Surgical Technology - How to Get Started

Surgical technology online information session

Attend a Zoom Q&A session on Monday, April 8, 2024 at 4 p.m.

Join Q&A Zoom meeting

To apply for fall term 2024 admission, you must meet the requirements below by the deadline date of April 19, 2024.

These courses are required and must be completed by the winter term, March 2024, or registered to complete by the spring term 2024. Science courses must be completed between winter term 2014 and spring term 2024.

Courses must be completed with a “C” grade or higher. Use our course equivalency tool to see if your courses from other colleges apply.

These courses expire after 10 years (completed no earlier than winter term 2014):

• BI231 Human Anatomy and Physiology
• BI234 Microbiology

These courses do not expire:

• MTH058 or MTH065 or higher
• WR115 or WR121Z (or placement* into WR121Z since 4/19/2019)  
  • WR121 course with “Z” at the end is equivalent to WR121.

Written Exercise: Surgical Technologist Job Description

Complete the written requirements outlined below, save with your name, and MHCC ID number and upload with your application. Submissions must be typed in an essay format or bullet points and written in your own words. There is no minimum or maximum word limit if all three questions are answered.

1. Demonstrate that you have researched the profession of surgical technology by creating a job description for a surgical technologist. The job description must include the following categories:

• Job title
• Required qualifications
• Required personal characteristics
• Wages
• Work hours
• Examples of places of employment
• Description of the working environment
• Roles and responsibilities
• Requirements for obtaining and maintaining national certification
• Description of physical demands

2. Please explain:

• Based on your research of the surgical technology program, what areas within the program do you think will be the most challenging? How will you adapt to become successful?
• What motivates you to put forth your greatest efforts? Please provide an example of a time you were struggling with a project, and you had to find the motivation to successfully complete it. 

3. Cite at least three resources (required).

Resources may include employment ads, online resources such as Glassdoor; Association of Surgical Technologists, National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, or interviews with surgical technologists.

Apply for general admission to MHCC if you are new to MHCC or have not attended in the last four terms. Select AGS in Health Professions as your major. Please note it could take one to two business days to receive your MHCC ID number.  

Pay the $35 non-refundable application fee once you are ready to submit your application. You will need to upload your payment receipt with your application. 

Official transcripts from regionally accredited colleges where you completed prerequisite courses are required. If you’re finishing prerequisites in the winter term, wait until grades are posted before requesting transcripts. Otherwise, complete this step as soon as possible.   

Transcripts must be issued directly by the institution from which the course was taken. Coursework showing as transferred from one institution to another is not accepted. Official electronic transcripts via secure electronic delivery service may be submitted to [email protected]. E-transcripts cannot be sent from the student to MHCC as they are not considered official. If submitting transcripts by mail, send to: 

Mt. Hood Community College – Surgical Technology Application
Admissions, Registration and Records
26000 SE Stark St.
Gresham OR 97030

• MHCC transcript: Not required, already on file.
• Regionally Accredited Institutions: Required for prerequisite courses.
• Non-Regionally Accredited Institutions: Not required.
• Advanced Placement (AP), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) Transcripts/Scores: Required only if used for writing admission requirements and must be issued directly from College Board or IB in a sealed envelope (see credit alternatives).
• Foreign/Non-US Based Educational Transcripts: Required only if used to meet admission requirements and must first be evaluated by an outside credential service. The evaluated transcripts must be submitted by the application deadline for the program. For more information, visit transfer to MHCC page. Evaluation processing for foreign transcripts is time-consuming, and the process could take up to six weeks. It is best to start this process early. A foreign bachelor's degree does not fulfill the prerequisite requirements.

Submit your application from Jan. 8, 2024, through April 19, 2024. If applicable, please be sure to have your documents ready for uploading and transcript(s) available for entering your prerequisite courses. You must have all your documents ready. Once started, your application cannot be saved. The application times out at 45 minutes which is plenty of time to complete it.

Apply Now

As your application gets reviewed, the status will be updated in the MyMHCC portal.

Application Timeline

Fall Term 2024 Entry

• Jan. 8, 2024: You may submit your application.
• April 19, 2024: Application deadline. All materials are due to MHCC. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered for admission.
• May 2024: Interview and proctored essay selection process. Visit the career planning and counseling center to sign up for interview preparation tips.
• Late May/Early June 2024: Notification of admission selection. Up to 20-24 applicants are accepted to the program. Up to 10 applicants will be placed on the waitlist.
• June and September 2024: Two required orientations for accepted students. 
• Sept. 23, 2024: Fall term classes begin.

Dates are subject to change. Any changes to the processing timeline will be updated here.

All applications that are considered complete (all required materials submitted) by the application deadline will be evaluated by the program faculty committee to determine the candidates invited to participate in a group-style interview and proctored essay process. After all interviews are held:

• 20-24 applicants are officially admitted into the program.
• Up to 10 qualified candidates will be placed on a waitlist and offered a position in the class if any of the accepted candidates decline their position in the program.

If you are offered a seat in the program, you will be required to complete the following to keep your position:

• Attend the required orientations in June and September (a specific date and time will be in your acceptance letter).
• At orientation, you will meet with your instructors and classmates, learn about CPR certification, uniforms, and registration. You will be provided with information about the required health and safety documents, criminal background check and drug screen. These must be completed and turned in by the assigned due dates. 

These costs are approximations and are listed only as a guide for your financial planning. Tuition is as of fall term 2023 and subject to change without notice. You are advised to have a financial plan in place.

• Tuition and College Fees: $13,012
  Based on six terms in the program including general education courses needed for the Associate of Applied Science in surgical technology but does not include the prerequisites. If you have completed some or all the general education courses, your tuition will be less.)
  View the current tuition rate.

• Course Fees: $1,675
  Course Fee Breakdown by Term
  First quarter: $50
  ST101 Surgical Technology Theory I
  Second quarter: $50 and $175
  ST102 Surgical Technology Theory II
  ST111 Surgical Technology Lab I
  Third quarter: $175
  ST112 Surgical Technology Lab II
  Summer quarter: $175
  ST155 Surgical Technology Lab for Clinical Readiness
  Fourth quarter: $350
  ST221 Surgical Tech Clinical Practicum
  Fifth quarter: $350
  ST222 Surgical Tech Clinical Practicum
  Sixth quarter: $350
  ST223 Surgical Tech Clinical Practicum

• Books for surgical technology classes: $762
• Scrubs and eyewear: $65
• Travel to clinical sites: Varies
  
  Grand Total: $15,514

Learn about paying for college

Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) reserves the right to modify the criteria and the process for selection.  

Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to the surgical technology program. Admission of all students to the program is centralized in the admissions, registration, and records office. This office has the final authority on what constitutes equivalency for all admission criteria and the sole authority to inform students of their admission status.  

If you have questions regarding admission requirements and procedures, please email [email protected].  

Reasons for Admission Disqualification: Withholding information or providing materially misleading information and giving untruthful information to questions on the program application or during the application process could be cause for non‐acceptance or dismissal from the program. If you were admitted and then failed a required course or were dismissed from the program or any other health-related program, you may be denied admission into the program.   

Previous Admission: If you were previously accepted into the program and then declined acceptance or withdrew, you will need to re‐apply to the program and will be required to meet the current program admission requirements and program standards. Materials cannot be brought forward from previous applications for a current application. Updated official transcripts are required only if new courses have been taken.