The Bellingham Technical College Surgery Technology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (Http://www.caahep.org/) upon the recommendation of the Accrediting Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.
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If you are interested in being a valuable part of surgery teams, working beside surgeons, nurses, and other medical professionals, you can train for an exciting career as a Surgery Technologist. With BTC’s high quality education and hands-on training, you’ll gain the valuable skills needed now by hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, and dental surgery offices.
BTC's students graduate prepared for top jobs:
Upon successful completion of the BTC Surgery Technology Program, students are awarded an Associates Degree in Applied Science-Transfer (AAS-T) and are eligible for registration as a Surgical Technologist in WA State.
Note: BTC has not made a determination that the Surgery Technology curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification outside of Washington State. We encourage students who plan to work out-of-state to check relevant local licensure/certification requirements.
Data are provided on a program (not credential) level
96% BTC graduate placement rate1
$54,498 starting annual wage2
$62,873 average annual wage2
$74,410 potential annual wage2
Students interested in the Surgery Technology program should apply to the college and contact Admissions at 360.752.8345 or at admissions@btc.edu for assistance with getting started at BTC. A college application and your score on assessment testing and/or previous transcripts will determine where you begin your course sequence.
This program typically admits students into first quarter core courses in the fall. Registration for Fall Quarter starts halfway through Spring Quarter.
Program-ready students are invited to register for Surgery Technology courses. Students who have completed ALL prerequisite requirements before the start of first quarter core courses will be allowed entry based on the order in which they register.
There is no separate admission process or application for this program.
Prior to registering for the program core courses students complete all prerequisite courses at BTC or complete the transcript evaluation process for courses taken at another institution.
ALL COURSES MUST BE A MINIMUM OF 5 QUARTER CREDITS OR 3 SEMESTER CREDITS
Completion of the following courses with a minimum grade of 2.7 (B-) or higher in each course:
Introduction to Surgery Technology (SURG 100)
Human A&P 1 (BIOL& 241)
Human A&P 2 (BIOL& 242)
Microbiology (BIOL& 260)
Introduction to Chemistry (CHEM& 121 or CHEM& 161)
English Composition 1 (ENGL& 101)
Math in Society (MATH& 107) or any MATH course from the AAS-T alternative course list will be accepted.
Completion of the following courses with a minimum grade of 2.0 (C) or higher in each course:
General Biology with Lab (BIOL& 160)
Interpersonal Communications (CMST& 210) or General Psychology (PSYC& 100)
Fundamentals of Medical Terminology (HT 100)
AFTER admissions acceptance into the program and prior to beginning program classes students must submit proof of all Clinical Placement Requirements.
This program requires a criminal history background check prior to attending the clinic practicum. Criminal History Background Check Information Sheet
Students who test positive for THC (marijuana, including prescription marijuana) will not be allowed entrance to Nursing and Allied Health programs with clinical components. Drug screening is a requirement of our clinical partner agencies. Although private recreational and medical use of marijuana is legal in Washington state, our clinical partner agencies are governed by federal laws, and marijuana is a prohibited substance at the federal level. If your final drug test results are positive, you will be ineligible to participate in the program that year and will be allowed to reapply to the program 12 months from the date of the positive test.
The goal of this program is to prepare competent entry-level surgical technologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.
Upon completion of the Surgery Technology program, the student will be able to:
Employment of surgical technologists is expected to increase. Technological advances such as fiber optics and laser technology will also permit new surgical procedures to be performed.
About 95% of BTC Surgery Technology students are employed within nine months of graduation. The average annual wage in this field is $55,661, with an earning potential of about $64,709 per year.*
Criminal convictions may restrict or prevent student participation with internships and employment in this industry.
Most surgical technologists are employed by hospitals and work primarily in operating and delivery rooms. Others are employed in clinics and surgical centers and in the offices of physicians and dentists who perform outpatient surgery. Hospitals will continue to be the primary employer of surgical technologists, although much faster employment growth is expected in offices and clinics of physicians, including ambulatory surgical centers.
If you have questions about this program or want help with the admissions steps to Bellingham Technical College, please email outreach@btc.edu.
Current students wanting academic planning and support, can connect with the program Instructor(s) or email NursingAlliedHealthNav@btc.edu
