Surgical technologist

A scrub, also called a scrub tech, surgical technician or operating room technician, is an allied health professional working as a part of the team delivering surgical care. They work as members of the surgical team made up of surgeon, surgeon's assistant, circulation nurse and anesthesia provider. They possess knowledge and skills in sterile and aseptic techniques. There are few mandatory professional requirements for surgical technologists, and the scope of practice varies widely across countries and jurisdictions. Surgical technologists attend junior colleges and technical schools, and many are trained in military schools. In the military they perform the duties of both the circulator and the scrub. The bulk of training is done in the operating room, and they are trained by giving them progressively more difficult surgical cases to scrub, until they are able to scrub all types of surgical procedures. This can take a few years. The goal is for surgical technologists to be able to anticipate the next move the surgeon is going to make in order to make the procedure as smooth and efficient as possible. They do this by having the knowledge of hundreds of surgical procedures and the steps the surgeon needs to take in order to complete the procedure including the very wide range of surgical instruments they may need. Specialties can include but are not limited to the following - GU / ObGyn, urology, ENT, plastics, general, orthopedics, neurology, and cardiovascular. With only a minimum of education they are very specialized professionals.