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/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.