Entry Level Surgical Physician Assistant Jobs
New grad surgical physician assistant jobs are open to recent graduates and entry level candidates with zero to two years of experience, where strong clinical rotation performance or internship work often carries more weight than a lengthy resume. Most openings are on-site roles concentrated in Healthcare & Medical Services, Science & Research, and Education, with employers like Northwell Health, MaineHealth, and University of Kentucky hiring at this level now.
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At Houston Methodist, the Surgical Physician Assistant (PA) functions as an advanced practice practitioner maintaining and promoting the health of the patient requiring care, practicing medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician. This position will provide diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical and preventative care, under the supervision of a physician. The surgical PA position will assist the physician in the global management of patient care in all peri-operative settings; their primary role is to assist licensed physicians in patient surgery. This end-to-end involvement enables surgical PAs to provide unparalleled continuity of patient care. This position will work in both inpatient and outpatient settings and can perform independently under the license of a physician or as part of a treatment team. The Surgical PA position will take call as required or as outlined by their supervising physician, manager or lead. This position should be in the OR a minimum of 30%. In addition, the Surgical PA position exams, diagnoses and decides treatment for patients, including analyzing and interpreting x-rays and lab results, writes prescriptions, takes patients' histories and orders various forms of therapy. This position affects direct patient care according to the Board of Physician Assistant Examiners in the State of Texas and Houston Methodist policies and procedures.
FLSA STATUS
Exempt
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
- Bachelor’s degree
- Graduate from accredited Physician Assistant program by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)
Experience
- One year of surgical experience
LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required
- PA - Physician Assistant - State Licensure - Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- PA-C - Physician Assistant-Certified (NCCPA) - National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistant
- DEA - Narcotics License (DEA) - Drug Enforcement Administration
- BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association
- ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
- Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
- Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
- Use of critical thinking skills and clinical judgment to work autonomously as defined by the Board of Physicians Assistants
- Accepts accountability for outcomes in healthcare
- Uses therapeutic communication to establish a relationship with patients, families and interprofessional team to collaborate on the plan of care
- Strong organizational and problem-solving skill as evidenced by capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components
- Ability to exercise judgment in interactions with physicians, interprofessional care team and patients and their families
- Demonstrates proficient time management skills
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Demonstrates leadership as a clinical resource, interprofessional consultant, and patient advocate. Participates in rounding independently or with physicians/surgeons and attends interdisciplinary rounds, as appropriate, by specialty.
- Collaborates to foster healthy relationships in the work environment. Acts as a role model and coaches staff in effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication. May serve as first call for hospital staff. Serves as preceptor for Physician Assistant students and medical residents, as appropriate.
- Communicates organizational information and aspects of administrative and clinical practice in a respectful and positive manner when interacting with staff. Advocates for a balanced workload, promotes positive behaviors, and peer-to-peer accountability. Facilitates the promotion of teamwork. Uses peer-to-peer accountability towards improvement of department score for employee engagement.
- Collaborates with interprofessional health care team members to manage/coordinate patient care. Advocates on patient/family’s behalf to identify and resolve clinical and ethical concerns.
SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Coordinates appropriate, timely patient care between health care providers and other ancillary clinicians, as appropriate, under a physician license, for a defined patient population(s), focusing on identified expected unit/optimal outcomes, individualized to the patient. Helps drive improvement of department score for patient satisfaction, through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.
- Collaborates quality health care with interprofessional team members to manage/coordinate patient care. Provides first-assist and/or second-assist surgical services as needed.
- Responds and is available timely to patient questions/issues that arise as triaged by clinical staff and provides assistance for emergencies, as needed.
QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Performs independent or delegated functions under physician license, such as diagnosis, use of prescriptive authority, and treatment according to practice guidelines, protocols, and/or standing orders.
- Reviews medications and test reports on patients, responds to critical test results, and advises on any corrective action based on the results.
- Conducts comprehensive health assessments (initial, ongoing, discharge), identifies normal/abnormal health characteristics, develops plan of care, initiates appropriate interventions, and evaluates care outcomes on defined patient populations. Performs quality and safe diagnostic, surgical and/or therapeutic procedures necessary for defined patient populations.
- Assists the interprofessional health care team in the development and implementation of protocols to ensure patient safety. Integrates and contributes to professional practice standards, policies, procedures, protocols and leads improvements in patient safety-related processes.
FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Performs accurate and timely documentation in medical records, including diagnosis and CPT coding.
- Implements department strategies to achieve financial target and mentors others to do the same through timely documentation of care, decreasing length of stay, optimizing efficiency, and other areas according to department specifications. Projects awareness and understanding of resource allocation based on patient needs and staff experience, knowledge, and skills.
GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Fosters identification and implementation of innovative solutions to improve patient care or department operations such as the organization’s quality metrics or other department-specific measures by leading and/or participating in department and/or hospital projects/activities or a hospital committee.
- Provides education of information/knowledge in professional activities such as research, presentations, and publications. Expands individual nursing knowledge and coaches staff to grow in knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an ongoing basis.
SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE
- Uniform: No
- Scrubs: Yes
- Business professional: Yes
- Other (department approved): Yes
ON-CALL
- Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.
- On Call: Yes
TRAVEL
Travel specifications may vary by department
- May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area: Yes
- May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area: Yes
Company Profile:
Houston Methodist Specialty Physician Group is an integral part of Houston Methodist’s overall strategy to become one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. Established as a nonprofit corporation certified by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, the Specialty Physician Group enables physicians to maintain autonomy with respect to clinical practice while growing their practice within an academic environment.
Houston Methodist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
At Houston Methodist, the Surgical Physician Assistant (PA) functions as an advanced practice practitioner maintaining and promoting the health of the patient requiring care, practicing medicine under the supervision of a licensed physician. This position will provide diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical and preventative care, under the supervision of a physician. The surgical PA position will assist the physician in the global management of patient care in all peri-operative settings; their primary role is to assist licensed physicians in patient surgery. This end-to-end involvement enables surgical PAs to provide unparalleled continuity of patient care. This position will work in both inpatient and outpatient settings and can perform independently under the license of a physician or as part of a treatment team. The Surgical PA position will take call as required or as outlined by their supervising physician, manager or lead. This position should be in the OR a minimum of 30%. In addition, the Surgical PA position exams, diagnoses and decides treatment for patients, including analyzing and interpreting x-rays and lab results, writes prescriptions, takes patients' histories and orders various forms of therapy. This position affects direct patient care according to the Board of Physician Assistant Examiners in the State of Texas and Houston Methodist policies and procedures.
FLSA STATUS
Exempt
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
- Bachelor’s degree
- Graduate from accredited Physician Assistant program by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)
Experience
- One year of surgical experience
LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required
- PA - Physician Assistant - State Licensure - Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- PA-C - Physician Assistant-Certified (NCCPA) - National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistant
- DEA - Narcotics License (DEA) - Drug Enforcement Administration
- BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association
- ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
- Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
- Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
- Use of critical thinking skills and clinical judgment to work autonomously as defined by the Board of Physicians Assistants
- Accepts accountability for outcomes in healthcare
- Uses therapeutic communication to establish a relationship with patients, families and interprofessional team to collaborate on the plan of care
- Strong organizational and problem-solving skill as evidenced by capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components
- Ability to exercise judgment in interactions with physicians, interprofessional care team and patients and their families
- Demonstrates proficient time management skills
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Demonstrates leadership as a clinical resource, interprofessional consultant, and patient advocate. Participates in rounding independently or with physicians/surgeons and attends interdisciplinary rounds, as appropriate, by specialty.
- Collaborates to foster healthy relationships in the work environment. Acts as a role model and coaches staff in effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication. May serve as first call for hospital staff. Serves as preceptor for Physician Assistant students and medical residents, as appropriate.
- Communicates organizational information and aspects of administrative and clinical practice in a respectful and positive manner when interacting with staff. Advocates for a balanced workload, promotes positive behaviors, and peer-to-peer accountability. Facilitates the promotion of teamwork. Uses peer-to-peer accountability towards improvement of department score for employee engagement.
- Collaborates with interprofessional health care team members to manage/coordinate patient care. Advocates on patient/family’s behalf to identify and resolve clinical and ethical concerns.
SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Coordinates appropriate, timely patient care between health care providers and other ancillary clinicians, as appropriate, under a physician license, for a defined patient population(s), focusing on identified expected unit/optimal outcomes, individualized to the patient. Helps drive improvement of department score for patient satisfaction, through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.
- Collaborates quality health care with interprofessional team members to manage/coordinate patient care. Provides first-assist and/or second-assist surgical services as needed.
- Responds and is available timely to patient questions/issues that arise as triaged by clinical staff and provides assistance for emergencies, as needed.
QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Performs independent or delegated functions under physician license, such as diagnosis, use of prescriptive authority, and treatment according to practice guidelines, protocols, and/or standing orders.
- Reviews medications and test reports on patients, responds to critical test results, and advises on any corrective action based on the results.
- Conducts comprehensive health assessments (initial, ongoing, discharge), identifies normal/abnormal health characteristics, develops plan of care, initiates appropriate interventions, and evaluates care outcomes on defined patient populations. Performs quality and safe diagnostic, surgical and/or therapeutic procedures necessary for defined patient populations.
- Assists the interprofessional health care team in the development and implementation of protocols to ensure patient safety. Integrates and contributes to professional practice standards, policies, procedures, protocols and leads improvements in patient safety-related processes.
FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Performs accurate and timely documentation in medical records, including diagnosis and CPT coding.
- Implements department strategies to achieve financial target and mentors others to do the same through timely documentation of care, decreasing length of stay, optimizing efficiency, and other areas according to department specifications. Projects awareness and understanding of resource allocation based on patient needs and staff experience, knowledge, and skills.
GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Fosters identification and implementation of innovative solutions to improve patient care or department operations such as the organization’s quality metrics or other department-specific measures by leading and/or participating in department and/or hospital projects/activities or a hospital committee.
- Provides education of information/knowledge in professional activities such as research, presentations, and publications. Expands individual nursing knowledge and coaches staff to grow in knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an ongoing basis.
SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE
- Uniform: No
- Scrubs: Yes
- Business professional: Yes
- Other (department approved): Yes
ON-CALL
- Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.
- On Call: Yes
TRAVEL
Travel specifications may vary by department
- May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area: Yes
- May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area: Yes
Company Profile:
Houston Methodist Specialty Physician Group is an integral part of Houston Methodist’s overall strategy to become one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. Established as a nonprofit corporation certified by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, the Specialty Physician Group enables physicians to maintain autonomy with respect to clinical practice while growing their practice within an academic environment.
Houston Methodist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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- Science & Research8
- Education4
- Consulting & Professional Services1
Entry Level Surgical Physician Assistant Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an entry level surgical physician assistant job?
Employers at this level prioritize clinical rotation experience, hands-on surgical exposure during your PA program, and strong letters of recommendation from attending surgeons. Tailoring your application to highlight specific procedures you assisted with, any first-assist experience, and subspecialty rotations gives you a concrete edge over candidates with generic clinical backgrounds.
Which companies hire entry level surgical physician assistants?
Companies hiring entry level surgical physician assistants right now include Northwell Health, MaineHealth, and University of Kentucky, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. At this level, hiring tends to come from hospital systems, surgical group practices, and ambulatory surgery centers that have structured onboarding programs for new graduates.
Are there remote entry level surgical physician assistant jobs?
Yes, though the role is predominantly hands-on and clinical. About 0% of entry level surgical physician assistant openings are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those positions typically involve telehealth consultations, pre-operative assessments, or post-surgical follow-up care rather than intraoperative work.
Are these new grad surgical physician assistant jobs?
Yes, these listings include new grad, recent graduate, and junior surgical physician assistant roles. A posting is new-grad friendly when it welcomes zero to two years of experience, counts clinical rotations or internships toward the requirement, or explicitly states that a strong surgical rotation background can substitute for post-graduation work history.
Which industries hire the most entry level surgical physician assistants?
Entry Level surgical physician assistant roles concentrate in Healthcare & Medical Services, Science & Research, and Education, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. These sectors drive hiring at the entry level because they operate high surgical volumes and rely on physician assistants to extend surgeon capacity across inpatient, outpatient, and procedural care settings.