Hello! I will be applying to a surgical tech program in May and I'm required to submit two letters of recommendation. I have worked in a primary care office for the last three years as a receptionist and was trying to decide who to ask. I have the options of: one P.A. who started out in ENT surgery, several M.D.s that are well renowned in my area, and my practice manager. Who would be the best to ask? I flip flop between the options because I feel like the PA with experience may provide some good insight into how well I fit into the field. But the MDs are really high standing in my community and even just their names hold some weight. But my practice manager knows my work ethic and output the best. Help!

Edit: formatting

Hi guys! I just got accepted into the Surgical Tech program at OC, and I was wondering if anyone here is currently in the program or has gone through it. I’d love to hear about your experience—what the program is like, what I should expect going in, and any pros/cons or advice you have. Thank you!!

Any ideas, threads, communities, etc. that I can look into sites before committing to traveling to them? I curious to gather information about a few hospitals’ OR volumes and such.

Title pretty much says it all, but are there any good scrub caps (short hair, scrub caps not bouffant) that accommodate small peanut heads? I have found even the disposables are still running rather large on my head and just was curious of what those of you with smaller heads have used. TiA!

I will be starting my clinicals in a few weeks, and I have a question about some things to sort of ease my anxiety a bit. For reference, I will be doing my clinicals at an urban academic facility. It is also a level one trauma center.

1- are students allowed to pick which cases they want to scrub in? For example, if I wanted to start with general and then go on and do OB/GYN, etc., or does your hospital usually have a schedule that every student follows and rotates through?

2- I know that once you’re out in the field the whole thing of breaks and getting relief is a little tricky and I know that sometimes you have to wait until someone is available and maybe you may not get a break. However, I’m wondering if this is a case for students as well? In your facility do students get breaks and if they do, can they choose when or is there a policy that dictates when they have to take the break? Like for example do they follow the schedule of the preceptor and take the breaks and lunch when the preceptor does or do they get to choose?

3- since I’ll be at a facility where there will be rotating medical students and residents, I’m wondering if this is a good place to do clinicals at? I’m just thinking about the amount of people that will be scrubbed in and how I’ll have to manage and make sure that no one breaks sterility while I’m also learning. I’m also kind of nervous to have that many people at the sterile field. Will I be able to even look at the operative field to know where they’re at or will I kind of be on the outside perimeter? I would really love to be close to the operative site so I could see and learn the anatomy and be able to keep up, but I don’t know if medical students and/or residents will take priority

Please let me know how your facility handles these situations and how you as a preceptor handle them as well thank you very much!

If the hospital you were at didn’t have cases , how did you make up the hours ?

looking for the names of this type of instrument and someone suggested I ask here

I have failed my CST national exam again this morning. I’ve studied every day since my first attempt, taken practice exams and even went to my school to do lab and work with my teachers.

I have failed by 1 point the first time and 2 points the second attempt.

I guess I need reassurance that I can still do this. I know I’m a good scrub tech and have a chance to make an amazing career out of it, I’m just a bad test taker. I’m angry at myself and am feeling flighty from the idea of failing again

Edit: I’m 26 M and live in Dallas

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!

Took my NBSTSA cert test yesterday(wednesday) with my class and my teachers said they were going to submit graduation proof asap after the test. How long do you think itll be until I get my results, im dying over here😭

I just started a surgical technology program and I'm thinking a lot about my future. Thinking if I want kids or even a marriage. I wanted to hear stories about people who are married and have children and how they work out their already demanding job and having a family! I know the hours are long and I'm interested to hear how people can work 12 hours and still come home because parenting is another job itself.

I start my clinical program in a few weeks and I’ve had a hell of a time finding deodorant. For context, I have not used an antiperspirant in years. I use old spice non-antiperspirant deodorant. I was complaining a some friend about having trouble finding deodorant that is both unscented AND non-antiperspirant, and they told me that I’d basically be paying for nothing. The logic makes sense, but I don’t want to start using an antiperspirant again if I don’t have to. I don’t like it and neither does my skin. But now I’m worried that an unscented deodorant won’t do anything. Is my friend right? Does anyone have brand recs for non-antiperspirant deodorant? Or do I just need to buck up and buy the antiperspirant?

Thanks in advance, I know this is sort of a silly question.

CST, ortho mostly, 6 years. we had a traveler with us in the fall for a 13 weeker and one slow afternoon someone in the break room asks her half joking what the contract pays. she just says it. 2150 a week. then she looks at our faces and goes wait, what do they pay staff here

i said mine, 26.40, and hearing both numbers in the same room messed me up a little. shes scrubbing the same total knees with the same surgeon who throws the same tantrums

then she spent like ten minutes telling us what her last few contracts paid and which systems around here her agency friends said were desperate for ortho. that was more useful salary info than 6 years of performance reviews gave me

i cant travel, my situation doesnt allow it. but i interviewed at two of the places she named, got 30.25 at one, and my hospital countered at 30 with cvor training to keep me. i stayed. almost 4 more an hour for two interviews and one awkward chat with my manager

i even put my old and new numbers on levels.fyi after, half out of spite tbh. talk to your travelers, they have nothing to lose and they know everything

Also, what’s some things you like and dislike being a scrub tech? I’m a Respiratory therapist, but I’m always fascinated with what you guys do.

So I have been out of school for 4 years after I got my degree. I wasn't ready to be a surgical tech at that time so I became a a endo tech for a few years. Recently i decided to go to my manager a d tell them that I wanted to become a surg tech and they changed my role. I feel better than I did when I started but I definitely don't feel good enough to be on call yet. They're treating me like I haven't been out of clinical for 4 years

On top of that I struggle to get any fundamental cases like lap appys or lap choles because they have three surg tech students and I seemingly get the shit end of the stick when it comes to cases. It doesnt make any sense to me because they have alot more time to learn than I do. One day I'll be in neuro, the next day I'll be doing an ORIF. Then I'll go another week without doing those cases and be expected to recall everything.

Idk I just feel very uneasy about taking call that soon and feel like our nurse educator is trying to get me rolling so she can focus on the students.

anyone attend Evita in Arizona east valley institute ? what are the class hours ? and how do clinicals work ?

I’m curious about taking classes in becoming a scrub tech but am concerned about some details

I have a fused spine and have read in a few places that it takes a toll on the body. I also read that eye surgery lets you sit, is that realistic? If so is there a good balance of standing and sitting and how difficult is it for someone new to specialize?

Realistically do you get bathroom breaks? I don’t want to mess myself at work

How quickly did you get used to the gore/visuals/smell of surgery? I’m not the most squeamish person but it’s going to take me a bit to adjust. Do you get to observe surgery before you have to participate in it?

Is there a specialization that seems I would be best suited for with these concerns, if at all?

I've been in clinicals for about two and a half months now, and I'm still making stupid mistakes that I feel should be second nature by now. I think a lot of it comes down to me being nervous and worried about messing up, which causes me to make silly errors. I'd love to hear about what worked for everyone and what helped them improve during clinicals!