Is This Program for You?

Students who are successful in this field:

• Possess a strong sense of responsibility, considerable patience and concern for others
• Function well as a team member
• Possess manual dexterity and fine motor coordination
• Perform accurately and efficiently under pressure
• Psychological and physical stamina

Program Basics

• Face-to-Face and Online courses
• Shared courses with the Nursing Program
• Financial aid available to those that qualify
• Summer program start date
• May take some courses immediately upon program acceptance
• Students must achieve a grade of a C or better in each course of the program curriculum to be eligible to progress.
• Current Healthcare Provider CPR certification must be maintained throughout the program. (Courses must include CPR, and a hands-on exam must be taken.)
• Students who complete this program can pursue transfer to bachelor degree programs.

Cost of Attendance (COA) 24-25

Cost of Attendance (COA) is a total of all the usual expenses of being a student. The COA sets the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive.

Based on Wisconsin Residents.

Approximate school costs are for a full-time (12 credit) student over a semester span of 17 weeks.

Fees are legislated by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.

These costs are estimates and are subject to change without notice.

Admission and Program Requirements

• Submit Application
• HESI Exam: schedule and pay for HESI by calling 608.822.2313 or by going to www.swtc.edu/community/testing-center/hesi​. Passing grade for Grammar, Vocabulary, and Reading is 65%.
• HS Diploma or equivalent
• Schedule an Admissions Meeting - If you need assistance, call Student Services at 608.822.2354
• Admissions Preference Policy

  Priority for program acceptance will be given in this order until May 1, 2024:

  1. Southwest Wisconsin Technical College District Residents (permanent address is in one of Southwest Tech’s 30 school districts the College serves) Southwest Tech District Information
  2. Non-District State Residents
  3. Out-of-State Residents

Progression Requirement:

Students must achieve a grade of C or better in each course of the program curriculum to be eligible to progress.

Program Requirements:

• Prior to July 1st of your Fall semester each student will need to complete and submit the Health Requirements listed below, to be able to participate in their clinical rotation experience.
  • Physical Form
  • Background Information Disclosure - complete in MySWTC listed in "My Documents"
  • TB skin testing
  • Fact Sheet
  • Current BLS for Healthcare providers CPR certification

• Surgical Technology Handbook

Student Work Policy

During clinical rotations, all clinical experiences will be educational in nature. Students will not be substituted for hired staff or personnel within the clinical facility, in the capacity of a surgical technologist.

Helpful Academic Background

• Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics
• Computers
• Customer and Personal Service

Program Fees

• This program is eligible for Financial Aid.
• Estimated cost for each semester can be found under the Curriculum tab. Please note that costs are approximate and are based on the current academic year.
• Please discuss additional fee questions with the program advisor or instructor.

Program Outcomes

At the completion of the program, students are expected to be able to:

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

Minimum Expectations:

To prepare competent entry-level surgical technologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.

Opportunities include working in:

• Surgical Technologist Scrub Role
• Central Supply Technologist
• Surgical Technologist/Private Scrub
• Second Assisting Technologist (with additional education Surgical First Assistant)
• Laser/Endoscopic Technologist
• Tissue/Organ Procurement
• GI Technologist
• OB Technologist
• Surg Tech Instructor
• Vet Technician

Southwest Tech's Career Connections Center offers Services to assist students looking for job placement.

Credit for Prior Learning

Experience Pays! You've Been There... You've Done That... Let's See If You Can Get Credit For It!

Credit for prior learning gives you opportunities to earn credit for college-level knowledge that you have already acquired. This may be the result of work or volunteer experiences, certifications, apprenticeships, military training, extensive self-instruction, or professional development. Credit for Prior Learning affords you the opportunity to accelerate the completion of your educational goals.

For more information on Credit for Prior Learning see our Credit for Prior Learning page.

At any time, you may Request Credit for Prior Learning.

Surgical Technology Courses that may have Credit for Prior Learning options:

Course #	Course Title	Challenge Exam (Demonstration)	Challenge Exam (Standard)	CLEP	Credential	Portfolio
10-501-101	Medical Terminology
	Available online
10-801-136	English Composition 1
	CLEP Test - College Composition
10-801-196	Oral/Interpersonal Communication
10-809-172	Introduction to Diversity Studies
10-809-198	Introduction to Psychology
	CLEP Test - Introduction to Psychology

Accreditation Status

The Surgical Technology program at Southwest Wisconsin Technical college has a site visit scheduled for pursuing initial accreditation by the Commisson on Accreditation of Allied Health Education programs (www.caahep.org). This step in the process is neither a status of accreditation nor a guarantee that accreditation will be granted.