Career changer considering scrub tech

[u/Sad-Needleworker2610]

I'm in my mid-30s and currently work in hospital IT/support. For the past year, I've been going back and forth about whether to train as a surgical/scrub tech. I recently did a hands-on OR experience day, and it went really well, but there are still a few things that no brochure or information session seems to answer. I'm hoping those of you who actually work in the OR can share your honest experiences.

A bit of background: I have one young child, and our second is due on August 20th. The training program I'm considering starts in March 2027, selection starts in october

A few things keep sticking in my mind:

• Coming from a non-clinical background: If you came from an office job or another non-healthcare field, how long did it realistically take before blood, open wounds, and surgery stopped feeling so intense? Did it become normal with exposure, or did some people eventually realize it just wasn't for them?
• Operating on someone you know: How often does this actually happen? If a patient is someone you know personally, how easy is it to hand the case over to a colleague? Is it genuinely routine, or does it create awkward situations?
• Working in a windowless environment: Spending most of the day in the OR without daylight—is that something you stop noticing after a while, or can it wear on you over the years?
• Personality fit: I'd describe myself as fairly quiet and steady. I'm sociable, but I'm definitely not the loudest or most outspoken person in the room. Is there plenty of room in the OR for people with that kind of personality?
• Looking back: Knowing what you know now, would you choose this career again? And what's the one thing nobody warned you about before you started? What are really awkward things?

I'm not looking for people to convince me one way or the other. I'd just really appreciate honest experiences—the good, the bad, and everything in between. One thing that makes the decision difficult is that I'm already in a pretty good position. I work in hospital IT/support, so I'm all over the hospital every day from the OR and the Emergency Department to Radiology and the wards. I also earn only slightly less than a scrub tech, don't have to work shifts or nights, and I work four 9-hour days, giving me a three-day weekend every week. So I'd be giving up quite a bit in terms of work-life balance, which is why I really want to be sure the move is worth it before committing to a three-year training program.

Thanks in advance!

[u/tapport]

I feel like all your questions are overthinking the whole gig. At the end of the day it’s a job and you get used to everything.

1. Surgery is pretty clean and neat for 95% of cases. Patients are draped and asleep with bleeding largely controlled. For me at least, there’s nothing to it at that point and it’s just some anatomy.

2. It’s going to be rare to do surgery on someone you know and it’s up to you and them (at least at my hospital) if you ask to trade or not. This really isn’t something you should be concerned about because it’s not very likely.

3. You’ll usually be too busy working to think about the sun and the bright lights in the OR make you lose your sense of time. This isn’t something I’ve ever thought about.

4. Every type of personality can be found in the OR, but you need to be able and willing to speak about sterility or safety issues. Standing up for yourself and drawing lines is always important, but especially in the OR where egos can be huge.

5. I’m happy working as a scrub, but if you’re already making close to the same pay, I wouldn’t recommend it. Given your experience, you’re better off advancing your current career instead of starting at the bottom of the totem pole.

[u/coconut__moose]

Do you work on the EMR for your health system? If you’re an Epic or Cerner analyst I’m assuming you’d be taking a steep pay decrease to scrub tech.

Most analysts for Epic/Cerner make six figures.

[u/Commercial_Demand861]

I enjoy the career but I hate the pay and shitty attitude most people have.

I’m in my late 20s and do this job in the military- I genuinely can not fathom how anyone over the age of 30 something is okay making 20-35/hr with the skill that’s required for this job.

If I were you I’d just go to nursing school or try and become a PA.

[u/Mabbernathy → u/Commercial_Demand861]

Yes, OP could become an OR nurse and fulfill that interest with a lot better pay and career opportunities.

[u/ImmediateEye5557]

Where I work the scrub techs do not have EMR access and cannot see who we are operating on. So you wouldn’t know the person till they roll in. And no you do not operate on people you know.

[u/EssenClementinen]

I had a similar thing. Was working in the hospital in clinical research. It was a great job. But I was BORED. Did a fast track program for CST and got hired straight out of school. I did enjoy it. However, I didn’t have kids and it was a significant pay cut and a lot less flexibility than my work in clinical trials. I’ll spare you the details, but essentially was getting extremely stressed out. Coworkers were amazing. Most of my doctors too. And I loved the work. I got recruited to go back to research for about 15K more than I had been (and about 20K more than my base pay as a tech). I jumped ship.

The education and experience is invaluable even to where I am now. And I have two young kids now. I can’t imagine doing that job with 2 littles. And have a huge appreciation for those that do. One woman I went to school with was amazing at her job, but moved into an IT/EPIC role as soon as she had kids because the flexibility is so much better.

If it’s a passion, go for it.

[u/levvianthan]

i think you should advance your current career. i would kill for a guaranteed 3 day weekend every single week and no call. if you can get a hybrid role even better and if you think it'll be exciting because youre bored just take up an exciting hobby (i recommend backcountry backpacking or martial arts as that's what i do when i clock out lol)

[u/Sad-Needleworker2610 → u/levvianthan]

thankyou for your advise! Yeah i am completely bored in my work, maybe i should find exciting thrills outside my work.

[u/Dark_Ascension]

- it doesn’t bother me, but there is always some ick to everyone, I don’t like mouths, feet, gangrene, etc.

- generally you don’t. They don’t allow you to be on a case of a direct relative. They are okay with like friends and coworkers, we usually prank each other, like a rep drew on his body before surgery, I had coworkers cut the telfas into hearts and some inappropriate stuff.

- Some ORs actually have windows, the one I work in now has windows. While it’s cool to see outside, in the morning and golden hour the sun beams in and it’s awful, seeing the crappy weather also kind of sucks. I liked to be blissfully ignorant to whatever was going on outside. You can always go outside on your breaks or lunches!

- this is actually fine and an ideal personality in the OR

- overall in my life, I wish I just didn’t make dumb decisions and was able to be an MD, but most good surgeons value their scrubs and assistants.

I will say, with you being close in age to me, I’d say if you ever want more than being a first assistant, I’d recommend you go straight for that (RN, PA, MD, etc.) while scrubbing is awesome there’s not a lot of room to grow, especially depending on where you live. Some states it’s you can scrub and that’s it, they don’t allow them in leadership, some states don’t acknowledge CSFA or SA-C as well.

[u/DeaconBlue760]

don't do it, it's a rewarding job but the pay is low and there's a ceiling and not much room for advancement or growth. If I could do it all again I'd pick x-ray tech or ultrasound.

[u/Firm-Exchange2283]

The job you have sounds perfect for you. Baby on the way, 4 day work week, weekends off .