Physician Assistant - Cardiothoracic Surgery

UCSF Health; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

UCSF Medical Center seeks an experienced Physician Assistant to join the Cardiothoracic Surgery inpatient APP team. You will collaborate with CT Surgery Fellows, Cardiac Surgeons, and Intensivists, perform bedside procedures, and assist in the operating room as required.

The role emphasizes managing CT surgery patients across ICU and floor settings, with opportunities to work on ECMO, heart transplant, and complex valvular cases in a dynamic, academic environment.

Qualifications

• Required ARC-PA accredited PA program.
• CA PA license with NCCPA certification.
• BLS cert and ACLS as needed.
• Experience in inpatient cardiac surgery ICU/floor settings.

Responsibilities

• Manage CT surgery patients across ICU and floor with CT fellows and surgeons.
• Perform bedside procedures and assist in the operating room as needed.
• Collaborate with teams to provide high‑quality perioperative care.

Skills

PA Experience

ICU Experience

OR Assist Fundamentals

ECMO/Transplant Exposure

Education

ARC-PA accredited PA program

NCCPA Certification

CA PA License

AHA Basic Life Support (BLS)

Tools

EVH

Radial Artery Harvest

Chest Tubes & Central Lines

ECMO/VAD Management

Job description

Job Description

Join our dynamic, highly skilled Cardiothoracic (CT) Surgery inpatient APP team. The CT surgery service provides advanced surgical treatments, including coronary artery bypass grafting, aortic and mitral valve replacement, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and heart transplantation. We value individuals who are professional with strong interpersonal and communication skills and able to prioritize and adapt to changing situations. Our CT surgery APPs manage patients collaboratively across the inpatient continuum of care (in the ICU setting as well as the floor) with CT Surgery Fellows, Cardiac Surgeons, and Intensivists, perform bedside procedures, and may assist in the operating room.

Our APP team is expanding as we recruit highly skilled surgeons from across the country, strengthening both our expertise and our commitment to exceptional patient care. With this exciting growth comes new opportunities. Now is the ideal time to become part of a collaborative, forward-thinking team that is evolving, innovating, and setting a higher standard in surgical care. If you are looking to contribute your skills in a dynamic environment where your experience is valued and your impact is meaningful, we invite you to explore joining us. We look forward to connecting with you and sharing more about what makes our team unique.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Graduation from a PA Program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the PA (ARC-PA).
• Physician Assistant with less than five (5) years of experience as a PA.
• One (1) year of inpatient cardiac surgery experience in the ICU & floor setting.
• Experience as first or second assist in the OR including EVH and radial artery harvest.
• Experience with management of ECMO, heart transplant, complex aortic, CABG and valvular surgeries.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two (2) years or greater PA experience managing cardiac surgery patients in the critical care and acute care environments.
• Two (2) years of cardiac surgery OR experience including EVH and first assist.
• Ability to perform radial artery harvest.
• Management of ECMO, VAD and post heart transplant patients.
• Placement of chest tubes and central lines.

License and Certification

• California Physician Assistant (PA) License without restriction.
• National Board Certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
• California Driver License (if required for position).
• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Registration with Schedules 2, 2N, 3, 3N, 4, and 5 registered to a California address.
• American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Additional required AHA certifications: ACLS.
• Additional required certifications (such as ENLS): None.

UCSF Medical Center and Campus requires certain healthcare providers to be credentialed. In most cases this is done through its Office of Medical Affairs & Governance (OMAG) prior to the first working day. Credentialing and approval of the Standardized Procedures takes between 60-90 days but can vary.