(PA) Physician Assistant - Per Diem - Preoperative - 142114

UC San Diego Health; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 141,000 - 201,000; Part time

Job summary

UC San Diego Health is seeking a Physician Assistant for the Anesthesia Preparedness Clinic in La Jolla. The PA will conduct preoperative assessments, interview patients and families, and develop history and physicals to optimize care before anesthesia.

Collaborative practice with the health team is required, with overall patient management under supervision. Three years of PA experience in relevant specialties, current CA license, NCCPA certification, and BLS/CPR are required.

Qualifications

• Graduate from an ARC-PA accredited physician assistant program.
• Current California PA license.
• Current NCCPA certification.
• BLS/CPR certification at time of hire with commitment to get additional certification within six months.
• Minimum of three years' recent PA experience in cardiology, pulmonology, critical care, or internal medicine.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive preoperative health assessments and history taking.
• Order and interpret diagnostic studies; develop treatment plans.
• Collaborate with healthcare team while retaining responsibility for ongoing patient management.

Skills

ARC-PA accredited program

CA Physician Assistant license

NCCPA certification

BLS/CPR certification

Cardiology/critical care experience

Interpersonal communication

Empathy in patient care

Education

PA degree (M.S. or B.S. in PA studies)

Job description

Payroll Title

PHYSCN AST PD

Department

FACULTY PRACTICE ANES

Hiring Pay Scale

$124.24 / Hour

Worksite

La Jolla

Appointment Type

Per Diem

Appointment Percent

20%

Union

HX Contract

Total Openings

2

Work Schedule

Days, 10-Hour Shifts, Monday-Friday

Filing Deadline

Mon 11/30/2026

Description

The Anesthesia Preparedness Clinic (APC) Physician Assistant (PA) provides comprehensive preoperative health assessments before surgery to ensure medical optimization before anesthesia. In accordance with standardized procedures, the PA conducts in-depth interviews with patients and/or family, constructs comprehensive medical histories, performs initial and periodic physical examinations, evaluates patient behavior, and explores the patient's interpretation of health needs. PAs directly perform or order appropriate diagnostic studies and interpret finished results; develop and implement long- and short-range treatment plans. PAs work in collaboration with other health care team members, consulting and referring as appropriate, but retain responsibility for the patient's ongoing clinical management.

PAs assess and provide nursing actions as appropriate for patient care populations based on competence, professional expertise, and knowledge. Independent judgment is expected to be exercised within the context of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to patient care. Under general supervision, assignments at this level primarily encompass management of patients who present chronic and/or episodic health problems. Assignments at this level may include responsibility for occasional community teaching programs, participation in program planning, and development of patient education information.

While not required, a cover letter is highly recommended when applying to this position.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be a graduate from a physician assistant program approved by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
• Current State of California Physician Assistant (PA) license.
• Current Physician Assistant Certification from NCCPA.
• BLS/CPR certification at time of hire with commitment to get BART within six (6) months of hire date.
• A minimum of three (3) years of recent work experience as a licensed Physician Assistant (PA) within a cardiology, pulmonology, critical care, or internal medicine setting.
• Must possess the skills, knowledge, and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.
• Must be able to function in a fast-paced environment, have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and consistently demonstrate empathy and kindness to all staff and patients.

Preferred Qualifications

• Perioperative experience (preop, PACU).
• Ambulatory experience.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Must be able to obtain UCSD Medical Staff privileges and maintain during employment.
• Must be able to work various hours, days, shifts, on-call and locations based on the 24-hour Medical Center's business needs.
• Employment is subject to a criminal background check and pre-employment physical.
• Due to advanced practice credentialing eligibility, work experience must be within the past two years.

Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $259,413 - $259,413 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $124.24 - $124.24

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

If applicable, life-support certifications (BLS, NRP, ACLS, etc.) must include hands‑on practice and in‑person skills assessment; online‑only certification is not acceptable.

UC San Diego Health is the only academic health system in the San Diego region, providing leading‑edge care in patient care, biomedical research, education, and community service. Our facilities include two university hospitals, a National Cancer Institute‑designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, the only Burn Center in the county, and dozens of outpatient clinics. We invite you to join our team!

Applications/Resumes are accepted for current job openings only. For full consideration on any job, applications must be received prior to the initial closing date. If a job has an extended deadline, applications/resumes will be considered during the extension period; however, a job may be filled before the extended date is reached.

To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

For the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

UC San Diego is a smoke and tobacco free environment. Please visit smokefree.ucsd.edu for more information.

UC San Diego Health maintains a marijuana and drug free environment. Employees may be subject to drug screening.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace