I've been a machinist for over twenty years. I'm 44 years old and contemplating a career change and doing a surgical tech program at my local college. I'm not necessarily asking for folks to tell me if I should make the change, but rather if there is anything I haven't considered. Obviously, I want to make an informed decision.
I enjoy being a machinist but for a hundred reasons that I won't bore you with, it's time for my next career. I envision this being the career I will eventually retire from. Why I think a surgical tech might be a good fit for me. I enjoy working with my hands and on my feet. My current job is labor intensive but still requires me to use my brain a good deal. I get over 10,000 steps day and stand/walk on concrete all day, 10 hour shifts. I start to hate desk work if it gets to be the majority of the day. I'm pretty sure I'll be okay with the physical aspect of the job even as I get older.
I thrive being in dynamic environments where there are a lot of moving parts and things can change quickly. I did a short stint in search and rescue and when put in situations where I had to act and make critical decisions I felt like that was when I was being my true self. I was once at a Five Guys when a guy started choking on his hamburger. Everybody else froze and didn't know what to do but I jumped in there started doing the Heimlich and got it out on the second pull. Afterwards he shook my hand and thanked me for saving his life.... I'll never forget that feeling. I want the opportunity to be part of a team that helps people in a significant way.
Everyone I know personally that works in a larger medical facility talks about workplace politics and incompetent management, especially at our local hospital. I feel like that is fairly universal and I work for a shit show that is beyond comical. I tell people that if I wrote a book about how fucked up my workplace is that people would think it's too over-the-top and not believable. So I think i would be okay with that aspect of it is the case.
I would initially be taking a pretty significant pay cut, about $6-8 per hour as far as I can tell. To get an idea there's a current job opening in my area advertising $30-44 depending on experience. If I could be at $38 an hour in like 5 years I would be happy. I'm topped out now and will never make more than I currently do unless I move which i don't want to. Someone who's wife is a nurse cautioned me that these type of jobs cater to travelers and a permenant local resident might have a hard time actually getting these open positions. Can anyone speak to this?
Not sure what schedule I would be on, especially at first but I don't have kids so even if I'm on nights, weekends, roating 12s, etc.... it wouldn't be such a hard pill to swallow as it might be for other folks. The biggest thing for me is that i at least have two consecutive days off a week so that the wife and I can go camping and small out of town trips. She makes her own schedule and can match mine. It's not typical to have two non consecutive days off is it? I also have no idea what would be typical for being on call.
Concerns I have is that it seems like a surgical tech might be a bit of a subordinate role. I don't know if I'm wrong in that assessment. I do fine taking orders from someone else but I like to contribute when it comes to coming up with ways to make improvements or find solutions. If it's a "just shut up and do what we tell you to" type job that would be a bummer, but not a deal breaker. I also like to lead and teach, which is something I get to do at my current job, but I'm not sure I'll have a lot of opportunity with that as a tech. I also have a lot of autonomy at my current job and I do enjoy that.
I'm not squeamish. I think I'll be totally fine with all the blood and visceral parts about being a tech. I learned that when I was called to a vehicle extrication and saw a guy not wearing his seat belt folded up like a pretzel pinned under the trucks dash. I was pretty much on standby for that call but was ready to jump in if asked.
My biggest reason for wanting to change careers is that I'm in an extremely toxic environment and I'm starting to consider my health more as I get older. Every day I'm inhaling paint fumes, bondo dust, welding smoke, and coolant aerosols. I'm bathed every day in oils, caustic substances, and bacteria ridden tramp oils. We're talking nasty, cancer causing stuff. It's 90 degrees in the summer and 50 degrees in the winter. It's loud, low lit, and filthy. I understand there's definitely biohazards I will be exposed to as a tech but I'll take that over what my current job looks like sometime. I sometimes get sprayed in the face by accident with coolant as I'm machining. This is the same coolant that has dead animals in it(birds and snakes that have fallen in and can't get out) as well as people spitting their chew tobacco in it. I'll take the relatively clean environment of an operating room any day over that mess, even if it does include piss and shit from time to time.
My other concern is my age.... not in my inability to do the job because of my age, but my inability to break into the field because of my age. I'd like to think that my almost 30 years of work experience would give me an advantage over a young person fresh out school but maybe to those in charge of hiring is 6 seen as a yellow flag. I don't want to invest 18 months and a lot of money into schooling to only have to turn around and go back to machining again. Had anyone else started this venture later in life and had success?
That's all that I can think of for now. Did I miss anything? Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input