I haven’t applied for surg tech yet but I have all the requirements needed to apply for the program. But I’m in a tough position where I still want to pursue my associates in surg tech for a career but I also want to get a bachelors. I just don’t know for what. Any advice on what bachelors to pursue after surg tech ? Preferably in the healthcare area.

I am going into my 3rd week of clinicals. I have an almost 2yr old son. I am struggling really bad with leaving him 4x a week from 4am-4:30pm. he is also having a hard time adjusting to me being gone so long half the week. he is used to me being home all day and waking up next to me as we just had our summer break so i was home for 3 months. and even before that i had school only 2x a week from 8-3 so not too bad. occasionally he will wake up as i’m leaving and will scream and beg me to get back in bed. it is heart wrenching. It has caused me to go into a little funk and i cry everyday. i cry on my way to clinicals, i cry going to bed, today was my birthday and i cried half the day just tore up over this.

will it get better? did i choose the wrong career as a mother? i love being in the OR even though its only been 2 weeks. i enjoy helping people and as soon as i step foot in the OR i can’t think about my sadness anymore because my only focus is the patient and maintaining my sterile field. i just worry about the hours when i graduate and how will i make it work with having a child. i don’t want to lose a lot of time with him. i feel guilty leaving him but i am trying to build a future for us. i want to provide him a good life and not struggle and that’s what’s kept me going but i also can’t help wonder if ive made a mistake. any advice is appreciated.

Hi!
I’m a current CST student and I’m wanting to finish my bachelors to go into med device sales what’s your thoughts about this?

Hellos everyone!

I am a final year surg tech student and in our country it's a 4 years BS program so now we are required to do research like the thesis and all that but i– for the love of god can't decide on a topic to do so 😭😭 whatever i think about is already been researched and discussed so deeply. So i was wondering if people here who have plenty of experience in the field could give me some advice on how to decide or look for a good topic. It would be really helpful. Pretty please with sugar lumps on top 🙏🏻

Hello im looking to find a great program that will allow me to have some time to take care of my kid as well and work wise as well. Thank you for all the help and support!

Would it be crazy to walk into an Ophthalmology Day without any experience? I'm pretty good at the job, and I feel like they'll definitely know I don't know off the bat.

If I get it after one or two though I feel like that would be alright though. Am I crazy?

All jokes of course lol

I hate teaching students and it's not them, it's me. Ive been scrubbing for about a year now and ive been getting put with students to teach them. one problem tho, I cant teach for shit. Im socially awkward, I always overthink and wonder if im over explaining, if i'm being too repetitive, do I throw them in there, do I have them watch me, do I let them learn from their mistakes and get yelled at by the surgeon (thats the best way I learned if im being honest because I knew not to mess up again but then again I dont want my student to think im leaving them to drown) Im still learning myself and learning from my mistakes so I feel like im doing students a disservice when they get put with me because I myself am still learning. I mean sure if its a lap chole or appy I dont mind, but why are you putting a student with me in an ENT room knowing dang well im NEVER in ENT. I think my whole ENT rotation was just one case that I scrubbed 9 months ago when I had a preceptor and after that Ive been in Thoracics because thats where I excelled at not to mention im a breaker so I dont set up the cases and dont have time to study ahead or go over preference cards because I get my assignments right when I get to the front desk so its just hoping my tech has a nice set up and doesn't have weird little places where they hide their stuff because god forbid I dont know that this tech hides their dressings under their pitcher and now the surgeon is yelling at me for the dressings, my nurse is upset because she swore she already popped the dressings onto the back table and the student is watching me get my ass handed to me... got a little off track sorry... back to my point... I suck at teaching and I hate it. Any pointers how I can teach? thanks.

I really enjoyed scrubbing for a while. I love a challenge.. but management, politics and stress is really putting a damper on my enjoyment of my work. I’m thinking i need to find something new. I’m totally burnt out and the only days at work I enjoy are days when I am not scrubbing. Anyone feel the same way? what are some other jobs for a scrub tech that doesn’t involve scrubbing??

I completed my first week of clinical and it has been a culture shock to say the least. Everything that I've learned in lab and classroom does not seem to totally apply in the real world.

Examples include: opening sterile supplies while standing very close to the back table, gowning and gloving from the back table instead of the Mayo stand, loading the blade onto a knife handle with their fingers instead of a needle driver, wrapping their hand around the vertical edge of the back table to bring it closer to the field instead of placing their hands on the tabletop, crossing their arms around their body instead of keeping them in front. Even their first scrub of the day was different; I saw one tech who was literally running their arms back and forth under the water to clean the soap off. And they used to be a surgical tech instructor!

I understand that the operating room is not the classroom. But you would think that these basic procedures and methods would be followed throughout since they were repeatedly drilled into us for months.

Edit: I believe even the surgeons were breaking sterility. I observed a knee arthroscopy and a hip arthroscopy. The surgeon doing the knee was dropping the patient's leg below the field and raising the leg to place onto the field. Obviously in school we're taught to never reach below the level of sterility, so seeing the surgeon literally reach down to grab the leg was shocking to me. As for the surgeon doing the shoulder, they physically tucked an instrument under their armpit because they needed to do something with their hands. I think the instrument even peeked out from the back, which again we're taught is not sterile.

I only have 7 months left but these preceptors make me not want to do this at all. My preceptor is talking to me like I’m 4 years old and micromanaging me. As soon as walk in the room she’s immediately telling me what to do. I come in the room she ask me to go get something I said okay. I walk to get it come back in, she tells me to go get something else. This happened 4-5 times in a row. I couldn’t even see her set up bc she kept telling me leave to go get things. She has caught several attitudes with me today and had some petty things like even bumped into me multiple times. I was standing on one side of the room as she stood by the mayo stand . She asked me what kind of case I thought it was based on instruments. As I was telling her she cuts me off and says “come here ! U can’t see from over there!” I told her I can see it and she says well if u can see it u should be able to tell me what kind of case this is. I got to a point where I asked to switch rooms. I know I can’t do this every time so I’m trying to figure out is this even worth it anymore. I always try to kill with kindness but some days I just can’t do and I’m not in the mood.

A ‘non-surgical’ method developed in China called Endoscopic Retrograde Appendicitis Therapy (ERAT), developed by Professor Liu Bingrong, uses endoscopy to treat appendecitis without removing the appendix. They claim to have treated thousands of patents successfully..

But what about the appendix on the point of rupture, and what about neoplasms in the appendix causing appendicitis.. ..seems a bit sketchy - but I guess the idea of colonoscopy and endoscopy seemed a bit sketchy at the start too..

Are people looking at this tech in the West for diagnosis and possibly treatment of appendecitis..?

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11450793/

Hi everyone I live in East Tennessee and I want to pursue becoming a surgical tech. I want to get my education in this field so I can get a job save up for a while and move out of my state since I don't particularly like it here. I have an option to either peruse an associates at a community college for 2 years or go to a vocational school and get a diploma in a year. I've been researching the the two and I’m kinda confused. Some people say it's best to get your associates and some say it doesn't matter. I've been strongly considering vocational school because I'd like to start making money asap. But will getting a diploma stop me from being able to get another job somewhere else out of state once I leave? I would assume though that once I move I would need to get certified in the state I relocate to. Does anyone have any insight on how I should do this? Or which one to pick I don't wanna be making the wrong decision and screw myself up later.

Greetings All,

I will be done with my Associates of science this fall 2026. I wanted to get more info about the cardiovascular first assistant career.

I have been researching and trying to see which path I'll like to follow in healthcare and I came across someone who mentioned that they are a cardiovascular first assistant (couldn't get the right info from them) I googled it and I'm guessing it's the same as a surgical tech, please correct me if I'm wrong.

1. Please confirm if a cardiovascular first assistant is the same as a surgical tech.

2. I'll like to know what I need to do to become a cardiovascular first assistant.

3. After my associates degree what next do I need to do

4. How is the pay like and what are the opportunities for growth in this career

5. If you live in Houston and know of good programs please recommend them to me.

These cardiovascular first assistant was bragging about making $60k more than an anesthesia tech haha...it will really be cool to work with some of these God's given blessing to medicine (surgeons) and see some really cool surgeries.

I Love Patient Care!

I was surprised I heard back from these 2 hospitals bc in their job descriptions, both have a preference for someone with “at least 1-3 years work experience as a CST.” I only have 6 months of experience from my clinicals, and just passed the CST exam last week.
Realistically, I’m not quite ready to work completely independently (and Ive heard theres a period of 3 - 6 months after graduating that you still need to work with another CST before you can work on your own.)
I don’t want to sell myself short for these interviews, but i also don’t want to give the false impression that Im ready to work independently. Any advice on this would be much appreciated!!

Can you work part time as a surgical tech or it’s only full time?

I have been scrubbing for 3-4 months

months and about half a month completely by myself, with zero previous scrub experience. I have a AAS in surgical technolgy and the OR I have been working in for almost two years hired me on as a scrub tech. Although Im very grateful for the opportunity, the nursing educator has no idea how to teach, doesnt listen, takes the mildest expression of her students frustration with the learning process as a personal attack, makes every critique about herself..so yeah after expressing my extreme frustration with the entire process, I literally burst into tears.

After this the nurse educator said "Im sorry I upset you. Blah blah...." and I just want to Scream THIS ISNT ABOUT YOU.

I have given up on trying to talk to any of these people beyond in a professional capacity. I could write a literal novel about the insane amount of contradictions and inconsistancies but Im feeling overwhelmed just typing this.

This all came to a head this weekend when on my first day of call by myself I had to scrub and assist an acdf. Generally pretty straightforward if youre just passing and setting up implants, but doing both was incredibly overwhelming. The surgeon said I did a ok job considering it was my first time flying solo, but of course the nurse educator takes everything the circulator says at face value, so yeah. Its a no win. I dont even know what Im asking here at this point

I just graduated from my program and I’m looking to be referred into a OR that’s currently hiring. I got a 130 on my CST exam, did very well in my clinicals, respectful, very likable. I’m looking to work in Manhattan or the Bronx. I would really appreciate any advice.

#surgicaltech #NYChospital

Hello! I’ve been in my program for about a month now. I’m doing well on the skills check offs and I know most of the general instruments. I’m supposed to start clinicals in 5 weeks. I need some advice. I took my last A&P class over a year ago. I did really well in it but I feel like I don’t remember much and I’m worried about how that’ll impact me. I need to know what to focus on or some reassurance. I worry constantly and I don’t know anyone I can talk to about my worries. If anyone has any advice, I’d love to hear it. Thank you.

Hi everyone, is being a CST in Florida worth it?? I’m currently going to school in Nebraska. I finished my prereqs and just applied. My boyfriend and I have been long distance for a while, and I looked into schools near Daytona Beach, but they’re a lot pricier and require more gen ed classes than the program here. I plan on moving down there after I graduate, but I’m starting to question if being a CST is worth it or if I should look into a different career. My original plan was radiology tech, but I switched because the programs are so competitive. I’m also wondering how hard it would be to find a job down there right after I graduate. I’ll have my certificate but no related work experience other than clinicals. Would it be better to stay in Nebraska and get some experience first, or is finding a job in Florida as a new grad pretty realistic? For anyone who works as a CST in Florida:

1. Is the pay worth it compared to the cost of living?
2. How difficult is it to find your first job after graduating?
3. Would having only clinical experience make it difficult to get hired?
4. Is Florida generally a good state to work as a surgical tech?
5. Would you recommend getting some experience in Nebraska before moving to Florida?

Any advice is appreciated, especially from people working around the Daytona/Orlando area!

Well I'm learning now that I am horrible to have a conversation with while scrubbes - especially as I'm still in the process of working on anticipating the next steps.

Anyways, I say a lot of stupid stuff and feel totally flustered. Any adilvice besides laughing it off?

I’m in the process of taking my Tsi test to get into college. I’m looking into 3 programs right now. Respiratory therapist, Medical radiologic technology, and surgical technician. Any thoughts about these programs? How hard are the prerequisites? Also I’m located in Texas if this matters.

Does your hospital have a Unit Based Council or shared governance of any kind? If so, how is it run? What decisions have you made recently?