At the annual Scrubs Camp, located at Winona State University in Minnesota, John Schmelzer is holding up a flexible orange nasal tube to show a group of high school students, clad in purple medical scrubs, how to properly insert the tube and what its function is. Not too far away, another group of students is taking a tour of a medical helicopter.

The annual camp is a health careers event held at Winona Health and features a weeklong look into the world of medical careers, where students can learn about everything from surgery to massage therapy. This year, 95 high-schoolers from the surrounding area, all dressed in their scrub uniforms, attended the camp.

Medical scrubs are a cost-effective choice for medical facilities because they are easy to wash and, if damaged or stained, easy to replace. Scrubs are made of specialized fabric that reduces the likelihood of spreading diseases and germs in the facilities, as well as providing medical staff a way to change into a more sterile uniform.

JessiekaKnazze, a senior at Cottage Grove High School, has wanted to be a doctor since she was 12, and the Scrubs Camp has offered her an accurate, hands-on experience, as well as an opportunity to hone in on what type of doctor she wants to be.

“They expose you to so many different careers in medicine,” Knazze said.

Other medical activities include physical therapy, systems improvement, and imaging — which the students learn about all while dressed in their purple medical scrubs.

But there’s more to scrubs than just the familiar blue or green colors. It isn’t hard to find cute scrubs nowadays. They can come in a wide variety of patterns, colors, and styles that allow for medical staff to have more clothing diversity in the workplace. Some university hospitals, like Winona State, even have medical uniforms to match their university’s colors. Medical professionals who routinely work with children often wear scrubs printed with animals or cartoon characters, helping them connect with their young patiente. A simple look at an online scrubs store and it will be very clear that scrubs are undergoing a huge aesthetic makeover these days.

The camp staff (who are real-time medical professionals) emphasize to the students that positions such as lab assistants can learn on the job and don’t require a specific degree. Students at Scrubs Camp enjoy testing their newfound knowledge on each other throughout the course of the week-long experience.