Career Opportunities
Career opportunities for surgical technologists in the Spokane area are excellent. The median annual surgical technologist salary in Spokane, Washington, is $42,567, as of April 27, 2017, with a range between $38,244-$47,418, not including bonus and benefit information and other factors that impact base pay. The salary for someone with the title surgical technologist may vary depending on factors such as industry, company size, location, years of experience and level of education.
Clinical Sites/Field Experiences
Clinical experiences begin in the third quarter and continue through the sixth quarter. Clinicals are a chance to practice you learning in the real world. You are placed with a preceptor at a clinical site who will help and guide you in your practice. Starting fourth quarter, if you pass all required tests and clinical clearances, you will be in an operating room during surgeries, acting as the surgical technologist.
There are also at least two state seminars that you could attend, which would require travel to another city in Washington state. You will also be encouraged to take part in the SCC- CPR club and to become basic life support (BLS) instructors.
Admission Wait List
There is a high demand for this program. Each fall quarter, we accept 18 students into the program from a wait list. The wait for acceptance into the program is typically two years. We only accept enough students to fill the promised clinical sites. Everyone who enters the program is guaranteed a clinical site for the entire length of the program when they enter the program.
Prerequisites/Background Check
We have four prerequisites that MUST be completed prior to application to the program: General Biology (BIOL 160), Computer Fundamentals (CIS 110) and Math 92 and a background check. This must be submitted, and paid for by the student, prior to application acceptance.
Lab Fees
Lab fees in the surgical technology program are higher than other programs. Our real-world teaching approach requires that we purchase lab items from the same suppliers that hospitals use.
Additional Information
For more information about the surgical technology program, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page or the program director's faculty website.