM SELECTION PROCEDURE Students are admitted to CGTC s Surgical Technology Program through a process of competitive admission that includes three steps. Only those students who meet the minimum academic eligibility requirements (outlined below) will be considered for selection. 1) Successfully complete the first four (4) of the five (5) required core courses (minimum 2.5 GPA of these courses required). ENGL 1010 (Fundamentals of English) or Associate degree-level (ENGL 1101 or ENG 191) accepted. MATH 1012 (Foundations of Mathematics) or Associate degree-level (MATH 1111(College Algebra), MATH 1101 (Mathematical Modeling) or MATH 1013 (Algebraic Concepts) successfully completed within the last five (5) years will be accepted ALHS 1011 (Structure and Function of The Human Body) successful completion within the last five (5) years. Associate degree-level A&P (both I and II) courses will be considered provided all body systems are covered and previously mentioned requirements are met. ALHS 1090 (Medical Terminology for the Health Sciences) successful completion within the last five (5) years. 2) Course required for Surgical Technology diploma program completion, (not calculated in the GPA): PSYC 1010 (Basic Psychology) or Associate degree-level (PSYC 1101 or PSYC 191) psychology accepted. Transfer Credit: Core courses requested for transfer credit from another institution must meet the above criteria in order to be accepted by CGTC. Other courses requested for transfer credit will be accepted as follows: SURG courses successfully completed within the last year (any specific grade requirements mentioned later in this pamphlet are applicable). The student requesting transfer credit for SURG courses must be able to successfully perform all competencies of the SURG course(s) for which transfer credit is requested. 3) Complete the PSB Aptitude Examination, 3 rd Edition. Students may take the exam at any time while taking their required core courses. This PSB procedure is also applicable to students requesting to transfer into SURG courses. Students may take the test twice within a calendar year. The exam is administered in the CGTC Testing Centers. There is a $20 testing fee. PSB scores are valid for only one year from date of test. Students will be eligible to retest in one year. The highest of the test scores will be used in the selection calculations. * Only the Health Occupations PSB Examination, 3 rd Edition scores will be considered in the selection process.

4) Submit Progression/Application Form to the Admissions Office. This form is located on the CGTC website under Current Student, Student Affairs, Registrar. This form must be submitted by mid-semester of the selection semester prior to program start date. Students submitting this form are verifying that they have completed all of the criteria listed. a. The specific program curriculum takes 12 months to complete. Students are selected in December for a start date of January, completing the program the following December, on the Warner Robins campus. Students are selected in July for a start date of August, completing the program the following July, on the Macon campus. b. The selection will be made at the end of the Summer Semester for the Macon campus program, which will begin in the Fall Semester. Therefore, you will need to have the PSB and the progression form completed by midterm of the Summer Semester. The selection will be made at the end of the Fall Semester for the Warner Robins campus, program which will begin in the Spring Semester. Therefore, you will need to have the PSB and the progression form completed by midterm of the Fall Summer Semester. c. To submit the Progression Form go to the CGTC home page at www.centralgatech.edu page Current Students Student Affairs Registrar Health Technology Program Competitive Process - Progression Form Request log in to your account. This will automatically open the form. The student will fill in the form by selecting a first and second choice for campus location of your program and submit it electronically. Make sure that you have completed all criteria preciously listed. Print a copy of the form for your records. Selection Criteria Upon successful completion of the required core courses, having taken the PSB test, and submitting a progression form, students will be considered for selection into the Surgical Technology program based on the following criteria: 1. GPA for the required core courses, as well as any courses that are part of the program curriculum, will be calculated according to the following guidelines: a. A GPA below 2.5 will not be considered for selection. Scoring: GPA X 100 plus highest PSB score. b. In the case of multiple attempts at a course(s) to achieve the required course grade or improve a grade, only the two most recent attempts will be calculated in the GPA. In the event that a student previously attempted coursework at institutions other than GGTC, official transcripts will be evaluated to include the two most recent attempts, and grades from any applicable coursework will be calculated in the GPA accordingly. c. Only courses taken within the required timeframe will be calculated in the GPA. In the case of English and Psychology, course grades do not expire, however for

Math, Structure and Function of the Human Body, and Medical Terminology courses taken over five (5) years will not be computed in the GPA. d. In the event that the student has achieved equivalent course credit at both the degree and diploma level (e.g., ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1010), only the higher of the two course grades will be calculated. 2. Selection consideration will be given to the student who was previously selected into the CGTC Surgical Technology Program and did not successfully complete SURG 1010 or SURG 1020 and to the student who has previously taken coursework at another TCSG College as follows: *In addition to the guidelines for GPA calculation as listed above, grades for all other SURG courses within the curriculum will be calculated into the competitive GPA, including those taken at institutions other than CGTC (by transcript verification). The program s minimum course grade requirements and time limits will apply. 3. The number of students selected for each of the campuses is 14 and is based on the number of available clinical slots in the program as a whole and may vary due to the addition or reduction of clinical slots available. Tiebreaker: In the event of a tie in the ranking, the student s current PSB score will be used as the tiebreaker. In the event that a student has taken the PSB exam more than once, the current PSB scores will be averaged and the average of the scores will be used in the tiebreaker process. Students will receive notification from the Admissions Office by phone or e-mail regarding selection results. At that time, instructions will be given as to registration for the upcoming semester and Program orientation. Post-selection Requirements Following selection, in order to progress in the program, the student must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all required SURG courses or a minimum grade of C in each course. In the event that a student achieves a course grade below C, the student will be withdrawn from the program and not allowed to advance, however will be allowed to compete for a slot at the other campus or in the following academic year. Transfer, re-entry (any break in successive semester enrollment), and transient students will be accepted into the program based on clinical slot availability. In order to receive transfer or reentry credit for the SURG courses, they must have been taken within the last year. If SURG courses are older than one (1) year, they will not be accepted for credit, and the student must compete for selection (as previously outlined in this packet) and begin the program with new first semester students (see below). Students transferring to CGTC from another institution who are applying for entrance into the Surgical Technology program s upper level selections (i.e.: entering the program at any point past the first semester SURG 1010 semester) must also meet the 2.5 GPA requirement as stated above.

Before any student s first clinical experience in the program, proof of required immunizations, a drug screen and background check are required (re-entry students will fulfill the drug screen/background check requirements upon re-entering the program as well as with the first clinical experience). SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM CURRICULUM Required Core Courses for Competitive Admission All previously mentioned requirements apply for selection eligibility. The following courses are mapped out in sequence to provide the student with a guided pathway to complete the program as designed in sixteen (16) months and therefore should be taken in the designated semesters. The student will choose an option for the core courses based on a preference for morning, afternoon, evening, or online. Once the student is selected into the program the remainder of program specific courses are mapped out in a twelve (12) month sequence until completion. If the student drops out of this mapped sequence, the student will not be eligible to advance in that campus cohort class. COURSE CREDIT HOURS CONTACT HOURS ENGL 1010 Fundamentals of English 3 45 MATH 1012 Foundations of Mathematics 3 45 ALHS 1011 Structure and functions of the Human Body 5 75 ALHS 1090 Medical Terminology for Health Sciences 2 30 Total Hours 13 195 Course Progression for Students Selected into the Surgical Technology Program In each of the semesters listed below, the student must successfully complete all listed courses prior to progressing to the following semester. PSYC 1010, Introduction to Psychology must be completed prior to program completion. This allows the student to select a semester during the program s remaining three (3) semesters in which to complete it (it is suggested that they take PSYC in the 2 nd or 3 rd semester). Student s Expected Progression 1 st Semester SURG 1010 Introduction to Surgical Technology SURG 1020 Principles of Surgical Technology SURG 1080 Surgical Microbiology 2 nd Semester SURG 1100 Surgical Pharmacology SURG 2030 Surgical Procedures I SURG 2110 Surgical Technology Clinical I SURG 2120 Surgical Technology Clinical II (PSYC 1010) Intro. To Psychology) 3 rd Semester SURG 2040 Surgical Procedures II SURG 2130 Surgical Technology Clinical III SURG 2140 Surgical Technology Clinical IV SURG 2240 Seminar in Surgical Technology

APPROXIMATE COST EXPECTATIONS After selection, Surgical Technology students should expect three semesters of full-time instruction. The hours are typically 8am to 3pm each theory day and 6:45am to 3:15pm each clinical day. Textbook expense for the first semester is approximately $300- $400, and approximately $200 more for the last two semesters combined, for a total of approximately $600 - $700 book expense. Other expected expenses (not including tuition) are: Physical Examination: approximately $60 (plus possible additional immunizations) during 1 st Semester Drug Screen: approximately $45 during 1 st Semester Criminal Background Check: during 1 st Semester- approximately $50 Liability Insurance: payable with SURG 1010 tuition 1 st Semester approximately $15.00 Uniforms: approximately $50 each; 2 required (most students purchase 3-4 over their clinical experience) during 1 st Semester. There may be additional uniform requirements based on campus student is attending Required Supplies for Clinical: approximately $30 during 1 st Semester Expenses during final semester Required To Apply For Certification: Application and Examination Fee: $190 or $245 (includes membership and study guide) Costs above may vary, and students will be given detailed information about requirements in program orientation, but the intent is to give the prospective student an idea of the financial obligations that the student will incur. Financial Aid may assist with these costs, but may not cover all of the costs of the program and supplies. The above expense list does not include costs for housing, food, and mileage to travel to and from campus and clinical sites. CGTC s Surgical Technology program is supported by area surgery centers, and hospitals which serve as clinical sites for the program. In order to obtain the required clinical practice for each course, the student is required to meet certain employment criteria for these clinical sites including, but not limited to, health clearance through physical examination, negative drug/alcohol screening, and negative criminal background history. The clinical sites (independent of the CGTC program) determine those students who meet their criteria for clinical practice. The statements in this publication are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as the basis of a contract between the student and the College. For more information about the Surgical Technology program, contact CGTC Admissions Warner Robins Campus, (478)988-6850, (478) 757-3403 Macon Campus, or Lorna Cox, (478)218-3226 at the Warner Robins Campus or Donna Dorn, (478) 757-3560, at the Macon Campus.