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NIC celebrates surgical technology graduates, program success

NIC surgical technology graduate Tracy Giles, left, receives an excellence award from NIC Surgical Technology Program Director Terra Lawson-Gilbert during a pinning ceremony on July 11 at the Lake Coeur d’Alene Room of the Edminster Student Union Building on NIC’s Coeur d’Alene campus.

North Idaho College celebrated a perfect success rate for its latest surgical technology graduates. All nine members of the 2025 graduating class passed the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting certification exam on their first attempt, well above the national first-time pass rate of 66.8%.

The accomplishment was noted during a pinning ceremony on July 11, where instructors recognized not just the graduates’ 100% pass rate, but their determination and hard work throughout the program.

Since launching in 2019, NIC’s Surgical Technology Program has graduated 68 students with a pass rate of 98.3%. NIC students have also outperformed the national average score of 71.8% among students who passed the exam, posting an average exam score of 81%.

“Our pass rates are a testament to the hard work of our students, employees and clinical partners,” NIC Surgical Technology Program Director Terra Lawson-Gilbert said. “Students who come to NIC graduate from the program better prepared than just about anywhere else in the country.”

Each student completes more than 350 hours in the operating room and participates in 140 to 170 surgical cases before graduation. Most receive full-time job offers before completing the program, with starting wages averaging more than $30 an hour.

NIC surgical technology graduates included Jazlynn Billingsley, Athol; Anita Oleynik, Liberty Lake, Wash.; Kaytlynn Thompson, Boise; Tyler Pederson, Post Falls; Cordy Cook, Post Falls; Kahlea Herbert, Athol; Dinah Seymour, Post Falls; Tyler Simpson, Hayden; and Tracy Giles, Sandpoint.

“Our students enter the workforce with a high level of readiness thanks to the clinical partnerships and real-world training they receive,” Lawson-Gilbert said. “They’re in demand, making a difference from Day One.”

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs-accredited program admits students twice a year through a competitive-entry application process.

The success of the surgical technology program followed recent results from NIC’s Radiography Technology Program. All eight radiography technology graduates passed the ARRT national board exam on their first attempt, compared to the 2024 national pass rate of 79%. Six scored in the 99th percentile or higher.

To learn more about NIC’s Surgical Technology Program, visit nic.edu/surgtech.