Physician Assistant, Thoracic Surge

Physician AssistantIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$61-$79.67/hr

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday4-day week · 4×10s

Weekend work is also flagged as required; confirm which days and how often.

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

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Company Description

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry.

As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better health care, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system.

We pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, our goal is to take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

Job Description

Northwestern Medicine has an exciting opportunity for a motivated Physician Assistant to work with our Thoracic Surgery team. This APP will support a comprehensive thoracic surgery practice, with responsibilities spanning the outpatient clinic, inpatient consult service, operating room, and shared call coverage.

Time is divided between evaluating and managing patients in the office, providing hospital consults, assisting in the OR, and participating in weekend call when patients are admitted.

  • Schedule: Monday-Friday - Opportunity for 4 ten hour shifts may be available.
  • No holiday coverage required
  • Occasional need to stay late based on surgical case volume
  • Potential for periodic weekend coverage depending on surgical needs
  • Locations: Privileges across Northwestern Medicine Northwest region hospitals
  • Surgical cases performed at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital only

Essential Functions

Demonstrates clinical expertise and expanded knowledge through patient care activities which may include diagnosis and management of a wide range of health problems.

  • Responsible for health outcome of an assigned patient population.
  • Confers with collaborating physician and other health professionals in area of clinical expertise.
  • Develops appropriate educational systems for patients, families and staff in areas of expertise.
  • Mentors graduate students in aspects of advanced practice and patient care.
  • Actively participates in quality improvement and/or research pertinent to area of expertise.

Responsibilities

Conducts comprehensive appraisals of patients' health status by taking health histories and performing physical examinations in clinical area.

  • Provides direct clinical care to patients.
  • Prescribes/orders medications, therapies; orders/interprets laboratory tests, x-rays and procedures according to clinical privileges.
  • Evaluates patients to determine their need for further health care.
  • Provides comprehensive teaching to patients and families.
  • Documents in the medical record all care and education provided and/or procedures performed for which the Licensed Advanced Practice Provider is responsible.
  • Refers to other disciplines as appropriate.
  • Consultant to other disciplines in areas of expertise.
  • Integrates research based knowledge and clinical expertise in decision making.
  • Exemplifies a professional image in appearance, manner and presentation.
  • Advocate for patients, families, coworkers, and the community.
  • Maintains certifications and continuing education as required for licensure and privileging.
  • Serves as a patient advocate and role model for "Patients First".
  • Participates in unit/departmental/divisional or hospital committees/task forces as appropriate.
  • Provides comprehensive teaching strategies for patients and their families.
  • Develops and participates in programs to meet continuing education needs of staff.
  • Serves as a role model and preceptor to students.
  • Provides formal education to both internal and external groups pertinent to area of specialty.

Participates in quality improvement and/or research initiatives for specific patient population as appropriate.

AA/EOE Minorities/Women/Disabled/Veterans. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

Qualifications

Required:

Master’s degree from an accredited school/college of nursing OR master's degree from an accredited Physician Assistant Program

Acute care certification required for APRNs (inpatient experience as an NP will be considered in lieu of acute care certification)

First Assist Certification for All APRNs

Current license as a Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois. Current license as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in the State of Illinois. Certification as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse by a national certifying body as approved by the Illinois Department of Regulation APRN Board.

Once licensed may apply for a controlled substance license and DEA number OR Master’s degree from an accredited Physician Assistant Program/Current license as a Physician Assistant in the State of Illinois. Once licensed may apply for a controlled substance license and DEA number

  • Privileged and credentialed through the Northwestern Medicine Medical Staff Office (MSO)
  • Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation – BLS, issued by the American Heart Association

Preferred

2+ years of experience

Additional Information

Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Background Check

Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers.

If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check.

Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more.

Sign-on Bonus Eligibility (if sign-on bonus offered for position): Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position at NM may be eligible depending upon the job family.

  • Job Shift: Day Job (1st)
  • Salary Range Minimum: $61.00
  • Salary Range Maximum: $79.67
  • Compensation: USD 61 - USD 79.67 - hourly

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Certifications

DEA License

Key Skills

Patient assessmentOperating room assistanceInpatient consultsClinical diagnosisMedication prescriptionPatient educationMedical documentationBLS certificationSurgical case managementCollaborative care

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Physician Assistant, Thoracic Surge at Northwestern Memorial Healthcare a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Surgery (PA) — ranked against 370 active Surgery (PA) listings on WeekdayDoc.

Surgery — Physician Assistant Career Context

Of the 50 active Surgery listings this role was benchmarked against, 4% are remote, 76% have no call, 58% require no weekends.

Surgery pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Surgery by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.4 / 10 · top 25% in surgery (pa)ranked against 370 Surgery (PA) listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$127k–$166kSurgery median $126k (middle half $110k–$155k)37 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$146k in purchasing powerIllinois index 100.0 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Surgery listings in Illinois16 active371 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 4% remote · 76% no call · 58% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Surgery pay trend+3.4% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (370 Surgery (PA) listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

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Salary Distribution

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

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401k / retirement match
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CME allowance
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Sign-on bonus
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Relocation assistance
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Loan repayment
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Work-life snapshot

median 1.8this job 6.4
Better work-life than 90% of Surgery (PA) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 370 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends
Northwestern Memorial Healthcare logo

About Northwestern Memorial Healthcare

Hospitals and Health Care
Chicago, Illinois
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Tuition Reimbursement
Loan Forgiveness
401(k) Matching
Lifecycle Benefits
Sign-on Bonus Eligibility
Comprehensive Benefits

Living in McHenry

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$322k
Typical market rent
$1,901/mo
Residents’ average commute
29 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

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

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