Earn an Associate Degree in Surgical Technology in the Vail Valley

The Surgical Technology AAS is offered at:

Vail Valley at Edwards: In-person & virtual

Front Range Community College Surgical Technology Program has been granted accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council for Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (www.arcstsa.org) which will allow students who successfully complete the program to sit for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) certification and have the credential of Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).

During the first year, students will be enrolled as CMC students and subject to CMC tuition and fees. Our tuition is one of the lowest in Colorado and is lower than in-state tuition in many other states. Don’t go deep into debt! See more information on CMC Tuition & Costs.

During the second year (regardless of whether the courses are taken at the Front Range campus in Westminster or at a local CMC campus), tuition and fees are subject to Front Range Community College tuition rates and fees. More information on tuition and fees for the second year is available at Front Range Community College/Current Tuition Rates.

Other Costs

Other costs associated with the program (subject to change):

• Books, varies by course
• Course fees, varies by course
• Scrubs, approximately $60
• Background check and drug screening (if not already on file), approximately $80
• My Clinical Exchange fee, approximately $39.50
• DORA registration fees, approximately $85

Year One – Colorado Mountain College

• Enjoy the flexibility of both online and in-person courses at your local CMC campus to complete all the prerequisites for the second year of the program. In this first year, you will gain the foundational knowledge needed for not only Surgical Technology, but a variety of healthcare fields.
• Students who have taken some of these courses previously may be eligible for transfer credit and should make an appointment with an advisor at their local CMC campus.
• This first year of prerequisites can be completed on a part-time basis if desired.

Surgical Technology Prerequisite Coursework

All courses with an asterisk (*), are available both at your local CMC campus and in an online format for greater flexibility. Please note that General College Biology is not a degree requirement, but it is a prerequisite for the other sciences. Sciences cannot be more than 7 years old at the time of application to the second year of the program.

BIO 2102 and PSY 2440 can be taken during the second year of the program, but it is advised that they be completed during the first year. All other prerequisite coursework must be completed before the second year.

Year Two (3 semesters) – Front Range Community College

• The second year of the program can either be completed at Front Range Community College or can be completed in a local CMC district when there is enough student interest and a local instructor is available.
• This unique partnership between CMC, local mountain healthcare providers, and Front Range Community College provides you with state-of- the-art facilities, expert instructors, and coursework designed to prepare you for a career as a surgical technician. While some online flexibility is still available, the lab setting will be on-site in a surgery center or lab facility. Students complete the second year as a cohort of full-time students following the schedule below.
• When offered in conjunction with CMC, classes will be held at a CMC campus when not online or in the lab/clinical setting, but students will officially be enrolled at Front Range Community College for the second year.
• Such a partnership ensures diversity in the classroom, and includes instruction designed to both prepare and enable students to sit for the Certified Surgical Technician Exam offered through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assistant

Year Two Surgical Technology Coursework Schedule

To enter into the second year, students will need to have completed all coursework identified in the first year, have a minimum GPA of 2.75, and go through an admissions and registration process. Science courses cannot be more than 7 years old at the time of entry into Front Range Community College’s second year of the program.

The first year of coursework can be taken on a part-time basis but will take longer to complete. The second year surgical technology coursework must be taken as a full-time student according to the schedule prescribed by Front Range Community College.

Second year coursework requires full-time clinical internship during the final semester. This semester requires travel to internship sites to complete the required number of surgeries. Every attempt is made to schedule clinical shifts as close to where a student lives as possible, but travel to some sites outside of a student’s local area will be required.

There are limited spots for the second year Surgical Technology cohort, so there is not a guarantee that students can seamlessly continue onto the second year.

Program curriculum and requirements are subject to change and controlled by Front Range Community College. Please consult the Front Range Community College: Surgical Technology Program webpage for more details about the degree curriculum and college policies.

If students are interested in the program, they can start taking the first-year courses now to be ready for the second-year courses at Front Range Community College. CMC will advertise a local cohort when available.