You might want to seriously consider the nursing route (or PA), rather than a scrub tech. They have more opportunities for lateral mobility (if it turns out you don't like just handing things up, you can become a family practice nurse, a critical care nurse, an ED nurse, a home visit nurse, etc.), and can move vertically as well (nursing management, getting your BSN, MSN and becoming a nurse practitioner, becoming a certified registered nurse-- first assist, etc.). Plus, if you want to be a scrub nurse, it's always available. I mention this because the scrub tech often faces a lot of abuse, and while some of them grow thick skins and stay with it, I've met quite a few nurses who just didn't like the scrub nurse role. There are a lot of ways to mess up, but when it's perfect, that's 'just the way it should be'. This is especially true if you're facing 20k/yr to train as a scrub tech. I think there are several places in the Bay Area where you can do your RN, some of which will go at community college rates.
Oh, and if you like actually doing procedures, the scrub nurse probably isn't the place to go. A critical care nurse practitioner gets to do a ton (placing lines, NG tubes, etc), and a certified registered nurse/first assist also gets to do a lot more. Physician Assistants often get to harvest veins for CABG, etc. Probably the best thing to do is get in touch with your local nursing school, and set up an appointment. They can tell you all about the tracks to different roles in your state.
Best of luck,
Anka
