Advance your career by earning a Surgical First Assistant certificate. At COD, you'll discover: 

• Small class sizes that ensure students receive personalized attention.
• Dedicated instructors with years of professional experience.
• Instruction utilizing state-of-the-art equipment.
• Flexible online courses.
• Affordable programs without creating overwhelming debt or draining a savings account.

Surgical First Assistant, Certificate

The Surgical First Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

Outcomes Assessment Exam Results

Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) exam given by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) results:

Class Success Rate by Year 

2025

Retention rate: 10/11, 90%
CSFA Participation in Certification Exam: = 10/10, 100%
CSFA Pass Rate in Certification Exam (first try): 9/10, 90%
Graduate Placement (in field, continuing education) = 10/10, 100%

Employer surveys sent: 10/10
Return rate: pending
Satisfaction rate: pending

Graduate surveys:
Return rate: 10/10, 100%
Satisfaction rate: 10/10, 100%

2024

Retention rate: 11/12, 92%
CSFA Participation in Certification Exam: = 11/11, 100%
CSFA Pass Rate in Certification Exam (first try): 9/11, 81%
Graduate Placement (in field, continuing education) = 11/11, 100%

Employer surveys sent: 11/11
Return rate: 8/11
Satisfaction rate: 8/8

Graduate surveys:
Return rate: 11/11, 100%
Satisfaction rate: 11/11, 100%

2023

Retention rate: dropped/incomplete:
CSFA Participation in Certification Exam: = 11/11, 100%
CSFA Pass Rate in Certification Exam (first try): 8/11, 72%
Graduate Placement (in field, continuing education) = 11/11, 100%

Employer surveys sent: 11/11
Return rate: 8/11
Satisfaction rate: 8/8

Graduate surveys:
Return rate: 11/11, 100%
Satisfaction rate: 11/11, 100%

2022

Retention rate: 16 enrolled, 2 dropped/incomplete: 14/16, 87.5%
CSFA Participation in Certification Exam: = 14/14, 100%
CSFA Pass Rate in Certification Exam within 1 year): 13/14, 92%
Graduate Placement (in field, continuing education) = 14/14, 100%

Employer surveys:
Sent rate: 14/14, 100%
Return rate: 10/14, 71%

Satisfaction rate: 10/10, 100%
Graduate surveys:
Return rate: 14/14, 100%
Satisfaction rate: 14/14, 100%

2021

Retention rate: 12 enrolled, 1 dropped/incomplete= 91%
CSFA Participation in Certification Exam: 11/11 = 100%
CSFA Pass Rate in Certification Exam : 8/11= 72%
Graduate Placement (in field, continuing education) = 11/11 = 100%

Employer surveys:
Return rate: 8/11 = 72%
Satisfaction rate: 8/8 = 100%

Graduate surveys:
Return rate: 11/11 = 100%
Satisfaction rate: 11/11 = 100%

Students are expected to provide proof of a Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan prior to the start of the program or clinical start. The insurance plan must cover you throughout the length of your clinical experience, which in most cases, consists of the entire length of the program. If you are in need of Health Insurance, please note the following important dates and visit cod.studentbenefitplans.com.

Important Dates

• Open Enrollment: Typically opens November through mid-January
  If you will need health insurance ANYTIME within the next year, you must apply during the current open enrollment period.

If you miss open enrollment, but have a qualifying life event, you can still apply during a Special Enrollment Period.

While we cannot guarantee your official acceptance into the program, you need to be aware that there is short timeframe of when you are able to purchase a Health Insurance plan. The purpose of this step is to make you aware and that the time to research and purchase is NOW. Purchasing health insurance outside of this timeframe will take months and may prohibit your admittance into the Program. NOTE: Obtaining Health Insurance is NOT an application requirement but it is a requirement to be in the program.

Incoming health science students have certain requirements that must be met throughout the program. Refer to the resources below for more information.

• Clinical Requirements Packet - Learn more about health requirements you may need to complete prior to registration or after program admission.
• Social Security Number (SSN) Requirements - While the College may not require an SSN for admission to all healthcare programs, students should be aware that the absence of an SSN may limit or prevent their ability to participate in certain clinical experiences, obtain required licensure or certification or secure employment upon graduation. Many healthcare employers, clinical education sites, licensing agencies and credentialing organizations require a valid SSN for employment, criminal background checks, payroll processing and/or professional licensure or certification. Students are strongly encouraged to verify SSN requirements with the applicable licensing board, certifying agency and prospective employers before enrolling in a healthcare program.
• Policy for Professional Conduct - Learn what will be expected of you in the classroom, lab, simulation and clinical sites.
• Violation of Professional Conduct Policy Form - Used to document violations of the Professional Conduct Policy.

Surgical First Assistant Program graduates will:

• Prepare competent entry-level surgical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.
• Provide a safe and caring environment, in which working as a part of the surgical team can provide a positive outcome for the patient.
• Provide the student with the information and skills necessary to demonstrate the ability to apply advance knowledge of normal and pathological surgical anatomy and physiology.
• Stimulate the ability to demonstrate effective communication about the surgeon's preferences and specific patient's need to the surgical team such as suture needs, specialty supplies and instrumentation, and equipment.
• Develop an understanding of and demonstrate the ability to provide preoperative skills such as assessing patient information, history, preoperative tests (EKG, EEG, EMG, lab values, diagnostic imaging), safety measures, biopsy results, positioning and draping.
• Develop a comprehension of, in order to display, the ability to provide intraoperative skills such as visualization, trocar insertion, injection of local anesthetics, hemostasis, tissue handling, placement and securing of wound drains, and closure of body planes.
• Acquire the knowledge necessary to demonstrate the ability to provide postoperative skills in patient care such as dressing application, patient transfer and transport, transfer of care, and monitoring for immediate complications.
• Learn the responsibilities of a team member and to apply the roles of a surgical assistant.
• Provide an environment that encourages individual motivation and growth.
• Stimulate technical and critical thinking and provide students with problem solving skills. To provide patient care applying knowledge to practice by incorporating this technical and critical thinking along with clinical reasoning.
• Recognize and to stimulate leadership qualities and abilities promoting professionalism in the field of surgical assisting.