District Medical Group logo
District Medical Group
Phoenix, Arizona

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT - Surgical 1st Assist

Physician AssistantIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

District Medical Group (DMG) is well known as a respected leader in the healthcare industry in the Phoenix area, with a reputation for outstanding leadership, innovation and dedication to the patients and communities we serve. DMG is one of the largest physician groups in the Valley, with over 450 dedicated physicians/APP’s, supported by approximately 100 skilled professional/administrative team members.

DMG is actively recruiting for a Physician Assistant (PA) 1st Assist, in the department of Surgery of DMG. The PA will assist cardiothoracic in delivering high quality care to patients being evaluated by or admitted to Valleywise Health Medical Center (VWMC). VWMC is a public hospital that is both American College of Surgeons verified, and State designated as an Adult Level I Trauma Center.

Responsibilities Include

Clinic & Patient Prep

  • Perform history and physical examinations of patients
  • Participate in hospital rounds, and prepare documentation of daily progress notes as assigned
  • Enter patient orders as directed
  • Review and discuss results of medical imaging and laboratory studies with attending physician, fellow/resident/hospital staff, and/or patients as appropriate

Surgical Assistance

  • Assist in staffing minor procedures and operative procedures in main operating room, as assigned

Assist with suturing and knot tying, anastomoses support (CABG, valve, etc.), wound closure (sternum, soft tissue, skin)

Advanced CT-specific tasks (varies by privilege)

  • Conduit harvesting (e. g., saphenous vein), placement of chest tubes, central/arterial lines, pacing wires
  • Assist with bypass initiation/decannulation, valve repairs/replacements, lung resections
  • Immediate postop (OR → ICU): Assist with patient transfer and handoff, apply dressings and ensure wound integrity
  • Assist with hospital-based continuity of care with knowledge of all patients on service and consult list
  • Assist with coordinating resident education, ER consults and be available for nursing questions regarding service patients
  • Assist with coordinating operative schedule for both elective and emergent/urgent procedures
  • Serve as a liaison with other services, answer pages and phone calls and take appropriate action with patients, under the supervision of attending staff
  • PA may be requested on an “as needed basis” to be available for first call (pager), on evenings, weekends, or holidays, to be determined and as mutually agreed and scheduled by division Chief or designee

DMG continuously strives for and succeeds in providing a strong and positive work environment through employee appreciation, team collaboration, competitive compensation, mentoring, and great benefits including:

A strong healthcare package inclusive of medical, dental, vision – eligible DAY ONE

A rich 401(k) with employer match, increasing annually up to 6%

Four weeks PTO + 10 paid holidays

One week of CME with allowance

Paid Sick Time

Qualifies for participation in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) and more

For consideration, please forward CV by email to: practice@dmgaz.org

EOE

Key Responsibilities

The Physician Assistant provides first-assist support for cardiothoracic surgical procedures and manages patient care in the clinic and hospital settings. Responsibilities include performing physical exams, assisting in the operating room, and coordinating continuity of care between the OR and ICU.

Requirements

Candidates must be a qualified Physician Assistant capable of performing advanced cardiothoracic surgical tasks and patient management. The role requires the ability to handle emergent procedures and participate in on-call rotations.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Surgical First AssistingCardiothoracic SurgeryChest Tube PlacementCentral Line PlacementArterial Line PlacementPatient AssessmentMedical DocumentationPostoperative Care

Surgery — Physician Assistant Career Context

Of the 50 active Surgery listings this role was benchmarked against, 6% are remote, 66% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

Surgery pay on WeekdayDoc is down 8.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Arizona is 100.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 60.3% of Arizona clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Physician Assistant Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution37 jobs · 30 employers

8
<$150k
14
$150k-170k
9
$170k-190k
5
$190k-210k
1
$212k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks30 jobs

401k / retirement match
73% this job
CME allowance
63% this job
Sign-on bonus
53%
Loan repayment
10% this job
Relocation assistance
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Physician Assistant- Dr. Fealy

Hospital for Special Surgery · New York, New York

$195k-$212k
#2

Physician Assistant / Nurse Practitioner 4 Day Work Week

Confidential Employer · Urbana, Illinois

$100k-$200k
#3

Urgent Care Advanced Practice Clinician (PA-C or ARNP)

$92-$96/hr
#4

Pain Management Physician Assistant

$171k-$198k
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.1this job 1.5
Better work-life than 20% of Surgery (PA) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 387 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Phoenix

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$406k
Typical market rent
$1,574/mo
Residents’ average commute
26 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
103.3
State income tax
Up to 2.5%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

District Medical Group logo

About District Medical Group

Hospitals and Health Care
Phoenix, AZ
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401(k) with employer match up to 6%
4 weeks PTO
10 paid holidays
1 week CME with allowance
Paid Sick Time