Curriculum
Our 70-credit-hour program includes 36 credits of training in our 10-month didactic phase and 34 credits of clinical practice in the second year.
Didactic Phase
Our immersive experience allows for direct observation and active participation with the surgical team to develop the critical clinical skills surgical assistants need. Students are exposed to surgical services, including perioperative, intraoperative and postoperative patient care, and ancillary surgical services, such as central sterile services and pathology.
This training complements the hands-on instruction students receive in the surgical environment. Our students enter the clinical phase of the program with practical experience in the operating room and a strong foundation of surgical knowledge.
Clinical Phase
In contrast to other accredited programs, our program manages and assigns students’ clinical placements. At the end of the clinical phase, students:
- Have completed eight clinical rotations.
- Have performed the duties of and served in the role of the surgical assistant in at least 240 cases.
- Have the equivalent competencies expected of a junior surgical resident.
- Are eligible to sit for a national certification exam.
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