Surgical Technology

Applicants must be a minimum of 18 years old and complete ALL of the following to be eligible for admission. Coursework must be successfully completed by the end of LCC’s Spring semester to be considered. Summer classes are considered only in the event there are not enough applicants to fill seats. Only courses listed on your LCC record, which includes transfer credit, can be used to satisfy an admission requirement. Completion of the requirements does not guarantee admission into a Selective Admission program.

Admission Requirements Notes

1. Hepatitis B is a 3-injection vaccine that takes 5-7 months to complete. To be considered for admission, candidates must provide proof that they have received at least the first dose of the vaccine or evidence of a medical condition preventing them from being immunized. Documentation must be attached to your application (preferred) or emailed to selective_admissions@star.lcc.edu by the application deadline. The complete injection must be done by November to be eligible for clinical. For more information this requirement, check out the Surg. Tech. section of the HHS Advising Guide site.
2. Anatomy, Physiology, BIOL203/SURG 103, CHSE 117/PFHW 163, and CHSE 120 must be completed within 8 years of the application deadline.
3. The general education requirement for English, Communication, and/or Humanities/Fine Arts/Social Science will be waived by Selective Admissions ONLY IF the student has an Associate’s or higher degree AND there are no classes completing the requirement(s) on the student’s academic record. Official transcripts on record with LCC’s Registrars office must show proof of degree.

*TRANSFER STUDENTS: Your transfer school’s grading system will be used to convert letter grades to numerical. Grading scales vary by school; a 2.5 is typically equivalent to a B and a 2.0 is usually equivalent to a B-. Official transcripts from all transferring colleges must be on file with LCC’s Registrars office by May 15^th to be considered.

Applicants who complete all of the admission requirements will be ranked using the following point system. Those with the highest total points will be selected for the available seats. Admission decisions are made mid-June.

Point System Notes

1. To earn points in the first attempt category, all of the listed courses must have been completed with a grade of 2.5 or higher on the first attempt. Withdraws and attempts at other colleges are considered. Only attempts or withdraws within the last 5 years are considered if the minimum grade was not met. *Students who do not submit official transcripts for all Colleges attended (except international Colleges) will be deducted 5 points.
2. This point criteria is optional. Only applicants who meet the criteria will earn points in this category.
3. Transfer students must show proof of degree via an official transcript sent to LCC’s Registrars office; transcripts are due May 15th. Applicants who earn(ed) their degree at LCC will automatically be awarded points for this criteria. To determine if you are eligible for a degree at LCC, meet with an academic advisor early on in the Spring semester for a degree audit. Students must submit a degree application by March 15th to earn a Spring semester degree. More information is available at www.lcc.edu/admissions-financialaid/registrar/forms.html#degree.
4. Proof of work or volunteer experience must be documented by the HR department or a supervisor on business letterhead and include dates of employment, position title, and a brief description of duties. Paystubs and W2 tax statements are not accepted. To earn points, documentation must be attached to your application (preferred) or emailed to selective_admissions@star.lcc.edu by the application deadline.
   *Direct-patient care is defined as giving one-on-one medical attention to patients in a healthcare setting. Examples of direct-patient care job duties include taking vitals, administering medication, assisting with mobility, helping the patient with hygiene/bathing, carrying out medical treatment plans, giving general medical care, etc. Direct-patient care must be a primary job responsibility to earn points.

In the case of a tie in total points, GPA of required science & CHSE/PFHW courses followed by GPA of all required classes will be used.

The approximate cost for a 2025-2026 Surgical Technology student who receives in-district tuition rates is $17,417; this includes the cost of the admission requirements and in-program courses along with Surgical Technology supplies and textbooks.

Be advised some in-program classes have a portion of the course fee that is non-refundable. Any student who registers for the class and then drops, withdraws, or is otherwise ineligible for the program will not be refunded the non-refundable portion. The non-refundable amount and the items included in course fees vary by class. More information will be provided at the program orientation that occurs at the end of July after admission decisions are made.

Program Cost

Applicants admitted to this program are required to present evidence from a licensed healthcare provider that they have completed ALL of the following immunizations.

• Covid
• Hepatitis B
• Influenza (flu)
• MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
• Tdap
• Varicella

Admitted applicants must also provide the following documentation:

• TB test results showing they are free from infection
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification (healthcare provider)
• A physical from a licensed healthcare provider
• Negative results of a 10-Panel Drug screen
• Results of a Background Check

These requirements are in accordance with professional standards and third-party clinical site requirements. Students are responsible for the cost associated with obtaining immunizations, physicals, BLS certification, and any other items relating to clinical eligibility. Clinical hours must be completed in-full in order to successfully complete this program as mandated by the program’s accrediting body and/or professional licensure/certification governances. Students who have not met all of the required clinical requirements, including vaccinations, are not eligible to participate in this program.

Applicants should be aware some vaccinations require a series of injections. In these instances, the entire series must be complete to participate in clinical activities. Titer results showing immunity are accepted for some of the vaccinations in lieu of proof of immunization. For most students the easiest way to verify your current vaccination status is to visit the Michigan Immunization Portal and access your State of Michigan immunization record from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR). Students are encouraged to consult with their healthcare provider before starting the program to ensure they can meet these immunization and physical requirements.

More information about these requirements and how to submit them will be provided at the program orientation that occurs after admission decisions are made; do not submit these documents prior to being instructed to do so by program administration. Contact the Program Director for questions regarding clinical requirements.

Latex sensitivity and allergy has grown as a health care concern in recent years. Beginning one’s professional life with a latex allergy presents unique problems because of the increased need to don gloves in both medical and non-medical settings, and unavoidable direct contact with products containing latex rubber (gloves, syringes, tubing, etc.), or by inhaling powder from latex gloves. Applicants with latex sensitivity and allergy are therefore encouraged to consult with their primary care physician to ensure their health and safety while participating in the program.

Be aware Lansing Community College does not provide accident and health insurance coverage for students. The College provides liability insurance coverage for students in practicum for injuries and damages they cause to others. It does not cover injuries students sustain as a result of their own actions. Students must use personal funds or personal medical insurance as a primary medical coverage payment if accident or injury occurs or if emergency treatment is required.

Applicants of the Surgical Technology program must be aware of the following policy pertaining to pregnancy. This policy is designed to inform applicants/ students of the program guidelines for protection of an unborn child:

X-rays are used extensively in the operating room in addition to anesthetic agents which may adversely affect fetal development. Therefore, the program must adhere to stated public policy as provided by each hospital and the Michigan Department of Community Health.

As soon as a student suspects a pregnancy, they must contact the program director. Although a leave of absence may not be indicated, certain precautions should be followed to ensure the safety of the student and fetus.

1. Motor skills required to meet the class and clinical practice outcomes are:

   • Strength: Perform physical activities requiring ability to push/pull objects more than 50 pounds to transfer objects of more than 100 pounds.
   • Manual Dexterity: Perform motor skills such as standing, walking, handshaking; manipulative skills such as writing and typing; venipuncture, calibration of equipment.
   • Coordination: Perform body coordination such as walking, filing, retrieving equipment; eye-hand coordination such as keyboard skills; tasks which require arm-hand steadiness such as taking blood pressure, calibration of tools and equipment, etc.
   • Mobility: Perform mobility skills such as walking, standing, occasionally prolonged standing or sitting in an uncomfortable position.
   • Visual Ability: See objects far away, discriminate colors, and see objects closely as in reading faces, dials, monitors, syringes, medication labels, etc.
   • Hearing: Hear normal sounds with background noise and to distinguish sounds.

2. Cognitive skills required to meet the class and clinical practice outcomes:

   • Concentration: Concentrate on details with moderate amount of interruptions, such as patient and co-worker requests, alarms, equipment noise, etc. Attend to task/functions that require long periods of time (greater than 60 minutes) and handle a variety of tasks for periods up to 12 hours. No mental, nervous, organic or functional disease, or psychiatric disorder likely to interfere with the ability to coordinate treatment planning; work with other health care professionals and patients; safely operate medical/Surgical Technology devices and instruments.
   • Conceptualization and Critical Thinking: Comprehend and integrate knowledge from didactic courses and professional literature into the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of Surgical Technology techniques. Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment to identify cause-effect relationships in clinical situations. Prioritize, organize, and utilize time-management skills in a timely and accurate manner. Adhere to: HIPAA and OSHA guidelines, Surgical Technology professional standards, LCC and Surgical Technology Program professional conduct guidelines as well as clinical policies and procedures.
   • Memory: Remember task/assignments given to self and others over both short and long periods (i.e., information gathered in assessing patients and didactic courses).

3. Psychological skills required to meet the class and clinical practice outcomes:

   • Interpersonal: Demonstrate interpersonal abilities to interact compassionately and effectively with patients from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds. Establish professional and respectful rapport with patients, classmates, staff, faculty, and surgeons. Work effectively as a team member.
   • Communication: Speak and write clearly and concisely with patients, classmates, staff, faculty, doctors, surgeons, and other health care providers in English using standard medical and Surgical Technology terminology. Communicate sufficiently for interaction with others in written form. Writing skills include being able to prepare legibly written documentation. Explain treatment procedures, initiate health teaching, and patient responses. Be able to read and interpret directions from one’s supervisors.
   • Substance Abuse: o current clinical diagnosis of alcoholism. Must not use Schedule 1 drugs or other substances such as amphetamines, narcotics, or any other habit-forming drug except those substances or drugs prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner; who is familiar with the individual's medical history and assigned duties and who has advised the individual that the prescribed substance or drug will not adversely affect the individual's ability to safely practice.
   • Sequencing: Remember and execute tasks and skills in a predetermined arrangement of succession, building upon consecutive steps.
   • Stress: A student’s behavior and social skills must be acceptable with the college and clinical settings. A student must be able to: monitor his/her emotions; manage strong emotions (such as grief or anger) in a professional manner; perform multiple responsibilities concurrently; adapt to a changing environment/stress and deal with the unexpected (such as a crisis situation); work with patients who may be very young/old, critically ill/injured, or mentally/physically deficient/impaired.