Learn New Skills Without Required Travel

Complete the program home-study portion online. Then, complete your clincials at your local facility. Learn from the surgeons you work with every day.

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Eligibility

We offer an interactive distance learning Surgical Assisting program for the following disciplines who meet our entrance requirements listed below by medical title. Although we do require any specific amount of experience to enroll (just two letters verifying proficiency in operating room fundamentals), to be eligible to sit for the ABSA certifying exam, 2 years’ operating room experience (including the time in the program) is required.

Allied Health Professionals

AHPs will likely be able to start the SA program right away without taking any of the basic science courses. Our program includes the following clinical requirements. Please call for exceptions.

50 General Surgery Cases
25 Orthopedic Cases
25 OB/GYN Cases

The remaining 40 cases may be in your choice of one or more specialties.

Please also note students must also have 2 years of OR Scrub experience before they will be eligible for the ABSA certification exam, so you may need additional experience after graduating depending on experience.

Click on the boxes to toggle them open to see more information.

Surgical Technologists

Students, such as STs, CSTs, TS-Cs, ORTs, who have completed a formal Surgical Technology program can start the RASA SA program right away. The basic science courses are not required.

ADN - Associates Degree Nurses

ADNs are eligible for our program. CNOR-eligibility is not required and CNOR-certification is not required prior to graduating. ADNs that graduate our program will be eligible to sit for the SA-C certification title through the American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA).

Physician Assistants

Physician Assistants can begin the program right away without taking the basic science courses. We typically recommend attending a hands-on training workshop for PAs with limited OR experience.

Foreign Medical Doctors and International Medical Graduates

FMDs/IMGs are eligible to have 35 of the 140 surgical cases waived based on experience. We will need proof of graduation from a foreign medical program. Note: we encourage FMDs/IMGs to check the eligibility requirements through the American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA.net) to see if you already meet the requirements to sit for the exam.

Other Allied Health Professionals

These students will likely need to complete additional courses in basic science. Click on the boxes to toggle them open to see more information.

On-the-job trained STs (OJT-STs)

Students who were trained on-the-job or who have been working as as ST without formal training are required to provide proof of successful completion of college level basic science instruction in the four (4) basic science courses listed below.

LPNs, LVNs and other Allied Health Professionals

Typically, we recommend attending a Surgical Technologist program first, because that will give you a great understanding of, and experience in the OR. At this time, we do not offer a full OR fundamentals program. However, if you have experience working in the operating room and knowledge of OR fundamentals we will evaluate your application on a case-by-case basis. You would be considered an OJT-ST, however you likely have taken one or more of the basic science courses. Any of the required four (4) basic science courses listed below, which you have not completed you will have to provide proof of completion of college level instruction or take them from RASA.

Didn’t Complete a Formal ST, RN or PA program?

With proficiency in Operating Room Fundamentals, you may complete our focused SA Program, along with our 4 Corequisite Basic Science Courses.

Students who have completed a formal Surgical Technologist, RN, LPN, PA or IMG program do not need to complete the basic science courses. Students who were trained on-the-job are required to provide proof of successful completion of these college level basic science courses.

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Medical Terminology

Available through RASA.

Microbiology

Available through RASA.

Pharmacology

Available through RASA.

Anatomy, Physiology and Pathophysiology

Available through RASA.

Learn by Doing

Often our students are allowed to complete their clinicals at the hospitals they are currently employed at. We do require our students set up their own sites to complete their clinicals. You may complete the program at your own pace within our deadlines.

View the program overview

Achieve your goals – Get Nationally Certified

Upon completion of our program you will be awarded a certificate of completion. If you wish to become certified, you would be eligible to sit for the SA-C (Surgical Assistant – Certified) exam through the American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA.net).

Learn about the SA-C

Contact Form and Information Request:

If you would like to receive a Surgical Assisting application, program catalog or have a question, please complete the following form.

You should receive an automated email notifying you, if your information request was successful. In addition, a program advisor will personally email you information promptly regarding our Surgical Assisting program.