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Surgery Schools and Programs in The United States

31 schools in The United States teach Surgery.

  • Greenville Technical College

    Vocational school Greenville, The United States In an official register

    Greenville Technical College (GTC) is a technical college in Greenville, South Carolina, that has served the Upstate region since 1962. Its main campus, the Barton Campus, is at 506 S. Pleasantburg Drive, and the college has 8 locations across Greenville County. GTC offers…

  • Gulf Coast State College

    Vocational school Panama City, The United States In an official register

    Gulf Coast State College (GCSC), listed here under its former name Gulf Coast Community College, is one of Florida's public colleges. Its main campus lies by the water in Panama City, Florida. It also has the North Bay Campus in Southport, a public-safety training site for…

Surgery Studies in The United States

In the United States, "surgery" covers two very different study paths. Surgeons are physicians: they complete a bachelor's degree, four years of medical school and then a surgical residency in a hospital. Surgical technologists and surgical assistants, by contrast, train in shorter programmes, mostly at community and technical colleges, and work alongside surgeons in the operating room. Most of the schools on this page fall into the second group; the rest are universities with medical schools.

Becoming a surgeon: medical school and residency

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor's degree and then either a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree, which takes an additional four years. No specific undergraduate major is required, but applicants usually have studied subjects such as biology or physical science. Medical schools are highly competitive: applicants submit transcripts, scores from the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and letters of recommendation, and most schools hold interviews. Most US medical schools use the AMCAS centralised application service.

Medical school has a classroom phase and a clinical phase with rotations in areas such as internal medicine, paediatrics and surgery. After graduating, almost all doctors enter a residency in their specialty, typically lasting three to nine years; subspecialisation, such as hand surgery, adds a fellowship of one to three years. Residency places are matched through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). All states require physicians and surgeons to be licensed, which includes passing standardised national exams.

Universities with medical schools on this page include Stanford University, Yale University, New York University, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University, the University of Minnesota and East Carolina University. International applicants should check each school's eligibility rules before applying.

Surgical technology and surgical assisting

Surgical technologists prepare operating rooms, sterilise equipment and pass instruments to surgeons during operations. The BLS says they typically need a certificate or an associate degree from an accredited programme, offered by many community colleges and vocational schools. Courses include anatomy, microbiology and physiology, sterile technique and infection control, plus supervised clinical practice.

Many programmes are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Some examples from the schools' own pages:

  • Greenville Technical College (South Carolina): CAAHEP-accredited associate degree; graduates can sit the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam of the NBSTSA
  • Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa): 64 credit hours including prerequisites, with an estimated in-state tuition of $14,656 for 2026-27; the international rate is $400 per credit
  • Lansing Community College (Michigan): a selective-admission programme with a 1 May application deadline, leading to an associate degree
  • Nashville State Technical Community College (Tennessee): an Associate of Applied Science and a technical certificate in surgical technology

Certification is not always required, but some employers require it and it typically means completing an accredited programme and passing an exam. Some states also regulate these workers.

Admission and visa

For undergraduate study you need to have completed secondary school and be at least 17, and US institutions require an English proficiency test. Surgical technology programmes often have extra entry requirements, such as prerequisite courses in anatomy and medical terminology at Kirkwood. Before applying for a visa you must be accepted by an institution certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Academic degree study uses the F visa; the M visa is for non-academic or vocational training. EducationUSA notes that institutions cannot issue the I-20 form for non-degree vocational training, so check with the college whether its certificate is open to international students.

Careers

The BLS gives a median annual wage of $275,930 for physicians and surgeons in May 2025 and projects their employment to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. Surgical technologists held about 118,400 jobs in 2025, 71 percent of them in hospitals; their median annual wage was $64,650, and that of surgical assistants $66,800, in May 2025. Employment of surgical assistants and technologists is projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become a surgeon in the United States?

Usually four years of undergraduate study, four years of medical school and a residency of three to nine years, plus one to three years of fellowship for a subspecialty.

Can I study surgical technology at a community college?

Yes. Many community and technical colleges offer accredited certificates and associate degrees in surgical technology, often with selective admission.

Is certification required to work as a surgical technologist?

Not everywhere, but some employers require it and some states regulate the job. Graduates of accredited programmes can take the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam.