Suncoast Technical College — Local services in Siesta Key

If you decide to enter the surgical technician program (or any health science program), hope and pray that you do not have any bullies or mean spirited people in your class, because the office and the teacher will favor them.

During my experience here I was bullied by a group of classmates, who would target any student outside of their friend group, they would talk badly about the student right in front of their face, stalk social medias and report anything posted on campus (despite the school not having a rule against posting, and the posts not containing harmful or negative content) refuse to work with anybody they disliked (despite the program requiring team work and professionalism, as the actual workplace does) which would cause some students to not be able to practice their surgical setups correctly due to how small the class was, and report the student for the smallest mistakes despite them also making the same mistakes at times.

They have been reported for bullying since march (our class started in February) and have never received consequences(despite one student turning in an entire folder filled with undeniable evidence) but the people they snitch on for even slightly defending themselves (even when they are not directly rude) are sent to the office immediately and most likely put on probation, it seems that once you get in even the smallest amount of trouble at this school, even if it’s something like dress code, the office will dislike you and disregard your future complaints.

The teacher would also join in on making petty comments about students with this group, her favoritism was very obvious (they were the only ones allowed to demonstrate new procedures, and they would stay back after school to talk badly about all the other students with the teacher for at least half an hour.)

When I reported it to the office, they completely wrote it off, they said i should simply report it to my teacher, and when I explained that I did report it and that she doesn’t care because they are her favorite students, they told me to “just accept that some people won’t be your friend” and “if you can’t take the bullying(said sarcastically with air quotes) you should just go home for the day.”

Putting my personal situations aside, the health science office staff are just incredibly rude in general, and will make petty comments about students within their ear shot. The financial aid office will give out scholarships to people who applied months after others, and tell the first person that applied that they “ran out of money” and that they’re just out of luck. Everything is very disorganized and most requests are forgotten.

If I went into detail about everything I experienced, this review would be a book. I am obviously aware that bullying can happen everywhere and my experience is not universal, but the teacher joining in and the office refusing to act is unacceptable.

I will say that the program itself is amazing with great pacing, engaging lectures, and more hands on learning than book learning, but I would only recommend starting with the...

Not recommended for serious adult learners. As an adult student who enrolled in this school with full-time work and professional goals, I found the environment and structure of this school to be deeply disappointing and misaligned with what was promised during enrollment.

Disclaimer: No names are mentioned in this review. This is not a personal attack, but a reflection of my overall experience.

Key issues I experienced: Shared Classrooms with High School Students Many classes are shared with high school students from the attached Polytech program. While this may work for some, it created a disruptive environment for those of us paying out-of-pocket and attending for career advancement. The learning space often felt more like a high school than a professional training program.

Lack of Professionalism and Respect Adult students were treated with the same disciplinary tone as younger students, rather than being spoken to as peers. Asking questions was often met with frustration or impatience. Much of the instruction felt hands-off, students were expected to teach themselves, with minimal direct guidance.

False Advertising of Program Content When I applied, the school promoted specific certifications and opportunities as part of the program. After financial aid had been processed and it was too late to withdraw without penalty, I was informed that those opportunities were not actually available. This felt misleading and left me with limited options besides continuing.

Internship Placement Issues Internship placements were initiated very early, within the first few weeks of the program, before I had any foundational knowledge. The first opportunity understandably fell through due to lack of experience. I secured a second internship, but the company was in the middle of a transition and informed me they weren’t able to provide proper support for interns at that time. They respectfully let me go, encouraged me to return in the future, and kept the door open. Despite this, I was reprimanded in front of peers for circumstances beyond my control. I was scolded, loudly and publicly, for “blowing” both internships. I was asked, in front of my peers, “What’s WRONG with you? What do you say to make people HATE you so much?” I stood there stunned, in tears, and humiliated. This interaction was discouraging, unprofessional, and contributed to my decision to leave.

I share this experience not out of bitterness, but out of concern for future adult students who may find themselves in similar situations. I was committed, punctual, and motivated, but the environment did not support that effort in a meaningful way.

If you're considering this school as an adult learner, I recommend doing thorough research and asking very specific questions about what is actually included in the program, how instruction is handled, and whether the environment supports...

I just graduated from the Surgical Technology program at this school with the instructor Ms.Daise, she was excellent!! There is sooo much to learn in such a short period of time and she was very thorough and prepared us very well for our clinical rotation. She was our sole instructor this time around. I guess in the past they normally have a seperate instructor for clinicals. We did not this time, And I would not of had it any other way. Having Ms.Daise as our instructor made our clincial rotation so much better, everyone at the location of our clinicals couldnt say anything but great things about our class and our instructor. I guess they have had issues with the other "instructor" at the school that we did not. This program was great! The hospital literally wants to hire every single one of us, thats how great this experience has been for all of us! Ms.Daise is the best!! She is the heart and soul of this program, she really cares and loves to teach and it is apparent. She also has the standards for Surgical technology down pat, And doesnt teach short cuts. SHE IS THE REAL DEAL!! I would give her ten stars if I could, and I would give 2 stars to the Health science Office staff... Too many "politics" going on in the office and they care more about their " status quo" then making sure the students have what they need to succeed. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to get...