The Quincy Sun

Quincy Sun // Published August 9, 2018 // Quincy Sun Staff

The Quincy College Surgical Technology Program has received continued accreditation from the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA).

ARC/STSA conducted a site visit in November of 2017 and released their findings in the Spring of 2018 concluding that Quincy College’s Surgical Technology Program exceeded all accreditation standards.

Beyond the classroom, Quincy College has also successfully transitioned students to the workforce as certified professionals. Over 90% of the 2017-2018 graduating cohort of Surgical Technology students were offered full-time employment in the Surgical Technology field prior to graduation.

” The continued accreditation of the ARC/STSA re-affirms Quincy College’s effort in serving our Surgical Technology students and ensuring that matriculating Quincy College students are employable professionals and excellent employees,” Natalie Fulford, Quincy College Program Director for Surgical Technology.

The accreditation visit included a thorough review of program goals, student outcome, the programs ten person advisory board, budget, clinical affiliates, and more. The organization toured Quincy College’s Quincy Campus reviewing campus facilities, lab space/storage space, student services, and conducted a thorough curriculum review.

“Continuing accreditation of the Quincy College Surgical Technology Program is critical to the health of our program. The ARC/STSA accreditation visit is a valuable, self-reflective opportunity for the Quincy College Surgical Technology program to ensure that our program is exceeding expectations. We are pleased to report that the ARC/STSA applauded Quincy College’s Surgical Technology Program and found no areas of concern,” Nathalie Fulford, Quincy College Program Director for Surgical Technology

Fulford elaborated: ” The ARC/STSA site visitor stated that in their over 10 years of experience, this is only the second time that they had a site visit with no issues identified. ”

The ARC/STSA also held in-person interviews with the 2017-2018 Quincy College Surgical Technology students, clinical affiliates, advisory board members, and members of the Quincy College Surgical Technology Program.

Quincy College Surgical Technology program’s successful outcomes can be traced to a revitalization effort starting in 2006 continuing to today. In all areas where the Surgical Technology program has been benchmarked, in the classroom, in clinical placement, and in certification exams, Quincy College has meet or exceeded expectations.

The updates to the Quincy College Surgical Technology Program have been substantive. The program implemented web based online tools, the use of iPads and online learning tools, online training and certification testing preparation for students. The Program also steamlined policies, mirroring the expectations of future employers performance goals and ensured that incoming Quincy College Surgical Technology students were informed of the rigorous academic and professional expectations of the program.

” We’ve built very strong relationships with our clinical affiliates with Quincy College students conducting their clinical education at some of our nation’s leading hospitals including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical, and Tufts Medical Center, to name a few. Hospitals in the region come to Quincy College seeking our students as employees which speaks to not only the caliber of our students and the tenure of our faculty but our program’s reputation as a leader in the South Shore for qualified surgical technology assistants,” Fulford states.

Over the last ten years, Quincy College’s Surgical Technology program is in high demand as one of the only programs located on the South Shore. The program waitlist has grown year on year for the last 5 years.

For more information about Quincy College’s Surgical Technology programs, please visit: https://quincycollege.edu/program/surgical-technology/.