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This position has closed. Northwestern Medicine removed this listing from their careers page on Sep 29, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Education Coordinator - Plastic Surgery Full time Days

Northwestern Medicine · Chicago, IL · Full time · Health Care Provider

Posted Sep 21, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 28, 2026

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

Full time days in Chicago. How does that fit your life?

What they are checking: Honest fit with the schedule and location the posting states.

What would you do

Plastic surgery training is long and small, often a handful of residents. What does that change about the role?

What they are checking: A small programme means every trainee issue is visible and personal.

A trainee comes to you with a problem they have not told the programme director. What do you do?

What they are checking: The coordinator is often the first person a trainee trusts, and the boundary matters.

How do you work with a programme director who is also operating most days?

What they are checking: The posting names meeting regularly with the director, whose time is scarce.

About the work

Tell me about coordinating a residency or fellowship programme.

What they are checking: The posting is operational and financial management of an accredited training programme.

What do you know about accreditation requirements for a surgical training programme?

What they are checking: Accreditation is the constraint the whole job runs against, and a coordinator owns the evidence.

Walk me through a recruitment season from application to match.

What they are checking: The posting names recruiting trainees as a core programmatic responsibility.

How do you track case logs and make sure trainees are meeting requirements?

What they are checking: Surgical training is measured in cases, and shortfalls found late cannot be fixed.

How do you manage a programme budget?

What they are checking: The posting names financial management alongside operational.

How do you keep documentation ready for a review rather than scrambling for it?

What they are checking: Accreditation review is periodic, and readiness is continuous.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

The Education Coordinator reflects the mission, vision, and values of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. With oversight and direction from the Program Director, the Education Coordinator is responsible for the operational and financial management of an accredited/non-accredited medical education training program (fellowship, residency, and/or clerkship). The position requires a comprehensive and detailed understanding of national accreditation policies and hospital policies, as well as a high degree of initiative and independent judgment. The Education Coordinator will continually assess and direct a wide range of programmatic issues including long range planning, recruiting trainees, developing projects, analyzing administrative workflow, maintaining databases, communicating with faculty and trainees regarding a range of issues, and managing internal and external program relations. Responsibilities: • Administration: Provides support and meets regularly with the program director concerning program management issues, activities, and the status of projects. Maintains databases with trainee and faculty data. Develops, implements, and oversees the maintenance of filing, record keeping, distribution of materials, and other types of office/program systems. Develops and distributes monthly/yearly schedules. • Budgets & Financial Works with business manager/director to develop, monitor, and report on the yearly training program budget. Responsible for recurring purchase orders for the training program, processing all check requests, and paying bills associated with the program’s activities. Assesses equipment acquisition and training needs and makes recommendations to the program director. Oversees all purchasing for the office/program, and orders equipment and supplies for the training office. May be responsible for management of grants awarded to individual trainees. • Communication, Outreach & Recruitment: Performs all ‘match’ responsibilities. May assist with quota review, ‘rank list’ entry, and certification in the National Residency Matching Program. May maintain the Electronic Residency Application System database, and oversee its processes during recruitment season. Organizes meetings and prepares and distributes materials for conferences and lectures. Creates/maintains external program advertising/media through websites, brochures, postcards, publications and other such media. Creates/edits annual publications regarding the program. Maintains program’s website. Receives inquiries from prospective trainees and applicants and triages as necessary to others within the department, and/or in other hospitals or departments. • Evaluation: Facilitates the evaluative processes of the trainees, program, faculty, and rotations. Identifies and evaluates the methods for improving workflow and cost effectiveness, and makes recommendations for improvement to the program director. Evaluates and standardizes office procedures and effectively troubleshoots and resolves issues. • Human Resources: Oversees department-level trainee orientation, and corresponds with new trainees about on-boarding requirements and process for appointment to the program and/or hospital(s). Verifies trainee status and activities as needed. May screen program applicants for compliance with prerequisites. Tracks and processes initial paperwork for visa requests. • Program Development: Assists in the preparation for Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) site visits and internal reviews. May assist in program-level policy development. Understands the curriculum, educational goals, policies, and standards of the medical education program. • Regulatory Compliance: Interprets and applies ACGME, other national accrediting agencies, and hospital policies to support compliance. Tracks, reports, and ensures compliance with procedures regarding licensing, moonlighting, annual contracts, initial and re-credentialing of trainees. Assists in monitoring trainee duty hours and operative/case experience via regular review of data reports. • Trainee Support: Provides both administrative supervision and support to trainees. Informs trainees of inter- and intra-departmental policy and procedure changes, with assistance from institutional offices (Graduate Medical Education). Coordinates trainee rotations and, as appropriate, observerships. Acts as a liaison between trainees and hospital administration. Establishes relationships and acts as a liaison to other hospitals, internal departments, and divisions regarding trainee recruitment, orientation, affiliation agreements, and external rotations. Manages materials for specialty-specific trainee exams, and may assist with proctoring exams. • Supervision: Provides administrative supervision and guidance to trainees regarding administrative issues, due dates, and deadlines. May guide and train new coordinators, or administrative assistants. May hire temporary office assistance with business manager’s approval. • May perform other duties as assigned. Minimum Requirements: Education: • Bachelor’s degree or appropriate combination of education and experience. Experience: • One year experience in program/project administration or relevant. Preferred • Previous program administration experience in undergraduate or graduate medical education. 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. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information NorthwesternMedicine Career Page https://jobs.nm.org/benefits Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: 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 as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.