Certified Surgical Tech CDH OR Full-time Evenings
Posted Sep 24, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Apply at Northwestern Medicine
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a time your count was off at closing. What did you do, and how did it get resolved?
What they are checking: Whether they will stop a closing and speak up on a count, even when a surgeon wants to move on.
Tell me about a surgeon who was short or frustrated with you during a case. How did you respond, and what happened after?
What they are checking: Whether they can absorb pressure in the room without losing focus or carrying resentment into the next case.
Where are you with your CST certification, and what is your plan if you are not yet certified?
What they are checking: Whether they have a concrete path to the CST credential required within twelve months of hire.
Tell me about a case that went badly or unexpectedly. What did you learn about how you work under stress?
What they are checking: Whether they reflect honestly on hard cases and can name a specific change in how they practice.
What would you do
You notice a break in sterile technique by someone else on the team during a case. How do you handle it in the moment?
What they are checking: Whether patient safety beats rank and awkwardness for them when the person who contaminated the field is senior.
This is an evening shift at Central DuPage. How do you handle add-on and emergency cases when the board changes late and staffing is thinner?
What they are checking: Whether they stay calm and flexible on an evening OR shift where trauma and add-ons replace a predictable schedule.
A piece of equipment or an implant you need is missing or not working right before incision. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they check availability ahead of time and know who to call fast when something fails at the worst moment.
About the work
Walk me through how you set up the back table and Mayo stand for a case you know well, from opening sterile supplies to the patient coming in the room.
What they are checking: Whether they have a repeatable, organized setup routine or rely on memory and luck under time pressure.
How do you keep track of the number and location of instruments, sponges and sharps during a long case with several field changes?
What they are checking: Whether they have a real system for accounting during surgery, which is a core duty in this posting.
How do you handle a specimen from the field so it gets to the lab correctly labeled and intact?
What they are checking: Whether they understand that a mislabeled or lost specimen can mean a wrong diagnosis or a repeat surgery.
How do you anticipate what the surgeon needs next instead of waiting to be asked?
What they are checking: Whether they study procedures and surgeon preferences, which is what separates a strong scrub tech from an adequate one.
What is your role in positioning and draping the patient, and what safety checks do you pay attention to?
What they are checking: Whether they understand pressure injuries, nerve risks and draping technique as part of patient safety, not just setup.
Practice this interview out loud.
Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northwestern Medicine from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.
Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Northwestern Medicine.
Apply at Northwestern Medicine