Surgical Technologist
Training Program

Program Overview

The Dartmouth Health Career Institute’s Surgical Technologist Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and will provide you with the required education and hands-on skills experience to become a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).

Designed and delivered in collaboration with Colby Sawyer College, the 11-month program is based in our Lebanon, NH, classroom and at Dartmouth Health member hospitals. Visit the Curriculum page to see the courses taken in each of the four quarters.

Upon completion of the 11-month training Upon successful completion of the training program, graduates sit for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) exam to become CSTs.

Program Tuition & Sponsorship Options

Sponsorship Option

If you have been a full-time Dartmouth Health employee for a minimum of 3-months, you can apply for “sponsorship” through the training program. In addition to the listed application requirements, submit a letter requesting sponsorship along with your application package that demonstrates how your contributions and performance at Dartmouth Health have and will continue to support the organization’s mission in your new role as a Surgical Technologist.

If selected for the program, Dartmouth Health Perioperative Services will pay for any prerequisite college courses needed, your program tuition, and in-program fees and expenses. Additionally, you will be paid a training wage for the 11-months you are learning to become a Surgical Technologist. Sponsorship through the program requires a 2-year work commitment to Perioperative Services upon completion of the training program.

Self-Pay Tuition Option

For individuals interested in earning their surgical technologist certification without job placement in the Dartmouth Health Perioperative Services Department upon program completion, tuition is paid by the individual, and it does not include an hourly training wage. We refer to this as the “self-pay” tuition option. Tuition for the 11-month training program is $8,000. Additional fees and expenses for required background checks, certification registrations, textbooks, and learning supplies total at least $1,500 throughout the program. Tuition is due quarterly before the start of the term.

The Role of a Certified Surgical Technologist

CSTs are highly skilled individuals who collaborate with surgeons, registered nurses, and other health care professionals to deliver high-quality care in an operating room environment and are responsible for adhering to principles of sterility. A surgical technologist assists in every aspect of the surgical setting, including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative procedures.

The CST role is physically demanding, mentally stimulating, and rewarding. It requires the ability to focus, problem-solve, pay attention to detail, have excellent communication skills, and an underlying commitment to doing what is right for patient safety and well-being.

Responsibilities include:

• Create and maintain the sterile field for surgical procedures
• Review the surgeon’s preference card
• Acquire needed instrumentation and equipment for a surgical procedure
• Assist OR team with patient positioning
• Set up and maintain a sterile surgical field
• Anticipate needs and pass instrumentation during the surgery
• Mix medications as directed
• Handle and label specimens obtained during surgery
• Aid in patient transfer at the end of the case
• Break down the case and account for all surgical counts