AT THE SINK The scrub sink is a great place to showcase your personal style.

The scrub sink is a necessary rite of passage for the performance of surgery. My time at the scrub sink is an opportunity to collect my thoughts, focus on the case and become centered in the present moment. I do my best to marshal enough positive energy so when I hit the OR door, I become a beacon of optimism and cheerfulness. For others, the scrub sink means far more (or less):

• Gossip time. For many, the scrub sink is an opportunity to rehash the latest gossip. Conversations range from the head nurse's hangover to the flirtations of the chief of surgery. Others love to dwell on the last night's ballgame scores. Conversations usually linger for several minutes until the circulating nurse develops lactic acidosis from holding the prepped extremity, at which point she signals to the scrub team to knock it off.

• Penance. For many afflicted with obsessive-compulsive traits, the scrub can never go long enough. These poor souls spend 10 minutes on their forearms alone — for fear of passing on a rare contagion to the patient. Twenty minutes later, the fingers are finally exposed to soap. Often the automatic water timer blows a fuse. The only way for these tormented spirits to stop is to realize that they have exfoliated their epidermises. Call the plastic surgeon!

• Nonchalance. The ultra-laid-back prototype sees scrubbing as a needless inconvenience. These individuals endeavor to choose the absolute path of least resistance. In their minds a quick splash of "moisturizing cr??me" on their hands suffices. Forget about scrub brushes — they're too intrusive! Please, again show me the data to support this practice. And please do not let these folks operate on me.

• ADHD. The poor impulse control style can be spotted several yards away. They are the ones who leave the scrub brush wrappers in the sink and never turn the water off. In fact, they're lucky to be able to turn the water on. These less-than-focused sorts are fortunate to be at the correct scrub sink. Let's hope they remember which surgery they're performing!

How do you turn this on?
The scrub sink is a great place to showcase your personal style. Where do you fit in? As for me, I'm still working on finding the ON button.