Surgical Assistant, Full Time, Day shift

Job Description

Be part of a world-class academic healthcare system at UChicago Medicine as a Surgical Assistant. In this role, you’ll work alongside leading physicians and surgical teams who are advancing medicine through groundbreaking research and innovative patient care. At UChicago Medicine, we treat patients with conditions ranging from routine to highly complex, using the most advanced surgical approaches available. As a Surgical Assistant, you will play a critical role in delivering safe, efficient, and high-quality perioperative care while supporting surgeons throughout the operative process. This position is 100% onsite and requires candidates to be based in the greater Chicagoland area.

Position Summary:

The Surgical Assistant supports the surgical and perioperative team by collaborating with the Primary Attending Surgeon to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care during surgical procedures. Responsibilities include assisting with surgical exposure, tissue handling, wound closure, device placement, and other intraoperative tasks delegated by the attending surgeon and appropriate to the assistant’s training and certification.

Key Responsibilities

Preoperative & Perioperative Support

• Prepare and ensure availability of equipment and supplies needed for surgical procedures

• Review patient history, consent documentation, and imaging prior to surgery

• Assist with patient transport, positioning, and preparation in the operating room

• Support anesthesia team during induction and emergence

• Assist with patient transfer to PACU or ICU following procedures

• Complete required documentation and perioperative paperwork

Intraoperative Surgical Assistance

• Provide surgical exposure through tissue and organ retraction

• Assist with minimally invasive and robotic procedures, including trocar placement

• Operate and assist with surgical devices such as staplers, ligating devices, retractors, and energy instruments

• Maintain hemostasis through direct pressure, sutures, ligatures, cauterization, or hemostatic agents

• Clamp, ligate, and cut tissue as directed by the surgeon

• Assist with implantation of surgical devices and drains

• Insert drainage tubes including chest tubes and gastric tubes as directed

• Close surgical wounds (subcutaneous and skin layers) per surgeon directive

• Apply wound dressings and compression dressings

• Assist in specimen handling and verification

• Provide support during emergency situations, including resuscitation in the operating room

Additional Duties

• Assist with casts, splints, tourniquets, and orthopedic devices when required

• Participate in placement of wound vacuum systems

• Perform other perioperative tasks as delegated by the attending surgical provider to ensure optimal patient outcomes

Required Qualifications

• 2–5 years of clinical experience in a surgical specialty area preferred

• Completion of an accredited Surgical Assistant program if early career

• Surgical Assistant certification obtained or actively pursued within 3 months of program completion

• Demonstrated clinical competence and ability to work independently

• Strong communication, leadership, and teamwork skills

• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary healthcare teams

Technical Skills

• Microsoft Word

• Microsoft PowerPoint

• Microsoft Excel

Licensure & Certifications

• Illinois Surgical Assistant License

• Certified Surgical First Assist (CSFA) and/or Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA)

• Surgical Assistant Certification recognized in Illinois and Indiana

• Certification from:

  • National Commission for the Certification of Surgical Assistants (NCCSA)

  • American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA)

Position Details

• Schedule: Full-Time (1.0 FTE)

• Shift: Days

• Location: Hyde Park – Chicago, IL (Onsite)

• Department: Perioperative Services

• Union Code: Non-union

Why Join UChicago Medicine?

• Work in a leading academic medical center known for innovation and research

• Collaborate with renowned surgeons and multidisciplinary teams

• Contribute to life-saving surgical care and breakthrough treatments

• Grow your career in an environment focused on clinical excellence and professional development.

Why Join Us

We’ve been at the forefront of medicine since 1899. We provide superior healthcare with compassion, always mindful that each patient is a person, an individual. To accomplish this, we need employees with passion, talent and commitment… with patients and with each other. We’re in this together: working to advance medical innovation, serve the health needs of the community, and move our collective knowledge forward. If you’d like to add enriching human life to your profile, UChicago Medicine is for you. Here at the forefront, we’re doing work that really matters. Join us. Bring your passion.

UChicago Medicine is growing; discover how you can be a part of this pursuit of excellence at: UChicago Medicine Career Opportunities

UChicago Medicine is an equal opportunity employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, civil union status, parental status, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status and other legally protected characteristics.

As a condition of employment, all employees are required to complete a pre-employment physical, background check, drug screening, and comply with the flu vaccination requirements prior to hire. Medical and religious exemptions will be considered for flu vaccination consistent with applicable law.

Compensation & Benefits Overview

UChicago Medicine is committed to transparency in compensation and benefits.  The pay range provided reflects the anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position.

The pay range is based on a full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) and is reflective of current market data, reviewed on an annual basis. Compensation offered at the time of hire will vary based on candidate qualifications and experience and organizational considerations, such as internal equity. Pay ranges for employees subject to Collective Bargaining Agreements are negotiated by the medical center and their respective union.

Review the full complement of benefit options for eligible roles at Benefits - UChicago Medicine.