Accreditation and Program Outcomes
This program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP www.caahep.org) in conjunction with the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA www.arcstsa.org). The Association of Surgical Technologists (AST www.ast.org) is the only national organization that represents surgical technologists and surgical assistants. Graduates of the program are eligible to apply for the national certifying examination in Surgical Technology (CST) given by The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA www.nbstsa.org).
Surgical Technology Program Effectiveness Data
Credentialing Examination Pass Rate (6 year trend): The number of graduates who pass the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) examination in Surgical Technology on their first attempt prior to graduation. The ARC/STSA threshold is 70%.
6 Year Trend
- Class of 2018- 85%
- Class of 2017- 82%
- Class of 2016- 82% (91% within 6 months of graduation)
- Class of 2015- 90%; (100% within 3 months of graduation)
- Class of 2014- 100%
- Class of 2013- 100%
The Surgical Technology program at STCC exceeds the required threshold.
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The Commission on Accreditation of Allied
Health Education Programs
1361 Park Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
727.210.2350
www.caahep.org
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Accreditation Review Council on Education in
Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting
6 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite #110
Littleton, CO 80120
Phone: 303.694.9262
Fax: 303.741.3655
www.arcstsa.org
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Association of Surgical Technologists
6 W Dry Creek Circle, Suite #200
Littleton, CO 80120-8031
800.637.7433
www.ast.org
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The National Board of Surgical Technology and
Surgical Assisting
6 W Dry Creek Circle, Suite #100
Littleton, CO 80120-8031
800.707.0057
www.nbstsa.org
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Additional Requirements for Accepted Students
Deposit: If offered admission, a non-refundable $50.00 deposit will be required to secure your acceptance to this Program.
Mandatory Health Records: All required health records, immunizations, and physicals MUST be filed in the STCC Health and Wellness Center by July 1 of the admission year. The Health and Wellness Center is located in the Building 19 Room 177 (413-755-4230). For additional information and required forms please visit the Health and Wellness Center website at http://www.stcc.edu/healthservices. The college/program reserves the right to rescind the admission status of any student not meeting, as well as not submitting, all post-admission requirements in a timely manner.
Background Check: College programs involving potentially unsupervised contact with children, the disabled, or the elderly, including fieldwork (a clinical affiliation, internship, externship, or field placement) with a private or public healthcare provider or daycare provider, will be required to undergo state-wide and/or national criminal background checks, including but not limited to: Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Record Information (SORI), Seven (7) year residential Search, and FBI Fingerprinting checks. The purpose of the background check is to ensure a safe and protective environment for all clients, particularly members of vulnerable populations.
Students choosing not to consent to the required background checks will be ineligible to participate in fieldwork involving vulnerable populations. Ineligibility to participate in fieldwork may affect a student’s ability to successfully complete the program.
Based upon the results of the background checks, a student may be deemed ineligible to participate in academic or clinical activities, which may impact a student’s ability to successfully complete program requirements. Background checks are reviewed by the College’s CORI Board. The CORI Board determines eligibility to participate in academic and/or clinical activities. Students have the right to appeal the determination of the CORI Board by filing a written appeal with the Vice President of Student and Multicultural Affairs within 10 business days of receiving the CORI Board’s determination.
Furthermore, please be advised that eligibility to participate in College academic and/or clinical activities following a background check does not guarantee eligibility to sit for a professional credentialing examination(s) or for employment upon program completion. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the certification or licensure board for a particular healthcare or other service profession to determine the standards that must be met for credentialing, licensing and/or employment in that field.
Drug Screening Policy for Clinical Placement: The School of Health & Patient Simulation is committed to high quality education and providing excellent clinical experiences to students in the health professions. Students are expected to perform at their highest functional level during all educational and clinical experiences in order to maximize the learning environment and ensure patient safety. Thus a student’s performance at all times must be free of any impairment caused by prescription or non-prescribed drugs or alcohol use. Students enrolling in Health Professions programs are required to undergo and pass a drug and/or alcohol screening analysis in order to be eligible for placement in a clinical facility. Students assigned to clinical education experiences at our contracted facilities may also be required to undergo and pass random drug screening analysis in order to remain at that clinical facility and in the program. Students who fail a screening, or refuse to submit to a screening within the designated time frame will be ineligible for clinical placement, which will affect their status in the program. Students with a positive drug test may challenge the results of the test within five (5) business days of notification of the drug test results. This challenge must be in writing and delivered to the college’s Director of Health Services. Students may re-apply for re-entry into a health program after one year. Requests for re-admission will be considered on a case by case basis.
Students who are notified of a negative-dilute result will submit to a random drug test within 24 hours of the previous test in order to confirm the negative status of the screening. Additional random testing may also be required under the guidelines listed in your program’s handbook. A student who claims that he/she tested positive due to a prescription drug and was unable to clarify this matter with the medical review officer (MRO) from the drug testing lab shall be required to provide evidence from a health care provider of the type of prescription, dates of permissible use and dosage amounts within five (5) business days of notification of the drug test results to the college’s Director of the Health and Wellness Center. Failure to complete this notification will result in the student being ineligible for clinical placement, which will affect their status in the program
Students who test positive for marijuana are unable to continue in a clinical placement, which will affect their status in the health program. A student who has a prescription for Medical Marijuana and tests positive for marijuana will also be ineligible to participate in clinical placement due to the federal restriction on the use of marijuana. While the use of Medical Marijuana is permitted in Massachusetts, marijuana remains classified as a controlled substance under federal law and its use, possession, and/or cultivation at educational institutions remains prohibited.
Programmatic Technical Standards: Technical Standards reflect performance abilities and essential skills that are necessary for a student to successfully complete the requirements of a specified program. Students with disabilities must be able to meet the technical standards of the program with reasonable accommodations as defined by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA.) See the link below. Program Technical Standard forms found in your admission acceptance packet must be submitted to the Health and Wellness Center by July 1. The Health and Wellness Center is located in Building 19, Room 177 (413 755-4230)
Health Program Latex Policy