Fayetteville Technical Community College is pleased to announce that its Surgical First Assistant program has been awarded initial accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
The FTCC program is the first in North Carolina to receive such accreditation and the eleventh in the nation.
Surgical assistants work under the direction of a surgeon during invasive procedures, providing aid that helps the surgeon carry out a safe operation with optimal results for the patient. They also perform preoperative and postoperative duties to facilitate better patient care.
FTCC began the three-semester program in 2018 to provide training to qualified surgical technologists and other surgical professionals. Academic instruction is offered online while clinical experience is gained through work-based learning.
“I had this vision many years ago,” said Terry Herring, division chair of surgical services at FTCC. “I saw the value of the surgical assistant because many surgeries are not done today with two surgeons present the way it used to be.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, surgical assistants are expected to have an excellent job outlook, with a job growth rate of 15 percent between 2014 and 2024.
For additional information, please visit https://www.faytechcc.edu/academics/health-programs/surgical-first-assistant/ or contact Terry Herring, Division Chair of Surgical Services, at herringt@faytechcc.edu or 910-678-8358.
Fayetteville Technical Community College was established in 1961 and serves over 35,000 students annually by providing over 250 occupational, technical, general education, college transfer and continuing education programs to meet students’ needs and desires as well as those of the community. To learn more about FTCC, please visit faytechcc.edu or facebook.com/FAYTECHCC.
