Surgical Technologist Training Program
Program Overview
The Dartmouth Health Career Institute (DHCI) Surgical Technologist Program offers 11 months of classroom education, skills training, and hands-on experience and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) to provide you with the knowledge to become a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).
Over the 11-month program, all participants will complete more than 200 hours of practical lab skills training and spend more than 600 hours in a professional operating room setting, acquiring hands-on clinical skills through demonstration and application.
At completion of the 11-month program, graduates sit for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) exam.
Program Tuition Options
Tuition Sponsorship
With this option, when you submit your application for the Surgical Technologist Program, you are also applying for employment in the Perioperative Services Department at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. If selected, you join the training program as a full-time paid trainee, and the department sponsors all in-program tuition.
Upon successful completion of the program, you continue your full-time employment in an assigned Dartmouth Health operating room through a 2,000-hour apprenticeship and a 2-year work commitment period to Perioperative Services for the investment in your training and education.
Self-Pay Tuition
Individuals who are interested in earning their surgical technologist certification but not seeking job placement in a Dartmouth Health operating room may select the Self-Pay tuition option. Tuition for the 11-month program is $8,000 and is billed in quarterly installments. Additional fees and expenses for required background checks, certification registrations, textbooks, and learning supplies, totaling approximately $2,000, are also the individual’s responsibility. Please note that the program is a full-time, Monday-Friday (daytime hours) commitment.
2027-2028 Program Applications
Accepting applications through February 1, 2027
Application Requirements:
- Applicants must have an Associate’s Degree (or higher) and be 18 years or older before the program start date
- Online application
- Additional application materials that may be required:
- Statement of Interest (500-word minimum)
- Request for Sponsorship letter
- Online skills assessment
- College transcript(s)
Selection Process:
- Applications are reviewed as they are received, and additional application requirements may be requested
- When your application package is complete, an online interview with the program team will be scheduled
- Selected candidates will be offered a shadowing opportunity at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Main Operating Room or within the Dartmouth Health System
- Selected candidates will be invited for in-person interviews to take place in February with Perioperative Services & Program teams
- Program offers will be made in February 2027, with pre-program employment starting as early as March 2027 for interested candidates
Questions about the application process? Please email us at CST.Training@Hitchcock.org
If you don’t have a college degree, please check back in May 2027, when we will open applications for the 2028-2029 program with the option to complete required prerequisites before the program start date.
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
Attributes of a Successful Certified Surgical Technologist
- Strong work ethic, with commitment to teamwork
- Reliable, dependable, and excellent time management skills
- The ability to work under pressure, keep composure, think critically, and communicate clearly
- Flexibility and adaptability in the ever-changing environment
- Excitement and passion for innovation
