New surgical technology program given four-year accreditation

More USU Eastern graduates will soon be assisting surgeons.

    The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education in Schools said USUE’s application was “near-perfect,” and gave the USUE program a four-year accreditation. New programs are typically awarded no more than two years.

The surgical technology program prepares students to assist surgeons and other medical professionals. It is an associate of science degree program that can be completed in two years.

“We hope to see an influx of students,” said Michele Lyman, director of USUE’s health professions programs. “Especially now that we can get back out there and recruit for our programs. We find that word of mouth has been a very powerful asset to recruiting for our programs during the pandemic.”

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the course of accreditation for the surgical technology program. The Blanding campus was the original site seeking accreditation. When the pandemic hit, classes shifted to the Price campus, and the accreditation application was re-written to make Price the accreditation site and Blanding the secondary classroom. Blanding has re-applied for accreditation.

“Recently, it became a requirement that any schools offering a surgical technology program must confer an associate of science degree for their students to be able to sit for a national certification,” Lyman said. 

“This has affected many vocational and technical schools and they will have to find other schools to partner with or figure out a way to offer this degree.”