Health Science, A.S.

Program Overview & Requirements

Program Purpose:
To prepare students to become certified surgical technologists, central sterile processing technologists or endoscopic technicians.

Note: Students must choose one of the three specializations: surgical technologist specialist, central sterile processing technologist or endoscopic technician.

Surgical technologist (Amy Lynette Bailey Surgical Technology Program): These members of the healthcare team work in operating rooms, ambulatory surgery centers, central supply, labor and delivery areas, cardiac catheterization laboratories, private physician offices, and other settings where invasive procedures are performed. Surgical technologists work under the supervision of a surgeon to facilitate the safe and effective conduct of surgical procedures, ensuring that the operating room environment is safe, that equipment functions properly and that the procedure is conducted under conditions that maximize patient safety. This program prepares students to take the national certification exam administered by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.

Central sterile processing technologist: Central sterile processing technologists (medical equipment preparers) and central service technicians are integral members of the surgical team and are essential for patient safety by being responsible for decontamination, inspection, assembling, disassembling, packaging and sterilizing reusable surgical instruments, supplies and devices. This program prepares students to take the national certification exam through the International Association of Healthcare Central Services Material Management.

Endoscopic technician: These members of the healthcare team are responsible for the safe practice of flexible and rigid endoscopy. Upon completion of all core requirements, graduates of this program will receive a certificate as an endoscopic technician. Students may choose to complete the requirements for certification as an associate with the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates.

Program Length:
64 credit hours

Admission Requirements:
Applicant must have earned a standard high school diploma or GED diploma.

Applicant must be college-ready, which means the applicant does not need developmental education courses in English, reading and/or mathematics. This requirement may be satisfied by one or more of the following options:

• The Florida Statute on Developmental Education exemption
• Adequate placement scores from the Florida Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) or other college placement scores accepted by TCC
• Completion of developmental education courses
• Completion of at least ENC1101 College Composition  and a Mathematics State Core  course

Note: A student may declare the Health Science degree as his or her program of study at any time through the TCC Admissions and Records office. However, the student is not officially admitted into the A.S. degree until the student is enrolled in or has completed one of three college credit certificate programs: Surgical Technology Specialist Certificate (6355) , Central Sterile Processing Technologist Certificate (6360)  or Endoscopy Technician Certificate (6361) . The student must contact the Healthcare Professions Division to be officially admitted into the A.S. degree program.

Program Application:  

This program accepts students for each Fall and Spring semester. This is a limited-access program with a limited number of seats per class.

Applicants must submit a TCC admission application (www.tcc.fl.edu/apply) and a separate healthcare program application through TCC Passport.

Before submitting the application for admission, students must complete the following portions of the Health Education Systems, Inc. Admission Assessment (HESI A2): Reading, Grammar, Vocabulary and Math.

See Additional Healthcare Program Requirements  for important information.

View Healthcare Program Application Deadlines.

Academic Division:
Healthcare Professions, Ghazvini Center for Healthcare Education

Contact:
(850) 558-4500 or healthedu@tcc.fl.edu

View Information about Graduation Requirements and Year of Entry .