Certification - Accelerated Alternate Delivery Bridge Program

Certification is an important step to maintain your career mobility and ensuring that you are not limited in your choice.  To be a teacher in a CAAHEP accredited Surgical Technology program, you must be a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).  In many areas of the country, employers only hired certified surgical technologists.  As the profession and  public awareness of the occupation of surgical technologist grows, it  will become a necessary step for individuals to demonstrate their competency. 

This program is available to individuals who were employed as a surgical technologist prior to March 1, 2000 or graduates of non-accredited schools or military trained surgical technologists who desire certification. This program is designed to prepare students to sit for the certification exam for surgical technologists. All courses are offered online.  Transcripts can be evaluated for appropriate course substitutions. Student must complete a minimum of 12 hours at Gulf Coast State College to be eligible to graduate.

The normal program is a 5 college credit/42 vocational credit course. Up to 27.5 of those vocational credits in lab skills and clinical experience can be granted by documented work experience in the field.  The remaining 14.5 vocational credits and 5 college credits representing 10 courses must be successfully completed.  Of those courses, 3 courses can be challenged by examination: HSC0005 Orientation; STS0003 Introduction; and STS0155 Surgical Techniques.  To challenge those courses, you must register for the course and complete the pre-assessment examination for that course.   A precourse study guide/syllabus is provided and you schedule the proctored exam.  If you score greater than 70% or a C, then you have successfully challenged the course.  If not, you must successfully complete all of the course assignments, examinations, and final examination as outlined in the course syllabus. You may take them as quickly as you would like or spread them out for a period of approximately 2 years to complete the course requirements.  After 2 years, you must repeat any course completed - all course requirements must be completed within a 2 Year period.

For more information or an application packet, you can email us (Contact Us - above) or call 850-873-3551.  We commend you for seeking information on the attainment of certification in your chosen profession.